For the first time since the departure of American soldiers from Afghanistan at the end of August, some 200 foreign nationals including Americans will be evacuated this Thursday by plane from Kabul to Qatar, announced a source close to the operation in Doha.

"There are American citizens in the group which leaves Kabul for Doha", specified this source.

Nearly 123,000 people evacuated

Images broadcast on Qatari TV channel Al-Jazeera show women and children among those awaiting evacuation at Kabul airport. "We are very grateful to the Qataris," one of the passengers posing as Canadian told Al-Jazeera. Qatar has become a key player in the Afghan crisis. It hosted the negotiations concluded in 2020 between the United States of Donald Trump and the Taliban, then between the latter and the Afghan opposition of the now ousted president, Ashraf Ghani.

The United States has evacuated some 123,000 people, mostly Afghans who fear retaliation from the Taliban.

But US officials recognize that there is still a lot to be exfiltrated.

During an official visit to Qatar on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken secured a new firm commitment from the Taliban that Afghans who wanted to leave the country could do so without hindrance.

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