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'Over 5200 US troops on ground at Kabul airport, nearly 7000 people evacuated': Army general William Taylor
The Kabul airport, Major General Taylor said in a press briefing at the Pentagon, 'remains secure and open for flight operations.'
The United States said on Thursday its troop strength on the ground at the Kabul airport stands at more than 5200, adding that the city’s Hamid Karzai International Airport remains “secure and open for flight operations.” The remarks were made by US Army Major General William “Hank” Taylor, the deputy director of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, in a press conference at the Pentagon.
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“The US footprint at the Kabul airport is now over 5200 troops on the ground. Kabul Airport remains secure and open for flight operations. Since the start of evacuation operations on August 14, we have evacuated approximately 7000 total evacuees,” Major General Taylor said at the press briefing, according to news agency ANI.
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“However, if we go back to when the Department of Defense began to support the State Department with the movement of the Special Immigrant Visas at the end of July, the cumulative number of people moved out of Afghanistan is 12,000,” he added.
When questioned on the number of evacuation flights from all countries out of the Kabul Airport, the officer said that while he does not have the numbers, flight operations are being coordinated by the US Central Command (Centcom).
John Kirby, the press secretary for the United States Department of Defense, too, spoke at the briefing. In response to a question Kirby said that the 7000 evacuees mentioned by Major General Taylor also included citizens from the US’ allies.
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US president Joe Biden had earlier authorised 6000 troops to secure the airstrip at the Kabul airport, which, since the capture of the city by the Taliban on August 15, has been swamped by Afghans desperate to leave their country to a safer location. Among visuals that have emerged from the airport are those of Afghan men clinging to a departing aircraft of the US Air Force, as well as of Afghan women pleading with the US troops to be allowed to enter the airport premises.
