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Graphic shows evacuations from Afghanistan by country.
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MILITARY

Laatste dagen van luchtbrug Kabul (1)

By Duncan Mil

August 29, 2021 - The global rescue mission by the United States and its allies has evacuated more than 189,400 people -- including western citizens and at-risk Afghans -- since the Taliban claimed Kabul.

Although most countries have finished their evacuation flights, the U.S. plans to keep its round-the-clock flights going until President Joe Biden’s Tuesday deadline to withdraw from the nation. The U.S. reported that it had evacuated 117,000 people since August 14. In total, the 29 countries taking part in the airlift rescued 189,479 by Sunday, August 29.

On Thursday, Qatar said it had helped evacuate more than 40,000 people to Doha and “evacuation efforts will continue in consultation with international partners.” The United Arab Emirates said it has helped evacuate 36,500 people to date.

Britain ended its evacuation flights Saturday. Britain’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, said: “we haven’t forgotten the people who still need to leave.”

“We’ll continue to do everything we can to help them. Nor have we forgotten the brave, decent people of Afghanistan. They deserve to live in peace and security,” Bristow said.

Early on Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul advised all Americans in the vicinity of Kabul airport to leave the area immediately because of a “specific, credible threat.” The security alert warned U.S. citizens to avoid all airport gates -- specifically the South (Airport Circle) gate, the new Ministry of the Interior, and the entrance near the Panjshir Petrol station on the northwest side of the airport.

The Taliban deployed fighters -- with Humvees and night-vision goggles captured from Afghan security forces -- around the airport after Thursday’s bomb killed 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. soldiers. So-called Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 31/08/2021; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Associated Press
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