U.S. embassy says its ability to assist 'extremely limited' as it urges American citizens to flee Afghanistan

The United States Embassy in Afghanistan is urging U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately as the Taliban continues to gain ground in the country amid a withdrawal of American troops.

However, the embassy said in a statement Saturday that its ability to assist those citizens who are still in the country "is extremely limited," even within the capital, Kabul, because of security concerns and reduced staffing. Evacuees should take whatever commercial flight options are available, the embassy said, adding that anyone "who cannot afford at this time to purchase a commercial ticket" to the U.S. can receive a "repatriation loan."

The Taliban is moving swiftly, taking two provincial capitals in as many days, and the group also killed Dawa Khan Menapal, the director of Afghanistan's Government Information Media Center, on Friday. In a separate statement, the American embassy condemned the Taliban offensive, which it said contradicts the group's claim that it supports a negotiated settlement agreed upon earlier this year. Read the statements here and here.

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