Two new flights of people evacuated by France from Kabul, which fell into the hands of the Taliban, landed in Paris on Tuesday, carrying 450 people, the vast majority of whom were Afghans, official sources said.
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According to Colonel Pascal Ianni, spokesperson for the French Armed Forces General Staff, the first aircraft, providing the 8th flight of this type from Abu Dhabi, landed at dawn at the Parisian airport of Roissy, carrying 205 evacuees, including 204 Afghans.
Already nine flights have landed in Paris
The Minister of the Armies Florence Parly also returned from Abu Dhabi as well as some journalists, by the flight which arrived around 5:30 am, according to an AFP journalist who noted the "
impressive calm
" on board the plane.
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At the end of the morning, a ninth flight in turn landed at Roissy, bringing the total number of people exfiltrated on Tuesday to "
more than 450, including a large majority of Afghans,
" said the French Foreign Ministry. in a press release.
Since the establishment of the Apagan evacuation operation a week ago, "
nearly a hundred French people and more than 1,500 Afghans have joined French soil
", according to the ministry.
“
The situation in Kabul remains complex.
All of the State services concerned and the French Embassy in the field remain fully mobilized to ensure new rotations.
Two additional flights should thus take place in the next 24 hours,
”added the same source.
260 people waiting in Kabul
Tuesday, a new group of people had taken refuge with the French authorities at Kabul airport, awaiting exfiltration, according to the French ambassador in Afghanistan: “
This morning, the French special forces, in liaison with the The American army, were able to bring into the airport 260 employees of the European Union Delegation in Kabul.
They are welcomed in the waiting area of the French Embassy before boarding.
Well done to the EU,
”David Martinon tweeted.
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Several EU countries are involved in the evacuation of Union employees. Paris wants to help get out of the country, in addition to its nationals, auxiliaries of the French army, employees of French organizations and personalities of civil society targeted by the Taliban because of their commitments. But the Taliban warned Tuesday that Westerners should only evacuate foreigners and not the most skilled Afghans.
In addition, this airlift is nearing completion if, as planned, the United States withdraws from Afghanistan on August 31. If the United States follows its target of total withdrawal on August 31, "
for us, in terms of back-planning, that means our operation ends Thursday night." So we have three days left
”, explained Tuesday the chief of staff of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nicolas Roche, to Prime Minister Jean Castex, in the presence of journalists. The Taliban refused any extension of these operations beyond August 31.