Biden Administration to evacuate 2,500 Afghans who helped US to military base in Virginia

United States will begin evacuating Afghan contractors and aides who assisted US forces in the war-torn country to a military base in Virginia as they wait for a special visa process to be completed, the US State Department announced on Monday. As many as 2,500 Afghan residents who have already applied to emigrate to the US will take relocation flights to Fort Lee, a US Army base in Virginia, Ned Price, spokesperson for the department said. He added that all the said Afghan residents have already been vetted for security and were ready...

“These are brave Afghans and their families … whose service to the United States has been certified by the embassy in Kabul and who have completed a thorough security vetting process,” Price told a State Department media briefing.

Taliban, which has recaptured more than two-thirds of the country, has issued a severe warning for Afghan residents who aided foreign military troops. In May, the security guards at Kabul Embassy-Afghanistan nationals hired on contract- said that their work, which is highly visible, has made them recognizable and susceptible to Taliban’s retribution in near future. Fearing death, scores of Afghan contractors have staged protests. 

Joint statement by Afghanistan government and Taliban 

Meanwhile, in a major breakthrough, the Afghan government and Taliban have issued a joint statement amid the violence in the country. According to Afghanistan's TOLOnews, both sides have now agreed to prevent civilian casualties and protect the country’s civilian infrastructure. As per reports, the two sides have also agreed to cooperate with humanitarian assistance, following a meeting in Doha.

Taliban agrees for a 3-month ceasefire; puts forth conditions

Earlier, the insurgent group had announced that it was willing to follow a ceasefire agreement if the government agreed to their demand of freeing 7,000 militants imprisoned in Afghanistan. According to reports, the Taliban have now captured over 150-180 districts in the country. The clashes in the country had earlier intensified following a withdrawal of US and NATO troops from the region. The withdrawal was announced as a first since the Afghanistan War began 20 years ago. A United States intelligence report had earlier informed that Kabul could fall within six months after the US troops' withdrawal. 

Image: AP