The U.S. State Department is urging U.S. citizens and others to leave the area of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport immediately, citing a specific, credible threat.
“Due to a specific, credible threat, U.S. citizens near Kabul airport, including South gate, new Ministry of the Interior, and gate near Panjshir Petrol station, should leave the area immediately,” the department posted in a security alert at 5:38 a.m. Kabul local time. “Avoid traveling to the airport at this time.”
The State Department’s Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning for Afghanistan remains in place.
“Individuals seeking information on evacuation should refer to the alerts on the Embassy website for instructions,” the website says.
Kirby pushed back on Taliban claims that they had assumed responsibility for security in some parts of the airport and reports that the United States was shutting down all evacuation operations. “Those are not true,” he said.
But he said that the Taliban had set up their own checkpoints surrounding U.S. operations at the airport in a “loose perimeter,” adding that they were “not at the airport, doing security roles or anything like that.”
Kirby said that the United States is “still in charge of the airport” and “security at the airport.”
“We’re not shutting down evacuation operations. We’re going to continue going to the end,” he said.
Taliban extremists have been see at new layers of checkpoints installed on roads leading to the airport with Humvees and night-vision goggles captured from Afghan security forces.
He added that some Americans who managed to reach the airport were then not allowed in by the State Department.
“They’ve been just outside the airport numerous times, but the State Department WILL NOT help them,” Jackson said, expressing his significant concern for their lives.
Other members of Congress have also expressed their concern about airport access for Americans, which seems to have paused along with the security alert of the credible threat at airport gates.
The state department has been reached for comment.
While most U.S. allies have now finished their evacuation flights, the United States has said it plans to keep its round-the-clock flights going until the Aug. 31 deadline.
