japan (Tokyo) Officials of Japan’s Defense Ministry and the Self-Defense Forces are carefully considering whether to carry out evacuation operations as planned following the bombings at the airport in the Afghan capital Kabul.
The SDF has sent three transport aircraft to Islamabad in neighboring Pakistan to bring Japanese nationals, local embassy staff and others out of Afghanistan.
The SDF hopes to evacuate as many people as possible before the August 31 deadline for the US troop withdrawal. Some officials involved in Japan’s evacuation mission say their operations may effectively end on Friday.
Defense Ministry and SDF officials are assessing the local security situation to determine whether it is possible to secure the safety of evacuees and SDF personnel.
They say they will make their decision after confirming how many evacuees have reached the airport. The US administration and other governments are advising people to stay away from the airport, citing security reasons.
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