New Delhi: Following the end of the US evacuation mission on August 31, the Taliban have now agreed to release 200 US citizens and third-country nationals from Afghanistan.
According to a Reuters report, the Taliban were pressured to allow departure by US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The flight is expected to leave Kabul airport on Thursday, but officials could not say whether Americans and other civilians were among those who have been stranded in Mazar-i-Sharif for days after their private planes were taken to Afghanistan. Leaving is not allowed.
As Western forces left Afghanistan in late August, the United States and the United Kingdom have been trying to find a way out for those trapped in the country.
On Monday, the US facilitated the safe return of four US citizens from Afghanistan.
The US has evacuated thousands of American citizens from Afghanistan by August 30, 2021. US President Joe Biden said last week that 100 to 200 Americans remained with “intent to leave”, many of whom are dual citizens or long-time residents. As CNN reports, the Biden administration has said it will continue to work to evacuate US citizens seeking to exit Afghanistan.
On 7 September, the Taliban announced an interim government consisting of an all-male cabinet consisting of several Old Guard members. The Taliban has appointed Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as ‘caretaker’ prime minister in the new Afghan government, with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Mullah Abdus Salam as their representatives.
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