As of August 17, a military flight had displaced 3,200 US citizens, permanent residents, and their families from Afghanistan, according to White House officials.
On Tuesday alone, 13 flights carried 1,100 people from the capital Kabul, officials said, adding that the pace of evacuation was expected to recover throughout Wednesday and the week.
“To date, more than 3,200 people, including staff, have been evacuated. In addition to these total of more than 3,200 evacuation, we have relocated approximately 2,000 special Afghan immigrants to the United States.” Officials said.
According to President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, the Taliban is a “safe passage” from Afghanistan for civilians struggling to participate in US-led air transport from the capital. I agreed to allow. According to Sullivan, the schedule to complete the evacuation of Americans, Afghan allies and others has not yet been set with the country’s new ruler.
Sullivan acknowledged reports that some civilians were facing resistance from the Taliban as they tried to reach the airport, but said that “a large number of people” were still passing. Problems encountered by others were addressed in the Taliban, Sullivan added.
The Taliban carried out a rapid takeover of Afghanistan and rushed out of the country by American citizens, residents, and Afghanistan in cooperation with the United States.
Over the next few days, a total of more than 6,000 troops were expected to be involved in the protection of Kabul’s airport. Additional troops arrived on Tuesday.
The State Department said it has dispatched former Afghan ambassador John Bass to manage evacuation activities in Kabul. The Pentagon has dispatched Rear Admiral Christopher Donoue, a special operations officer and current commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, to command airport security operations.
According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, US officers were talking to the Taliban commander “multiple times a day” about avoiding conflicts at the airport.
The White House said Tuesday that about 11,000 Americans remain in Afghanistan.
“There are individuals who are self-aware as American citizens, and that number is about 11,000 nationwide,” White House spokesman Jen Psaki told Washington reporters.
At the beginning of Tuesday, Pentagon officials reduced numbers.
“I’m sure there are thousands of Americans. I don’t know the exact number. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on CNN’s” New Day. “
US officials are urging Americans to travel abroad if they are not yet there at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Zachary Stieber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ivan has been reporting on various topics in The Epoch Times since 2011.