More US troops arrive at Kabul airport to bolster Turkish mission
Pentagon says forces could potentially remain in Kabul beyond original withdrawal deadline.
The first of some 3,000 additional US troops bound for Afghanistan have already arrived at Kabul’s main airport to help evacuate State Department personnel Afghan civilians, the Pentagon announced Friday.
The bulk of the rest of the soldiers and Marines are expected to arrive before Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Their mission, announced by the Pentagon on Thursday, is to bolster Turkey’s security mission at the airport and help safeguard the US Embassy in the Afghan capital. US military aircraft are also being prepared to help evacuate personnel amid a blistering Taliban advance across the country.
“Airlift will not be a limiting factor in this mission,” Kirby said at the Pentagon on Friday, adding that the United States will be able to evacuate “thousands per day,” in addition to civilian and other air traffic out of Hamid Karzai International.
