US working to ensure security of air, land routes Out of Afghanistan – State Dept

03Washington, Sept 2: The US government is working to ensure the security of air and land routes before it can proceed with evacuation of the remaining Americans out of Afghanistan, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said on Wednesday.

“The first thing we have to do [before proceeding with evacuation of the remaining Americans] is ensure that we can get air routes and land routes secured and that’s what we are working on,” Nuland said during a press briefing.

Following the United States’ withdrawal out of Afghanistan on August 31, the State Department and the White House confirmed that between some 200 US citizens still remain in the country.

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden said his administration is committed to evacuate all US citizens who will be willing to leave Afghanistan no matter when they decide to do so.

US media reported that about 20,000 Afghans who applied for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) remained in Afghanistan when the Taliban (banned in Russia) seized Kabul.

(UNI)