
The Czech Republic was evacuating its two diplomats from its embassy in Kabul on Saturday as the security situation in Afghanistan worsened, Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek said.
Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani held urgent talks with local leaders and international partners on Saturday as Taliban rebels pushed closer to Kabul, capturing a town south of the capital that is one of the gateways to the city.
The United States is flying in troops to evacuate embassy staff and citizens and other countries are also moving their diplomats.
“I have decided on the immediate evacuation of our diplomats to the international airport in Kabul,” Kulhanek said.
Taliban take more territory
The Taliban have launched an offensive that has led to the capture of major cities in the north, west and south of the country.
The militant group seized its biggest prizes to date by taking Kandahar, the largest city in the south, and Herat, the main city in the West.
Afghan government control is rapidly shrinking, limited mostly to Kabul and the eastern parts of the country.
Many panicked Afghans are descending on the capital, fearing a renewal of the harsh Taliban rule they remember from two decades ago.
The Pentagon has said two battalions of Marines and an infantry battalion will arrive in Kabul by Sunday evening, involving about 3,000 troops. An infantry brigade combat team will move to Kuwait to act as a quick reaction force for security in Kabul if needed.
Britain and several other Western nations are also sending troops as resistance from Afghan government forces crumbles and fears grow that an assault on Kabul could be just days away.
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