First civilian flight from Kabul flown to Doha, over 200 US & European nationals evacuated

In a significant development, the first civilian flight with American and foreign nationals left Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport on Thursday. The Qatar Airways flight was allowed to evacuate 200 foreigners, mainly Americans and European nationals. This development comes as a breakthrough amid reports which claimed that the Taliban had blocked all chartered planes from leaving the country.

According to a US official, the Qatar Airways flight to Doha successfully evacuated 200 Americas, Germans, Hungarians and Canadians from Afghanistan. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said that there were at least 13 UK nationals also on board.

The Qatar Airways flight marks the first successful operation since the chaotic airlift of more than 1,20,000 people concluded on August 31. A few days ago, the US had alleged that four planes chartered to evacuate several hundred people from Afghanistan were not being allowed to leave. Top Republican on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas had accused the Taliban of not letting the planes with Americans take off saying that they were effectively “holding them hostage. 

There had been uncertainty over the Taliban's promises and claims over letting foreign nationals leave the nation after the US withdrawal. The terror group had claimed that it would uphold 'safe passage' for foreigners and Afghans willing to leave the country. The UNSC had also called on the Taliban to facilitate the return of people wanting to leave Afghanistan in its resolution adopted on August 30.

White House NSC calls Taliban 'professional'

Meanwhile, the White House National Security Council has issued a statement over the evacuation and has said that the Taliban acted "businesslike and professional" in facilitating the evacuation of US citizens to Doha. In her statement, NSC Spokesperson Emily Horne has said that the Taliban has been cooperative in facilitating the departure of people on charter flights from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

"They have shown flexibility, and they have been businesslike and professional in our dealings with them in this effort. This is a positive first step," the statement read. More than 6,000 American citizens and lawful permanent residents have been brought back to the United States under Operation Allies Welcome so far.