Taliban stops evacuees from leaving Afghanistan; 4 planes with refugees, Americans blocked

Several chartered planes with evacuees have been unable to take off from the Kabul Airport in the aftermath of the Taliban takeover, officials revealed on Sunday. As per sources, four planes chartered to evacuate several hundred people from Afghanistan have not been allowed to leave the country. This comes even as the Taliban promises to uphold 'safe passage' for foreigners and Afghans willing to leave the war-torn nation.

US accuses Taliban of holding planes 'hostage'

According to an Afghan official at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, several of the evacuees were Afghans, who had fled their homes and were unable to produce passports and necessary visas to leave the country. However, the top Republican on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee has stated that the evacuees also included Americans who wanted to leave the country. Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas has accused the Taliban of not letting the planes with Americans take off saying that they were effectively “holding them hostage." He told Fox News, that a total of six planes were being held at the airport with American citizens and Afghan interpreters on board.

"They've sat at the airport for the last couple of days, these planes, and they're not allowed to leave. We know the reason why is because the Taliban want something in exchange," he explained. 

The Taliban had come under serious international pressure after it barred Afghans from leaving the nation, shutting off all routes to the Kabul Airport. After facing flak, the terror group had reopened the Kabul Airport and had promised to allow foreigners, and those wishing to leave Afghanistan a safe passage. It had said that Afghans with passports and visas will be permitted to travel once the country's airports are operational. 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.

Afghanistan's Kabul Airport has resumed operations and domestic flights between three of its provincial capitals on Sunday. As per Afghanistan's Ariana News, a technical team from Qatar reopened the capital’s airport for aid and domestic services on Sunday. 

(With Agency Inputs)