The United States, United Kingdom, and Australia warned of a “Elevated terrorist threat” at Kabul airport, in Afghanistan, and advised the thousands of people trying to get there for evacuation to leave the area.
“Don’t go to Kabul airport”
“Do not go to Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport,” the British Foreign Ministry wrote on its website on Wednesday night.
“There is a high and permanent threat of terrorist attack “, He stressed, while thousands of Afghans are still crowded around the airport to try to flee the country that fell into the hands of the Taliban.
“If you are in the airport area, leave it in a safe place and wait for other instructions,” added the British diplomacy. “If you can leave Afghanistan by other safe means, do so immediately.”
The warnings were unusually accurate: people “who are at the Abbey, East and North entrances, should leave immediately,” the US State Department said, noting “security threats” without giving further details.
The Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its part mentioned a “very high threat of terrorist attack”. Like London, Australia advised not to go to the airport and, to people already there, “go to a safe place and wait for additional information.”
Evacuations in Afghanistan
The Taliban pledged to let Americans and Afghans “at risk” leave the country following the withdrawal of US troops on August 31, Antony Blinken, the chief of US diplomacy, said Wednesday.
“The Taliban have made public and private commitments to provide and enable safe passage for Americans, third-country nationals and Afghans at risk as of August 31,” he declared during a press conference in Washington.
At least eight people died at the airport in recent days.
Belgium announced Wednesday that it had terminated its evacuation operations from Kabul airport.
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