Afghanistan, minute by minute: at least 13 US servicemen killed in Kabul; Biden issues warning to those responsible

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that those who have not yet been able to access evacuation flights from Kabul will not be forgotten, adding that the German Foreign Ministry continues to negotiate with the Taliban.

“We know that the window of opportunity is closing. Tens of thousands of people have been rescued, but I want to repeat it today: we will not forget the people who could not be rescued by the airlift. On the contrary, we will do everything possible to allow their evacuation, “Merkel said.

“We are in negotiations with the Taliban, carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially by the ambassador [Markus] Potzel, and there will be international coordination on how to proceed, “he added.

At a press conference in Berlin, Merkel referred to the situation in Kabul after the explosions at Hamid Karzai international airport, calling the incident a “malicious and vile attack”.

“In the last few days there have been warnings about this and that now it really has happened is, of course, terrible news,” Merkel said.

“We see in this attack this afternoon that the risk is immense and that it is a very high pressure situation in which people are trying to evacuate and maintain the air bridge,” he added.

Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. (Credit: Adrian Dennis-WPA Pool / Getty Images)

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, said Thursday that his country will continue with its evacuation operation from Kabul despite the attack in the vicinity of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.

“I can confirm that there has been a barbaric terrorist attack, apparently a series of attacks, in Kabul at the airport, in the crowd at the airport, in which unfortunately members of the US military have lost their lives and also many Afghan victims,” ​​he said. Johnson. “I believe that [estos ataques] they are despicable, but I’m afraid it’s something we’ve had to prepare for. It will not interrupt our progress, we will continue with our evacuation. “

Speaking to British media in London, Johnson said his government “has already extracted the overwhelming majority” of the people who can be evacuated to the UK from Afghanistan.

“We are going to continue with that operation and now we are reaching the end of it,” Johnson said. “What this attack shows is the importance of continuing that work as quickly and efficiently as possible in the hours that remain, and that is what we are going to do.”