US, UK and Australia warn citizens to 'leave immediately' from Kabul airport over security threat at gates

US, UK and Australia warn citizens to 'leave immediately' from Kabul airport over security threat at gates

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Thursday, August 26, 2021, 11:18 AM IST
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Photo Credit: AFP

The Western nations have warned their citizens on Thursday to not to travel to Kabul airport over a terrorist threat.

According to Reuters, the United States and allies have urged people to move away from Kabul airport on Thursday due to the threat of an Islamic State terror attack.

The US Embassy in Kabul warned American citizens away from three specific airport gates over an unspecified security issue. The US State Department on Wednesday sent out an alert advising its citizens to avoid travelling to the Kabul airport.

"Because of security threats outside the gates of Kabul airport, we are advising U.S. citizens to avoid travelling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a U.S. government representative to do so," a security alert from the US Embassy in Kabul said on Wednesday. "U.S. citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately."

Meanwhile, the United States has evacuated 4500 out of 6000 American citizens identified in Afghanistan, according to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday. Adding an estimated 1,500 Americans are still waiting to be evacuated from the war-torn country.

"The Taliban have made public and private commitments to provide and permit safe passage for Americans, third-country nationals and the Afghans at risk, going forward past August 31," Blinken said. He also said that the US has managed to safely evacuate over 82,300 people out of Kabul airport since mid-August.

"We're operating in a hostile environment in the city and country now controlled by the Taliban, with the very real possibility of an ISIS key attack. We're taking every precaution. But this is very high risk," he also said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that there is 'no deadline' on helping US citizens and Afghan nationals 'who stood by us' to leave Afghanistan after August 31.

"There is no deadline on our work to help any remaining American citizens who decide they want to leave to do so, along with many Afghans who have stood by us over these many years, and want to leave, and have been unable to do so. That effort will continue, every day, past August 31," he said.

Meanwhile, noting that the security situation in Afghanistan remains 'volatile', the United Kingdom has advised its citizens to not visit Kabul airport and move away to a "safe location and await further advice".

In a statement on late Wednesday, the UK foreign office said travelling by road in Afghanistan is currently extremely dangerous, Sputnik reported. "The security situation in Afghanistan remains volatile. There is an ongoing and high threat of terrorist attacks. Do not travel to Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport. If you are in the area of the airport, move away to a safe location and await further advice," the Foreign Office said in a statement on late Wednesday.

"Commercial flights are not currently operating. If you can leave Afghanistan safely by other means, you should do so immediately," the Foreign Office concluded.

On the other hand, Australia on Thursday advised its citizens in Afghanistan not to travel to Kabul's airport, where there as a "very high threat of a terrorist attack." Australians in the airport's vicinity were advised to move to a safe location and await further advice.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the travel advice was consistent with revised British and New Zealand advice. Australia has helped evacuated around 4,000 people from the airport since Wednesday last week including 1,200 overnight, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

The new advisory comes as the Taliban has said they have blocked the road to the Kabul airport and will not allow anyone except foreign citizens to pass.

The Taliban seized control of Kabul on August 15. Within two days of the Taliban's capture of Kabul, India had evacuated 200 people, including the Indian envoy and other staffers of its embassy in the Afghan capital.

(With inputs from ANI and PTI)

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