The UK foreign office on Wednesday issued fresh advisory to its citizens stuck in Afghanistan to not go to the Kabul Airport amid threats of terror attacks. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), advised its citizens to instead move away from the airport and find a safe location and await further advice. The UK office said that the commercial flights to Afghanistan are suspended and if its citizens could find a way to get out of Afghanistan, they should.
Similarly, the US embassy, too, has urged Americans who are waiting outside Kabul airport to leave immediately. The officials have also cautioned its citizens against travelling to the airport. “Because of security threats outside the gates of Kabul airport, we are advising U.S. citizens to avoid traveling 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,” the US embassy said in an alert on Wednesday.
This warning from the US officials came just hours after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the evacuation plan for the US for its citizens in Afghanistan are on track. The US is having 31st August as its deadline. Blinken on Wednesday said that as many as 1,500 US citizens could be inside the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, though the number could be lower.
Similarly, Australia, too, has warned its citizens to stay away from airport amid terror attack threat. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday said that the Australian defence force was continuing to run evacuation operations, “but the situation is deteriorating”. PM Morrison informed 1,200 people were flown out of Kabul on six Australian flights and one New Zealand flight on Wednesday night. This included Australians, Afghan nationals, and other nationals. This brought the number to about 4,000 evacuees from Australia.
