The Pentagon has reportedly authorized the deployment of 1,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, bringing the total number of troops on the ground to 6,000 as the Taliban continues its advances in the capital city of Kabul.
Reuters reported on Sunday that the additional troops will be drawn from the 82nd Airborne Division, which was already on standby.
The news of additional troops being sent to Afghanistan comes after President Biden announced on Saturday that the U.S. would send 1,000 more troops to Afghanistan to assist with evacuating U.S. personnel, and after the Pentagon revealed on Thursday that it was deploying 3,000 more troops to the country to help facilitate the withdrawal of embassy staff.
The Hill reached out to the Pentagon for additional information.
The deployment of troops to Afghanistan comes as the country is facing a rapidly deteriorating security situation, with the Taliban making significant gains in the region.
Chaos broke out in the country overnight on Sunday after the insurgent group entered Kabul. Taliban fighters entered the presidential palace in the capital city, and members of the group’s leadership addressed the media from the throne of power, according to photos published by Al Jazeera.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as Taliban fighters seized Kabul on Sunday, later writing in a Facebook post that he did so to avoid bloodshed.
The U.S. is now working to pull all its staff from the embassy. The American flag at the compound was lowered on Sunday, marking the final step in the evacuation of staff from the building.
The rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan comes as the U.S. was nearing completion of its withdrawal process, which President Biden previously said was set to finish at the end of this month.
The Taliban, however, has increased its efforts in recent weeks, capturing a number of key provincial capitals in Afghanistan as protection from U.S. and NATO forces decreased.
