A new wave of US military personnel tasked with ensuring the safe evacuation of American embassy employees and Afghan civilians who worked for US forces amid a Taliban onslaught arrived in Kabul on Saturday, the Pentagon said.

After an initial contingent landed in the Afghan capital on Friday, the US operation appeared to be picking up pace, as the insurgents closed in on Kabul.

Bill Urban, the spokesman for US Central Command, said soldiers "continue" to arrive, but did not say how many were on the ground so far, nor did he say if evacuations had begun.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday that the United States would have the capacity to move "thousands per day" after deploying 3,000 personnel to Kabul before the weekend was through.

As of this week, nearly 4,200 people were still working at the US Embassy in Kabul.

In addition, thousands of Afghans who worked for the United States during its 20-year occupation of the war-wracked country as interpreters or drivers and their families are seeking to leave as soon as possible, fearing Taliban retribution.

Many of them will seek special immigrant visas (SIVs) to remain in the United States.

The US government has said applicants will first go to Qatar, where there are US military doctors, and then relocate many of them to other countries to complete the visa process. Those countries have not yet been identified.

The Pentagon estimates that it will need to evacuate about 30,000 people before it completes its withdrawal from Afghanistan by August 31, a deadline set by US President Joe Biden.

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris conferred via video conference with their national security team "to discuss the ongoing efforts to drawdown our civilian footprint in Afghanistan, evacuate SIV applicants, and monitor the evolving security situation," a White House official said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin were among those present, the official said.

Biden was spending several days at the Camp David presidential retreat, which offers more secure communications and easier access for his aides than his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he had been vacationing.

Taliban fighters were closing in on Kabul after routing the Afghan armed forces over the past 10 days.

On Saturday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pledged to prevent further bloodshed, and said consultations were taking place to try to end the fighting, without offering specifics.

German military to aid Kabul embassy evacuation: minister
Berlin (AFP) Aug 14, 2021 - The German military will assist in the previously announced evacuation of German and local staff from Berlin's embassy in Kabul, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Saturday.

As the Taliban edges closer to the Afghan capital, Kramp-Karrenbauer said in a statement that Germany would "mobilise the first forces as soon as possible".

"The security situation in Afghanistan continues to escalate," she said, adding that the military would help the foreign ministry in repatriating German citizens and evacuating local staff "who are in need of protection to Germany".

She declined to provide further details, adding only that "bringing those who need protection to Germany now has absolute priority".

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas had said Friday that Germany was reducing staff levels at its embassy in Kabul to an "absolute minimum" and that the evacuation would be carried out "in the coming days".

The ministry estimates its remaining staff count at the embassy in the "high double digits".

With Afghanistan's second- and third-largest cities having fallen into Taliban hands, Kabul has effectively become a last stand for government forces who have offered little or no resistance elsewhere.

US Marines have been sent in to oversee an evacuation of embassy employees and thousands of Afghans, and their families, who fear retribution for working for the United States over the past 20 years.

A host of other NATO partners -- including Britain, Denmark and Spain -- all announced the withdrawal of personnel from their respective embassies on Friday.

Czechs evacuate Kabul embassy, vow help to Afghan aides
Prague (AFP) Aug 14, 2021 - The Czech government on Saturday said it had decided to evacuate its Kabul embassy and vowed help to its Afghan staff as the Taliban closed in on the capital.

The evacuation concerns two Czech diplomats as well as local embassy staff, the government said.

"We are taking all steps to help our diplomats leave Afghanistan safely," Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek said in a statement.

"We will also take care of the local embassy staff, just like all European countries. These people served the Czech Republic and we bear full responsibility for them," Kulhanek added.

The government also reiterated its promise to help Afghan interpreters who had worked for the Czech army in Afghanistan during its deployment there.

The Czech army was part of the foreign military operation in Afghanistan from 2002 until withdrawal in June.

"I appreciate the interpreters' work. We will take care of the interpreters and their families, and we will relocate those who have shown interest to the Czech Republic," said Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar.

The government said the evacuation flights would take place in the next few days but declined to give further details citing security concerns.

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