Terror threat at Kabul airport, evacuate immediately: US, allies to their nationals

By Team Newsable | First Published Aug 26, 2021, 9:44 AM IST

Since the extreme Islamist Taliban movement gained control of Afghanistan on August 15, almost 90,000 Afghans and foreigners have departed the country via the US-led airlift.

On Thursday, western governments advised their nationals to evacuate Kabul airport immediately due to a terrorist threat, as thousands of civilians tried to join a limited number of evacuation planes. Western governments issued a warning Thursday about an impending terrorist attack at Kabul airport. Thousands of Afghans are attempting to board a diminishing number of evacuation planes to escape the Taliban.
Since the extreme Islamist Taliban movement gained control of Afghanistan on August 15, almost 90,000 Afghans and foreigners have departed the country via the US-led airlift.

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Huge crowds have collected in and around the airport, growing increasingly anxious as several foreign nations cancel flights ahead of President Joe Biden's deadline on Tuesday to stop the evacuations and evacuate US soldiers monitoring them. One of the reasons highlighted by Biden and his advisers this week for the strict deadline was a "acute" terrorist danger from the Islamic State group's regional affiliate.
On Thursday, the US government and its allies issued a series of synchronised and detailed advisories urging its nationals to avoid the airport.

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The US State Department stated, citing security risks, that "anyone at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate currently should evacuate immediately." According to Australia's foreign ministry, there is a "ongoing and extremely high threat of terrorist assault." "Travel to Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport is not recommended. If you are near the airport, relocate to a safe location and wait for further instructions." A similar warning was issued by London, which added, "if you can leave Afghanistan securely by other ways, you should do so immediately."

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