U.S. Embassy tells Americans outside Kabul airport to 'leave immediately'


The U.S. Embassy in Kabul issued an urgent advisory on Wednesday, warning Americans who are outside the perimeter of the city's international airport to "leave immediately."
The Australian and British governments also told their citizens in Afghanistan to be on alert, with Australian officials saying there is an "ongoing and very high threat of terrorist attack." A senior U.S. official told The New York Times the United States is following a "specific" and "credible" threat at the airport from the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan.
The U.S. Embassy specifically warned citizens to avoid or leave the airport's Abbey Gate, East Gate, and North Gate, while the Australian government said there is potential for violence in large crowds and all travel to the Kabul airport should be avoided.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
An estimated 1,500 Americans remain in Afghanistan, and thousands of Afghans who assisted the U.S. military and are under threat by the Taliban are also trying to leave the country. President Biden has said he is committed to sticking to his Aug. 31 deadline for a full U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Panspermia: the theory that life was sent to Earth by aliens
Under The Radar New findings have resurfaced an old, controversial idea
-
What's a bridge loan and how could it make buying your next home possible?
The Explainer This type of loan has both pros and cons
-
The Week contest: Phone risk
Puzzles and Quizzes
-
The Taliban wages war on high-speed internet
THE EXPLAINER A new push to cut nationwide access to the digital world is taking Afghanistan back to the isolationist extremes of decades past
-
Russia slams Kyiv, hits government building
Speed Read This was Moscow's largest aerial assault since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to US
Speed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU offices
Speed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission
Speed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20
Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peace
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump