U.S. completes evacuation from American embassy in Kabul

Rebecca Falconer
·1 min read

The American flag has been removed at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Sunday, a final step in the mass and rapid evacuation of U.S. citizens and some Afghan allies who are now awaiting flights out of the country.

Driving the news: The Defense Department has also authorized an additional 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to aid in the chaotic final stage of the evacuation, per the Washington Post.

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  • President Biden on Saturday ordered 1,000 more troops to secure an airlift of U.S. Embassy personnel and Afghan allies. Marines were assisting with airlift efforts. Together with Sunday's announcement, 6,000 troops have been directed to lead this effort.

Details: U.S. officials had originally discussed a possible 72-hour window for removing everyone from the embassy. The entire endeavor remains tense as the U.S. Embassy earlier in the day sent out an alert about the rapidly changing security situation.

  • "There are reports of the airport taking fire; therefore we are instructing U.S. citizens to shelter in place," the embassy said.

  • U.S. military officials also said the Kabul airport had closed to commercial flights while the military-led evacuations continue, per AP.

What they're saying: "We assured all embassies, diplomatic centers, institutions and places and foreign nationals in Kabul that they will not face any danger," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Sunday on Twitter.

  • The U.S. Embassy in Kabul had earlier tweeted that it had "conveyed to the Taliban reps" in Doha, Qatar, where on-and-off peace talks have been taking place, that any action that put American personnel "or our mission at risk" would be met with a "swift" and "strong" response from the U.S. Defense Department.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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