Washington [US], August 23 (ANI): The US has started using commercial flights to evacuate its citizens from Afghanistan, a Pentagon official said on Monday. “Secretary of Defense activated stage one of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet yesterday. Right now, that activation includes 18 aircraft from 6 commercial airlines,” Army Major General William Hank Taylor said during a press brief.
“As of this morning, 25 US Military C-17s, 3 US Military C-130s and 61 charter/commercial flights departed Kabul. The total passenger count for those flights was approximately 16,000. Of that number, the US military transported just under 11,000 personnel,” Taylor added.
During the press conference, Pentagon Press Secretary John F Kirby said that the US trying is to get its people out by August 31.
US evacuates 10,400 people from Afghanistan in past 24 hrs
The US has evacuated nearly 10,400 people from war-torn Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, a White House official said. “From August 22 at 3:00 AM EDT to August 23 at 3:00 AM EDT, nearly 28 US military flights (25 C-17s and 3 C-130s) evacuated approximately 10,400 people from Kabul,” the official said.
“Since August 14, the US has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 37,000 people. Since the end of July, we have relocated approximately 42,000 people,” the official added.
In addition, 61 coalition aircraft evacuated approximately 5,900 people from Afghanistan.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden had termed the evacuation from Afghanistan the ‘most difficult and largest airlift’ ever in history. He had assured to get all Americans and allies out of the war-torn country.
“Kabul evacuation is among the largest and most difficult airlifts in history,” Biden had said.
Biden on Saturday also said that his administration may extend his August 31 deadline for removing all American troops from Afghanistan, and he pledged that all evacuated Afghan allies will be given a home in the United States after they are screened and vetted at bases in other countries.
Afghanistan‘s situation is dwindling as people are in rush to leave the nation after the Taliban seized control last week. On August 15, the country’s government fell soon after President Ashraf Ghani left the nation.
Countries have been evacuating their citizens from the war-torn nation speedily. The Kabul airport is witnessing nowadays a heavy chaos due to instability in the region.
Taliban accuses US troops of being responsible for Kabul airport chaos
As countries around the world are evacuating citizens from the war-torn country, the Taliban has accused the United States troops of being the main cause behind the misery at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, local media reported on Monday.
Afghanistan is witnessing its worst-ever crisis in decades as the Taliban‘s control has forced people to flee the nation fearing their atrocities. At least seven people were killed on Sunday near the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul as people attempted to flee the Taliban-controlled country.
Head of the Taliban‘s commission for guidance and encouragement, Mullah Amir Khan Motaqi in a voice clip said that entire Afghanistan is secure and no casualty is recorded but the US cannot secure an airport, Khaama Press reported. He called the ongoing evacuation by the US illegitimate. Motaqi added that no one is confined in Afghanistan and everyone who wants to leave Afghanistan will be allowed through a legitimate process and having a visa but reiterated that the US‘s vacation without a visa is a violation of international law, Khaama Press reported.
“The US in the past twenty years used all its tools to suppress Afghan people but achieved nothing. Now they are suppressing people in Afghanistan through economic pressure which is an ethical crime,” Motaqi said.
Countries have been evacuating their citizens from the war-torn nation speedily. The Kabul airport is witnessing heavy chaos due to instability in the region.
The US has evacuated nearly 10,400 people from war-torn Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, a White House official said on Monday. s(ANI)
