Afghanistan: US buffs up evacuations

US troops are helping evacuate US citizens and allies and the operations have sped up after they regained control back from the disrupters who had flooded the tarmac in a bid to board or hang onto the aircrafts, resulting in their deaths and numerous delays of inbound or outgoing flights.

In a statement, US Central Command, Gen. Frank McKenzie said the “military air traffic controllers and ground handlers are rapidly scaling up operations to ensure the smooth flow of military reinforcements to the airport and the evacuation of US and partner civilians in coordination with our State Department colleagues.”

He has also said he warned the Taliban against hampering US operations in Afghanistan, and “currently, the airfield is secure and now open to civilian air traffic operating under visual flight rules,” he added.

“In meetings with Taliban senior leaders in Doha on Sunday, I cautioned them against interference in our evacuation, and made it clear to them that any attack would be met with overwhelming force in the defense of our forces,” he went on.

“The protection of U.S. civilians and our partners is my highest priority and we will take all necessary action to ensure a safe and efficient withdrawal,” he added.

Gen. McKenzie said the US military is “prepared to fully support U.S. Embassy efforts to process and evacuate U.S. citizens, partners, special visa applicants, and Afghans at risk,” and he “remain[s] enormously proud of the men and women of our armed forces, who are accomplishing this mission with skill, compassion and professionalism.”