Britain on Thursday warned that there was a “very credible” report of an “imminent” surprise attack by the Islamic State militants targeting those gathering at Kabul airport in an effort to escape war-torn Afghanistan.
U.S. President Joe Biden had also mentioned the growing risk of an attack by the ISIS-K, an ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan, when he announced his decision earlier in the week to not extend the August 31 deadline for U.S.-led NATO troops to go away Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover.
There is “very, very credible” intelligence that Islamic State militants are planning an imminent attack on those gathering at Kabul airport in an effort to escape Afghanistan, British soldiers minister James Heappey told BBC on Thursday.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Wednesday that things within the region remains “volatile”, with the recommendation being for British citizens and other evacuees to seek out a secure location and await further advice.
The development is said to threats of an Islamic State (ISIS) Afghanistan affiliate, dubbed Islamic State Khorasan or ISIS-K, which is understood for conducting suicide bombings and bomb attacks.
“The security situation in Afghanistan remains volatile. there’s an ongoing and high threat of surprise attack ,” the FCDO’s updated travel advisory reads.
“Do not visit Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport. If you’re within the area of the airport, move away to a secure location and await further advice,” it says.
Kabul airport is currently being defended and travel by the U.S., which has 5,800 troops on the bottom . However, they’re hooked in to Taliban support which leaves the international troops vulnerable.
On Thursday, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marise Payne, said: “There is an ongoing and really high threat of a terrorist attack”.
The U.S. has also asked its citizens in Afghanistan to not travel or gather at the Kabul airport “because of security threats outside the gates”.
The UK government said its operation to get rid of British nationals, also as Afghans who worked for the united kingdom and other vulnerable individuals, is moving at a “significant pace”.
According to the Ministry of Defence, quite 11,000 people are evacuated with the assistance of 1,000 UK troops since August 13 when the Taliban advance was mounted.
The total also includes British embassy staff, British nationals, those eligible under the united kingdom government’s relocation programme – Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) – and a few evacuees from allied countries.
On Wednesday, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that about 2,000 people are airlifted back to the united kingdom within the last 24 hours which “the system is working at full speed”.
“We will use all remaining hour and day to urge everyone we will back, British nationals, the Afghans who worked so loyally for us, we are becoming the Chevening scholars back, also women’s rights defenders and journalists,” he said.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told members of Parliament that some Afghans eager to flee to Britain could also be more happy trying to succeed in one among the country’s borders and making their thanks to a 3rd country.
Over 82,000 people are airlifted from Kabul after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on Assumption , fortnight before the U.S. was set to finish its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war. Thousands of individuals are still waiting inside and out of doors the airport, hoping to fly out of the country.