/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/61272c93ac968702e7efd013/0x0.jpg?cropX1=12&cropX2=1267&cropY1=0&cropY2=706)
Topline
The U.S. embassy in Kabul along with the British and Australian embassies issued a flurry of near-identical travel warnings on Thursday, urging their citizens to vacate the premises of the Kabul airport due to a “very high threat of terrorist attack” in the area, a warning that comes after the Biden administration raised concerns of a potential threat from the Islamic State.
People who want to flee the country continue to wait around Hamid Karzai International Airport in … [+]
Key Facts
The U.S. embassy issued the first warning on Wednesday evening advising U.S. citizens to “avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates” unless they receive individual instructions from a U.S. government official.
Later, the Australian and British embassy issued comparable warnings that mentioned a “high threat” of a terrorist attack.
While no specific terror group was named, the Biden adminstration and NATO officials have both raised concerns about the threat of a potential attack on the evacuation mission by the Islamic State.
The perimeter outside the airport is being guarded by the Taliban who say they will continue to protect civilians in the area.
An unnamed Taliban official told Reuters that the Taliban guards were also “risking their lives” outside the Kabul airport as they also face a threat from the Islamic State.
According to Reuters, the warnings have not dissuaded crowds from gathering at the airport gates as many desperately seek a flight out of Afghanistan.
This is a developing story.
