The US and UK will deploy troops to help evacuate staff from their embassies in Kabul as the Taliban continues its lightning rout of provincial capitals in Afghanistan following president Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw American troops.
The Pentagon said it was sending 3,000 troops to Kabul in the next 24-48 hours to help with the embassy drawdown, including aircraft that could help fly personnel out of the Afghan capital, and a back-up brigade of 3,500 soldiers to Kuwait in case the security situation deteriorates further.
The State Department said it was pulling diplomats out because of the threat posed by the advance of the Taliban, adding that only a small number of personnel would be left after the operation was completed.