Evacuations have been suspended while order is restored.
The U.S. has taken over control of the Kabul international airport, and as of early Monday, all flights had been suspended while troops work to clear the runways. Scenes of chaos have come from the area as residents try to flee following the capture of the Afghan capital by the Taliban.
The U.S. Army says soldiers shot two armed men, while three people are reported to have died after falling from the underside of a plane they were clinging to shortly after takeoff.
The United States and other countries are evacuating staff and families from embassies and other offices. The government said thousands of American citizens, locals, embassy staff, and their families, as well as vulnerable Afghan nationals, are to be airlifted in the coming days. The U.S. has sent 6,000 troops to assist in the evacuations.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stated, ”U.S. military forces are on the scene working alongside Turkish and other international troops to clear the area of people. We do not know how long this will take.” He said that flights had been halted “out of an abundance of caution.”
A group of more than 60 nations, including the U.S. and UK, issued a joint statement calling on the Taliban to allow anyone who wishes to depart to do so, and to keep roads, airports, and border crossings open. They said the Afghan people “deserve to live in safety, security, and dignity” and that security and civil order should be immediately restored.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For American and other military units work to restore order at airports from which evacuations are taking place.
- For the safe evacuation of American embassy personnel and other diplomats from the region.
- For the president and his advisors as a new regime rises in Afghanistan.
Sources: BBC News, CNN, Reuters
