US Military Evacuates 3,200 Personnel from Afghanistan So Far

Passengers from Afghanistan boarding a plane at Kabul International Airport, the capital of Afghanistan, on the 16th (local time), are waiting for takeoff inside the aircraft.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] It has been reported that the U.S. military has evacuated a total of 3,200 people from Afghanistan, where the Islamic militant group Taliban has taken power.

AFP news agency reported on the 17th (local time), citing a White House official. The official, who requested anonymity, said, "So far, a total of 3,200 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan," adding, "Among them, 2,000 are Afghans who applied for special immigration visas."

He also said, "Today alone, the U.S. military evacuated about 1,100 people, including U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and their families, on 13 flights from Afghanistan," and "the number of evacuees is expected to increase."

After the Taliban took control of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on the 15th, the U.S. has been evacuating Americans and locals who cooperated with the U.S. military from Afghanistan. President Joe Biden decided to deploy 5,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan to support the withdrawal of U.S. citizens and Afghans who cooperated with the U.S. military.

According to the U.S. Department of State, about 20,000 Afghans have applied for special immigrant visas. It is estimated that about 11,000 Americans are currently residing in Afghanistan.

Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor at the White House, stated, "We aim to complete civilian evacuations from Afghanistan by the 31st," and added, "We are discussing the schedule with the Taliban."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.