Australia’s department of foreign affairs said there was an “ongoing and very high threat of terrorist attack”.
As thousands of people try to reach a dwindling number of evacuation flights, western nations on Thursday warned their citizens to immediately leave the surrounds of Kabul airport over a terrorist threat.
Since the hardline Islamist Taliban movement took control of the country on August 15, nearly 90,000 Afghans and foreigners have fled Afghanistan via the US-led airlift.
Ahead of Tuesday’s deadline by President Joe Biden to end the evacuations and withdraw the US troops overseeing it, huge crowds are gathered in and around the airport, becoming increasingly desperate as some foreign nations cease flights.
This week, one of the reason cited by Biden administration and its aides for the hard deadline was an “acute” terrorist threat from the regional chapter of the Islamic State group.
On Thursday, United States and its allies raised the alarm further with a series of coordinated and specific advisories warnings for their citizens to avoid the airport.
Citing unspecified “security threats”, US State Department said: “Those at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately.”
Australia’s department of foreign affairs said there was an “ongoing and very high threat of terrorist attack”.
“Do not travel to Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport. If you’re in the area of the airport, move to a safe location and await further advice.”
London has also issued similar warning, adding that “if you can leave Afghanistan safely by other means, you should do so immediately”.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
