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Afghanistan updates
Signal as much as myFT Each day Digest to be the primary to find out about Afghanistan information.
Prime American safety officers have warned Joe Biden that one other terror assault in Kabul is probably going, a day after a suicide bombing on the capital’s worldwide airport claimed scores of lives forward of Tuesday’s deadline for withdrawing forces from Afghanistan.
The White Home mentioned on Friday that the US president was advised at a briefing within the morning that “one other terror assault in Kabul is probably going,” and John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman, mentioned there have been nonetheless “particular, credibly threats” to the airport.
After Biden’s assembly with nationwide safety aides within the White Home’s state of affairs room, he advised reporters that he stood by his choice to proceed the evacuation up till Tuesday’s withdrawal deadline.
“The mission there that they carry out is harmful, and now has include a big lack of American personnel, but it surely’s a worthy mission,” Biden mentioned within the Oval Workplace. “We are going to full the mission.”
The brand new warnings got here as hundreds of individuals had been nonetheless on the airport’s grounds awaiting evacuation and the loss of life toll from Thursday’s assault continued to rise. Two British nationals and the kid of one other British nationwide amongst these killed, Dominic Raab, UK overseas secretary, mentioned on Friday. At the least 13 members of the US navy service and greater than 100 Afghan civilians had been additionally killed.
US officers now consider that the assault was carried out by just one suicide bomber detonating near the Abbey gate entrance to the airport. Officers had initially mentioned that there was a second explosion on the close by Baron resort, the place evacuees have congregated.
“We’re undecided how that report was offered incorrectly, however we do realize it’s not any shock that the confusion of very dynamic occasions like this may trigger info generally to be misreported or garbled,” Main Basic William Taylor, the US navy management’s deputy director for regional operations, mentioned on Friday.
US officers mentioned they nonetheless supposed to finish their withdrawal efforts by August 31, and mentioned that 5,400 folks had been nonetheless awaiting evacuation on the Kabul airport.
The White Home mentioned on Friday that roughly 12,500 folks had been evacuated from the Afghan capital previously 24 hours by US forces and coalition companions regardless of the bombing, which has disrupted western efforts to wind up the evacuation course of because the Taliban has tightened entry to the airport.
For the reason that finish of July roughly 110,600 folks had been evacuated, the US mentioned. That features greater than 5,100 Americans, 300 of who left previously 24 hours.
The UK authorities mentioned on Friday it had entered the “closing levels” of its evacuation programme, and had closed processing services contained in the Baron resort. Different Nato allies, together with Germany and Canada, have already wound down evacuation flights.
Isis-Okay, an Afghan affiliate of terrorist group Isis, claimed accountability for the assault, and Kirby mentioned “hundreds” of Isis-Okay prisoners had been believed to have been launched from two prisons just lately taken over by Taliban fighters.
On Thursday, Basic Kenneth McKenzie, head of the Pentagon’s central command, mentioned that he anticipated Isis to strike once more. “We consider it’s their need to proceed these assaults . . . and we’re doing the whole lot we will to be ready.”
Biden vowed to “search out” and punish the perpetrators of the assault. Thursday was the deadliest day for the American navy in Afghanistan in a decade and marked the primary time US troops had been killed in motion there since February 2020.
Turkey’s defence ministry tweeted on Friday night that it had
accomplished its personal evacuation of Turkish troopers.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned solely a small variety of “technical
personnel” now remained behind on the airport.
“We did what we had been accountable for, and as of tonight, all our
personnel there have been withdrawn,” Erdogan advised reporters throughout a
go to to Sarajevo.
Earlier within the day, Erdogan mentioned Turkey’s embassy had moved to the
airport and that its diplomats continued to barter with the
Taliban, which has requested Turkey to function the Kabul airport whereas it
gives safety.
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