Afghanistan crisis: US warns its citizens to 'leave immediately' from Kabul airport gates over security threat

The US State Department on Wednesday (local time) sent out an alert advising its citizens to avoid travelling to the Kabul airport. "Because of security threats outside the gates of Kabul airport, we are advising US citizens to avoid travelling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a US government representative to do so," a security alert from the US Embassy in Kabul said on Wednesday.

"US citizens who are at the Abbey Gate, East Gate, or North Gate now should leave immediately." 

Meanwhile, the United States has evacuated 4500 out of 6000 American citizens identified in Afghanistan, according to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday (locale time). adding an estimated 1,500 Americans are still waiting to be evacuated from the war-torn country.

"The Taliban have made public and private commitments to provide and permit safe passage for Americans, third-country nationals and the Afghans at risk, going forward past August 31," Blinken said.

Blinken also said that the US has managed to safely evacuate over 82,300 people out of Kabul airport since mid-August.

"4500 Americans have been evacuated from Afghanistan. The US in direct contact over last 24 hours with another 500 Americans out," Blinken said while speaking in a press conference.

"Up to 1,500 Americans may still need evacuating from Afghanistan," he said declaring that about 1000 others are believed to be Americans and some number of them may want to leave.

Yesterday, US President Joe Biden made it clear to the G7 leaders that the US is "on pace" to finish its withdrawal from Afghanistan by August 31 but with each day of operations on the ground, American troops are facing increasing threats from ISIS-Khorasan, according to a White House statement.

Earlier, Biden had informed that he is in discussions with his military officials regarding the extension of the evacuation mission in Afghanistan, beyond the August 31 deadline.

The US is flying thousands of people out of Afghanistan every day from Kabul airport. The US forces took control of the airport last week to evacuate its citizens after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan.