- The airlift of those eager to flee Afghanistan has entered a worrying final stage.
- This prompted the United States to carry out drone attacks on Islamic State targets in Afghanistan.
- As the invading Taliban forces prepare to take over the Kabul Airport, a new terrorist attack warning has been put in place.
On Saturday, the United States carried out a drone attack on an Islamic State target in Afghanistan, as the airlift of those eager to flee entered a worrying final stage, with new terrorist attack warnings and invading Taliban forces preparing to take over the Kabul airport.
The US military in charge of the evacuation work was forced to conduct closer security cooperation with the Taliban to prevent another suicide bombing attack, killing dozens of civilians crowded near the main gate of the airport and 13 US troops.
A regional chapter of the Islamic State organization claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Pentagon announced that it had carried out a drone attack on a “planner” of the jihadist group in eastern Afghanistan.
“The initial sign is that we killed the target,” said Captain Bill Urban of the Central Command.
As the air freight window shrank sharply before the August 31 deadline, more than 5,000 people remained in the Kabul Airport waiting for evacuation, and the crowd continued to huddle in front of the outer gate to beg for entry.
The tragedy of the suicide attack on Thursday will only bring panic and despair to those who want to leave, and the US military, which is responsible for ensuring the safety of operations, faces high risks, bringing further pressure and tension to this situation.
The suicide bombing occurred after warnings of imminent threats. When people gathered outside the airport on Saturday, the United States issued a new alert, demanding that American citizens “immediately” leave the area near the main gate.
In recent years, the Afghanistan-Pakistan branch of the Islamic State has committed some of the deadliest attacks in these countries-massacres of civilians in mosques, shrines, public squares and even hospitals.
‘Future attempt’
At the White House, President Joe Biden’s press secretary Jane Pasaki said that US national security experts believe that another attack is “possible” and the next few days will be “the most dangerous period to date”.
Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi said on Twitter that fighters of the organization had entered parts of the military side of Kabul Airport, but the Pentagon emphasized that the U.S. military retained control of the boarding gate and air operations.
In order to meet the deadline for the U.S. withdrawal on Tuesday, it is necessary to work closely with the Taliban on evacuation operations and the Islamic State threat.
Major General Peter Vasley, the commander of the US military at the airport, kept in touch with Taliban officials responsible for overseeing security around the airport.
With the Taliban preparing to take over when the last U.S. plane leaves, discussions about resuming normal flight operations have begun.
Turkish officials have held preliminary talks with the Taliban in Kabul to discuss helping the airport resume operations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) said that the Taliban’s proposal was for them to oversee the security of the airport, while Ankara was in charge of logistics.
Refugee outflow
Biden has been widely criticized at home and abroad for his handling of the Afghan crisis and the withdrawal of US troops. He promised to abide by the airlift deadline and severely punish those responsible for the suicide bombing.
According to the US government, about 109,000 people have been airlifted out of the country since August 14 (the day before the Taliban came to power).
After other countries such as Canada and Australia earlier this week, some Western allies, including the United Kingdom and Spain, announced the suspension of air transport on Friday.
The United Nations said it is preparing for the “worst case scenario” of an increase of as many as 500,000 refugees from Afghanistan by the end of 2021.
Read also | Biden learned that another terrorist attack in Kabul was “very likely” after the deadly explosion.
Compared with the first time in power from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban promised a more moderate rule, which ended when the United States invaded Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks.
But many Afghans are afraid of repeating their cruel interpretations of Islamic law and retaliation against those who cooperated with foreign troops, Western missions, or former US-backed governments.
During the organization’s previous rule, after women were banned from work and education and restricted to the home, the role that women would be allowed to play in society has been one of the biggest concerns.
Sher Mohamed Abbas Stnikzai, a Taliban official and former deputy chief negotiator for the Doha peace talks, said on Friday that women have the “innate right to work”.
“They can work, they can study, they can participate in politics, they can do business,” he said at a press conference.
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