US evacuates all embassy staff to Kabul airport as Taliban takes capital

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US completed the evacuation Sunday night of all remaining personnel from its embassy in Kabul as the Taliban laid claim to the Afghan capital.

"We can confirm that the safe evacuation of all Embassy personnel is now complete," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. "All Embassy personnel are located on the premises of Hamid Karzai International Airport, whose perimeter is secured by the U.S. Military.”

President Joe Biden earlier authorized 1,000 additional US troops deployed to the airport to secure the facility amid the US evacuation of diplomatic personnel as well as Afghan nationals seeking refugee status with Washington.

That brings the total US forces who will be there to 6,000. In addition to securing the airport, the troops will also take control of its air traffic control operations.

“Tomorrow and over the coming days, we will be transferring out of the country thousands of American citizens who have been resident in Afghanistan, as well as locally employed staff of the U.S. mission in Kabul and their families and other particularly vulnerable Afghan nationals," the Departments of State and Defense said in a joint statement.

“And we will accelerate the evacuation of thousands of Afghans eligible for U.S. Special Immigrant Visas, nearly 2,000 of whom have already arrived in the United States over the past two weeks.”

The departments were referring to the Special Immigrant Visa program being implemented for Afghans who helped the US and its allies during the 20-year war and several groups of other specially-designated individuals.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the hardline group will not accept any transitional government. Instead, he said, the Taliban wants an immediate transition of power.

A delegation of the Taliban's military commission is present at the presidential palace to negotiate the transfer of power, he told ABC News.

The Taliban’s consultative council has already announced a general amnesty for Afghan forces and government officials in the case of an unconditional surrender.