The US military airlift of Americans and others from Kabul will continue until the final hours of President Joe Biden's Aug. 31 deadline for ending the frantic evacuation from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.
John Kirby, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said more than 4,400 American citizens have been evacuated thus far, an increase of about 400 from Tuesday. More than 80,000 people, mostly Afghans, have been airlifted since Aug. 14, he said.
ormer Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday urged the Centre to “make changes” in the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) to facilitate the “rehabilitation” of Sikhs and Hindus coming from war-torn Afghanistan to India.
She also said the holy books of the Sikh faith there should be brought to India safely.
A US Marine provides security for qualified evacuees boarding a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in support of the noncombatant evacuation operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Credit: Reuters Photo
Two US congressmen have revealed that they violated official orders to travel to Kabul during the chaotic airlift that has seen the United States and allies try to evacuate tens of thousands of people fleeing the Taliban.
The revelation by Democratic congressman Seth Moulton and his Republican colleague Peter Meijer prompted an angry statement from the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday.
Afghanistan's stability and reconstruction are closely related to Japan's national interest, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday, adding that Tokyo will work closely with other countries on Afghanistan.