State Department urges U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately as Taliban nears Kabul

A Taliban fighter stands guard at the entrance of the police headquarters in Ghazni on August 12, 2021, as Taliban move closer to Afghan capital after taking Ghazni city. AFP | Getty Images

WASHINGTON – The State Department issued another dire warning to U.S. citizens in Afghanistan on Thursday, urging them to leave the country immediately as security conditions deteriorate amid a rapid Taliban advance toward the capital city of Kabul.

The Taliban captured the strategic city of Ghazni on Thursday, bringing their frontline within 95 miles of Kabul, a staggering development that comes nearly two weeks before U.S. and NATO coalition forces exit.

The militants also claim to have captured Afghanistan’s third-largest city, Herat, in the northwest close to Iran. Fierce fighting has also been reported in Kandahar, the nation’s second-largest city.

The U.S. embassy warned that its ability to assist American citizens in Afghanistan is “extremely limited even within Kabul” due to deteriorating security conditions and reduced staffing. (cont)

US Ambassador of Afghanistan Ross Willson speaks to the media about Operation Allies Refuge at the US embassy on July 30, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Paula Bronstein | Getty Images

Source: CNBC

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