US to send three battalions – two Marines, one Army to help evacuate embassy staff in Kabul

Washington [US], August 13 (ANI): The US Department of Defense on Thursday (local time) announced that it will be sending more than three battalions – two Marine, one Army — currently in the US Central Command area of responsibility within two days to Afghanistan.

“3 infantry battalions to move to Kabul airport in the next 24-48 hours. That is roughly 3,000 troops,” said Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby in a briefing.

The Pentagon spokesman said apart from the 3000 troops in Kabul, a joint Army-Air Force outfit of around 1,000 personnel will go to Qatar to help with the processing of the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) of Afghans who assisted the US government during the 20-year war.

Kirby also added that more than 3,500 US troops will be on standby in Kuwait to manage the impacts of the withdrawal of around 3,000 troops from Afghanistan. “If needed to provide additional security at the airport,” Kirby said.

Kirby added that the planned embassy evacuation should be concluded by August 31.

“This is a temporary mission with a narrow focus,” he said, warning that US forces will respond if they come under attack.

“As with all deployments of our troops into harm’s way, our commanders have the inherent right of self-defence, and any attack on them can and will be met with a forceful and an appropriate response,” Kirby said at a news briefing.

The decision to reduce staffing levels at the embassy was announced by State Department spokesman Ned Price who told reporters that while the embassy in Kabul will remain open, they will be reducing their civilian footprint due to the “evolving security situation.” He added that they expect to draw down to a core diplomatic presence in Afghanistan.

“What this is not — this is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not the wholesale withdrawal,” Price said. “What this is, is a reduction in the size of our civilian footprint. This is a drawdown of civilian Americans who will, in many cases, be able to perform their important functions elsewhere, whether that’s in the United States or elsewhere in the region.” Price said on Thursday.

The Pentagon had kept about 650 troops in Afghanistan to support US diplomatic security, including at the airport. Kirby said the 3,000 troops are in addition to the US forces remaining in the country.

Moreover, around 600 UK troops will be sent to Afghanistan to assist British nationals in leaving the country, announced UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

The move comes amid a Taliban offensive in Afghanistan. Many are surprised at the speed with which the terrorist outfit is capturing the provinces in the country. The Taliban on Thursday claimed to have seized Herat, Afghanistan’s third-largest city amid US troop withdrawal from the country.

Earlier today, the Taliban captured Ghazni, the country’s tenth provincial city to fall under Taliban control.

Meanwhile, the Ashraf Ghani-led Afghanistan government on Thursday has offered a “share of power” to the Taliban in a bid to stop the escalating violence in the war-torn country. (ANI)