‘Kabul Could Fall In 30 Days’: US Sends 3,000 Troops To Afghanistan For Evacuations As Taliban Take Key Cities

The Pentagon is moving troops to Afghanistan and the region to evacuate American embassy officials and US citizens stranded in Kabul.

Taliban fighters patrol inside the city of Farah, the capital of Farah province, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: The Joe Biden administration is sending 3,000 marines and soldiers back to Afghanistan besides another 4,000 troops to the region to evacuate most of the American embassy officials and US citizens in Kabul, The New York Times reported quoting administration and military officials.

The Pentagon believes the Afghan government will collapse within the next month as the Taliban offensive increases, the report said.

The situation is fast deteriorating in the country, with Afghan security forces battling to defend the shrinking territory.

President Biden met top national security advisers Wednesday night and also on Thursday morning. He ordered more expedited flights out of Kabul for Afghans who have worked with the US and their applications for special immigrant visas evaluated.

Earlier, the US embassy in a series of alarming alerts had urged Americans to “leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options”.

Addressing his daily news conference, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said: “We are further reducing our civilian footprint in Kabul in light of the evolving security situation. We expect to draw down to a core diplomatic presence in Afghanistan in the coming weeks. In order to facilitate this reduction, the Department of Defense will temporarily deploy additional personnel to Hamid Karzai International Airport.”

US Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani over the phone on Thursday to coordinate the planning, PTI quoted him as saying.

Giving details of the troop deployment in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the first movement will consist of three infantry battalions currently in the Central Command area of responsibility. 

Since April 27, the American embassy in Kabul has been on ordered departure, Price said, “We have been evaluating the security situation every day to determine how best to keep those serving at our embassy safe. This is what we do for every diplomatic post in a challenging security environment.”

But, he added: “Let me be very clear about this: The embassy remains open.”