UK asks citizens not to go Kabul airport due to 'high threat of terrorist attack'

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) – Britain on Wednesday warned its citizens in Afghanistan, asking them not to go to Kabul airport due to the “high threat” of a terrorist attack.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) said in its updated travel advice to Afghanistan that the security situation in the country “remains volatile.”

“There is an ongoing and high threat of terrorist attack. Do not travel to Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport. If you are in the area of the airport, move away to a safe location and await further advice.”

The FCDO also asked citizens to leave the country immediately if this can be done safely by other means but added that “travel by road throughout the country is extremely dangerous.”

The UK has so far evacuated 11,000 people from Afghanistan, according to Ministry of Defense figures.

The government said in a statement that it aims to complete the operation before the Aug. 31 deadline.

The Taliban took control of the Afghan capital Kabul on Aug. 15, with President Ashraf Ghani and other top officials leaving the country. The group is now in consultations with other Afghan leaders to form a government.

The swift takeover triggered an exodus from the country, with thousands trying to leave from Kabul international airport – the only area of the country still under US control – with an Aug. 31 deadline looming for evacuations to finish.