KABUL: The Taliban pushed closer to Kabul on Saturday, detaining a key city near Afghanistan's capital as American troops flew in to help evacuate embassy personnel and other civilians. This comes after, on Thursday, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price had announced that the country will deploy thousands of troops to the Kabul airport to support the American Embassy staff drawdown as the security situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate.
Ned Price said that the Embassy will remain open, and the US plans to continue diplomatic work in the country. Also on Thursday, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told before media that three infantry battalions, about 3,000 troops, will be deployed to Kabul airport within 24 to 48 hours. Besides, around 1,000 personnel of a joint US Army and Air Force support team will be sent to Qatar to facilitate the processing of Afghan applicants for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV). An infantry brigade combat team will arrive in Kuwait next week in case additional forces are needed. Earlier in the day, Taliban claimed to have captured two more provincial capitals of Tirin Kot(Uruzgan) and Firoz Koah (Ghor).
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid also said that most parts of Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar province, has fallen to the Taliban, adding that clashes continued at an intelligence agency office and two army bases in the city.
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