Taliban to allow 200 Americans, other civilians to leave Afghanistan -U.S. official

[September 09, 2021]  (Reuters) - Taliban authorities have agreed to let 200 American civilians and third country nationals who remained in Afghanistan after the end of the U.S. evacuation operation to depart on charter flights from Kabul airport, a U.S. official said.

Taliban forces stand guard at the entrance gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport a day after U.S troops withdrawal in Kabul, Afghanistan August 31, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

The Taliban were pressed to allow the departures by U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, said the official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The departures were expected on Thursday. The official could not say whether these Americans and third country nationals were among people stranded for days in Mazar-i-Sharif because their private charters have not been allowed to depart.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Muralikumar Anantharaman)

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