KABUL, Aug 13 ― Western embassies and aid agencies began evacuating civilian staff from Afghanistan today after the Taliban claimed to have captured two of its biggest cities in an advance that has raised fears of the collapse of the US-backed government.
In response to the Taliban's swift and violent advances, the Pentagon said it would send about 3,000 extra troops within 48 hours to help evacuate US embassy staff. “Medical facilities are under massive pressure. We also are mindful of Covid-19 and testing has almost come to a pause.” The US State Department said Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani yesterday and told him the United States “remains invested in the security and stability of Afghanistan”. They also said the United States was committed to supporting a political solution.
The government still holds the main city in the north ― Mazar-i-Sharif ― and Jalalabad, near the Pakistani border in the east, as well as Kabul. They also made a commitment to discuss peace but intermittent meetings with government representatives have proved fruitless. International envoys to Afghan negotiations in Qatar called for an accelerated peace process as a “matter of great urgency” and for a halt to attacks on cities.Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said this week the Taliban had refused to negotiate unless Ghani resigned.
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