21 additional US citizens evacuated from Afghanistan
Sep 11, 2021
Washington [US], September 11 : The US on Friday facilitated the departure of 21 US citizens and 11 Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) from Afghanistan.
"As part of our ongoing commitment, today we facilitated the departure from Afghanistan of 21 U.S. citizens and 11 Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs)," said a press statement of Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State.
The Department assisted two US citizens and 11 LPRs to depart from Afghanistan via an overland route.
"We provided guidance to them, worked to facilitate their safe passage, and Embassy officials greeted them once they had crossed the border," added the statement.
Additionally, another Qatar Airways charter flight departed Kabul with 19 US citizens aboard. 44 seats were offered to US citizens, not all of them chose to travel.
"We are deeply grateful to the continued efforts of Qatar in facilitating limited operations at Kabul International Airport and helping to ensure the safety of these flights," said Blinken.
He also reiterated that the US will fulfil its commitment towards US citizens, LPRs, and Afghans.
"We will be relentless in helping them depart Afghanistan if they choose to do so," added Blinken.
Friday's evacuations came one day after the Taliban allowed a flight carrying about 200 Americans and other foreign nationals to fly out of Kabul, US and Qatari officials said on Thursday.
US is also planning to vaccinate all the people who are arriving in the US under Operation Allies Mission.
Operation Allies Mission has been undertaken by the US in a bid to evacuate US partners, US permanent residents in Afghanistan along vulnerable Afghans including women and children after the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.
On August 31, the US forces left Afghanistan, marking the end of a chaotic and messy exit from America's longest war.
Earlier, US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III said that the US has evacuated about 6,000 American citizens and a total of more than 1,24,000 civilians from Afghanistan.
Moreover, the Taliban has appointed several hardliners in its new government who oversaw the 20-year fight against the US-led military coalition.
The list announced by chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was dominated by members of the group's old guard.
Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund has been appointed Prime Minister with two deputies Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Molavi Abdul Salam Hanafi.
