Kabul evacuation resumes after deadly attacks as US flight with 400 evacuees reaches Spain

A US military aircraft on Friday flew out at least 400 evacuees from Afghanistan to the navy base of Rota in southern Spain. This would be the first group of up to 4,000 people expected in the European nation from Kabul. The flight landed at 9:40 am local time on Friday, and the arrival of Afghans is being processed by the US officials, American & Spanish soldiers, Red Cross workers, and base volunteers, the US embassy in Spain said in a statement. Spain’s Rota navy base and the nearby air force base of Morón are witnessing a significant US military presence that has been overhauled during the past few days to process the Afghan evacuees.   

Photos released by the base depict a massive warehouse being converted into the canteen and a basketball court to welcome the Afghan refugees. The facility was installed with dozens of makeshift beds. The government of Spain and the US signed a bilateral agreement for the evacuation of the two bases of up to 4,000 Afghans that have landed in Spain for the time being as the USA clears them for security. The Spanish government has put a 15-day cap for the Afghans’ stay in the bases.  

[In this image provided by the US Navy and taken on the military base in Rota, near Cadiz in southern Spain on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, evacuees from Afghanistan arrive at the Rota navy base. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Owen, via AP]

[In this image provided by the US Navy and taken on the military base in Rota, near Cadiz in southern Spain on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, evacuees from Afghanistan move through a security checkpoint after arriving at the Rota navy base. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathan Carpenter, via AP]

Italy's last flight to Kabul arrives in Rome 

Meanwhile, Italy announced that its last airbridge flight that departed to evacuate people from Afghanistan later on Friday returned with 109 Afghan citizens and landed in Rome. Italy’s foreign minister Luigi Di Maio earlier today announced that among those aboard the departing C-130 Air Force aircraft will be the Italian consul, in Kabul at the airport to oversee the evacuation of Italians and foreigners, as well as the top NATO diplomat, Stefano Pontecorvo, who is Italian. The plane also brought back Italian Carabinieri paramilitary police and Italian soldiers who helped maintain security for evacuations carried out by Italy, according to the latest reports. “All the Italians who wanted to return to Italy have returned,’’ Di Maio announced in a statement on Aug 27. A total of 4,900 Afghan citizens have been evacuated to Italy. 

(WITH INPUTS FROM AP)