Afghan crisis: Australian envoy to India opens up on status of evacuation mission at Kabul

As US and European allies continue the evacuation efforts to rescue people stranded in Afghanistan amid ISIS threats, Australia has stopped evacuation flights. This development comes following the suicide bombing attacks outside the airport in Kabul that killed 13 American service members. Speaking on Australia's decision, Barry O'Farrell, Australia’s High Commissioner to India, stated that the evacuation process was suspended due to the Kabul airport explosion. 

Barry O’Farrell said, "Everybody is heartbroken over what's going on in Afghanistan. Australia had to suspend its evacuation 2 days ago due to the (airport) explosion. We've evacuated 4,000 people. Clearly, there are more to go". 

He added, "The world is working towards a solution regarding Afghanistan. India, happily, is chairing the United Nations Security Council, which gives countries like Australia great confidence that hopefully, a solution can be found". 

Australia ends Afghanistan evacuations

Defence Minister Peter Dutton on August 27 informed that Australian troops had left Afghanistan before a deadly suicide bombing attack that killed soldiers and civilians at Kabul's international airport. 

Dutton stated, "I can confirm that not too long before the attack Australian troops and the rest of our personnel were wheels up and out of Kabul".

He told the media, "There was very clear intelligence that [ISIS-K] intended to strike and strike hard, they've done that".

Upon receiving this information, Australians and visa holders who are stranded in Afghanistan have been told to stay away from Kabul airport.

While Prime Minister Scott Morrison had said, "Our plan now moves into its post evacuation stage and that involves ensuring the process of returning, through our official humanitarian program".

Speaking on the evacuation efforts, Morrison informed that 4,100 citizens and Afghans with visas are transported in the last nine days. Nearly 800 people are already in, or on the way to Australia.

US continue evacuation efforts amid Afghan crisis

The White House report stated that nearly 4,200 people were transported from Kabul in 12 hours on Friday. The US and the UK accelerated the evacuation process as United States President Joe Biden has chosen 31 August as the deadline for full troops withdrawal. On 26 August, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had emphasised that the focus in the coming days would be on assisting remaining American citizens and some Afghans who have worked with the US government.

(Image credit: TWITTER/AP)