Afghanistan: UK, US citizens warned against visiting Kabul airport over security threat
Afghanistan crisis: Noting that the security situation in Afghanistan remains 'volatile', the United Kingdom and the United States citizens have been advised to not visit Kabul airport and move away to a "safe location and await further advice".
In a statement on late Wednesday, the UK foreign office said travelling by road in Afghanistan is currently extremely dangerous, Sputnik reported.
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"Commercial flights are not currently operating. If you can leave Afghanistan safely by other means, you should do so immediately," the Foreign Office concluded.
Likewise, the US State Department on Wednesday sent out an alert advising its citizens to avoid travelling to the Kabul airport.
"Because of security threats outside the gates of Kabul airport, we are advising U.S. citizens to avoid travelling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a U.S. government representative to do so," a security alert from the US Embassy in Kabul said on Wednesday.
"U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately." Meanwhile, the United States has evacuated 4500 out of 6000 American citizens identified in Afghanistan, according to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday (locale time).
An estimated 1,500 Americans are still waiting to be evacuated from the war-torn country. "The Taliban have made public and private commitments to provide and permit safe passage for Americans, third-country nationals and the Afghans at risk, going forward past August 31," Blinken said.
The new advisory comes as the Taliban has said they have blocked the road to the Kabul airport and will not allow anyone except foreign citizens to pass.
This also comes as the foreign troops' withdrawal deadline is approaching. US President Joe Biden recently made it clear that the US is sticking to the August 31 deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Earlier, several countries have urged the US to extend its deadline for troops drawdown as several foreign citizens and vulnerable Afghans are still stuck in the war-ravaged country.
-PTC News
