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US troops began the final phase of their withdrawal from the Afghan capital because the airport warned of a “concrete and credible threat.”
The United States warned on Sunday that there is a “concrete and credible threat” near the Kabul airport because its troops are eager to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan before the August 31 deadline, and the Taliban are preparing to take over the key airport.
In the security alert, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul warned that certain areas of Kabul Airport would be attacked, including its boarding gate, because U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters in Washington, DC that his commander had notified him another time. “The attack is likely to happen in the next 24-36 hours.”
On Thursday, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at Kabul Airport, killing dozens of Afghan civilians and 13 US troops. The Islamic State (ISKP or ISIS-K) in Khorasan Province claimed to have carried out the attack.
A Western security official told Reuters that the U.S. military is in the final stage of its evacuation operation, and only more than 1,000 civilians in the airport have yet to be evacuated.
“We want to ensure that all foreign civilians and people in danger are evacuated today. Once this process is over, the troops will begin to take off,” the official stationed at Kabul Airport said.
A Taliban official said that the organization is ready to take over the airport.
“We are waiting for the American’s final nod to ensure complete control of the Kabul Airport because the goal of both parties is to hand over quickly,” the official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
The following are the latest updates:
The United States is in the “final stage of withdrawal from Kabul”
A Western security official told Reuters that the US military is in the final stage of its withdrawal from Kabul, and there are more than 1,000 civilians waiting to be evacuated from the airport before the military withdraws.
The official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters that the date and time for the operation to end has not yet been determined.
“We want to ensure that all foreign civilians and people in danger are evacuated today. Once this process is over, troops will begin to fly out,” said the official stationed at Kabul Airport.
Taliban waits for “final nod” to take control of Kabul Airport
A Taliban official told Reuters on Sunday that the organization was preparing to take over Kabul Airport.
The official, who asked not to be named, said: “We are waiting for the American’s final nod to ensure complete control of the Kabul Airport, because the goal of both parties is to hand over quickly.”
The official added that Taliban engineers and technicians are ready to take over.
The United States warns of “specific and credible threats” near Kabul Airport
The US Embassy in Kabul urged all Americans near Hamid Karzai International Airport to leave the area immediately because it is a “concrete and credible threat”.
An early warning on Sunday morning stated that U.S. citizens should avoid going to the airport at this time and avoid all airport gates. It specifically pointed out the South (Airport Circle) gate, the new Ministry of the Interior, and the gate near the Panjshir gas station on the northwest side of the airport.
The security alert said: “Due to a specific and credible threat, all American citizens near the Kabul Airport…should leave the airport area immediately.”
The U.S. military and allies’ flights took off from Kabul on Saturday with 2,000 people: White House officials
A White House official said that on Saturday, US military and coalition flights took about 2,000 people out of Kabul.
According to Reuters, the official said that the evacuation occurred within 12 hours between 07:00 and 19:00 GMT.
Hello, and welcome to Al Jazeera’s ongoing report on the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.For yesterday’s update on August 28th, go to here.
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