The Pentagon mentioned Monday that presently there have been no flights coming or going, navy or civilian, into Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport.
John F. Kirby, the chief Pentagon spokesman, mentioned {that a} safety breach on the civilian facet of the airport led the American Marines there — 2,500 as of Monday morning — to close down flights till troops have secured the airport.
He mentioned that by Tuesday morning the navy expects round 3,000 Marines could be on the bottom on the airport to assist the evacuation effort. Protection Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III is sending an extra 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne to Kabul, as an alternative of to Kuwait, to assist safe the world.
Altogether by later this week there can be 6,000 American troops conducting safety on the airport and serving to the evacuation.
Mr. Kirby additionally mentioned that there was a preliminary report that one American soldier had been injured.
“All the pictures popping out are of concern and troubling,” Mr. Kirby mentioned, in reference to a video of an American transport airplane taking off from Kabul’s airport with determined Afghans hanging onto the wings. These individuals have been later seen falling from the airborne airplane.
He mentioned that each one People and Afghan allies ought to proceed to “shelter in place till safety might be re-established on the airport.”
He mentioned that the Turkish troops on the airport have been serving to the Marines to safe it.
