US troops airlift 169 Americans trapped at hotel close to Kabul Airport after they were blocked by large crowd from exiting through gate
The White House confirmed that the U.S military used three military helicopters to rescue 169 Americans outside Kabul Airport who were trapped at a nearby hotel.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that on Thursday three U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters were dispatched to rescue Americans at the nearby Baron Hotel, near Hamid Karzai International Airport.
The group of Americans were initially going to walk through the gate of the hotel but a large crowd gathered in front of the hotel and it wasn't deemed safe, defenseone.com reported.
Further details on the nature of the crowd - and whether it was comprised of Taliban fighters - have not been shared.
Americans were rescued from the Baron Hotel, pictured, which sits close to Kabul's airport
Three double-rotored Chinook helicopters were used in the rescue mission. A US Army Chinook is pictured in the skies over Kabul on August 15
Kabul airport has been the scene of chaos as Westerners and visa holders desperately try to get to their flights
Westerners face a race against time to get out of Kabul, with control of the airport resting on the up to 60,000 troops
It was then that a local U.S. commander 'made the call on the spot' to send the helicopters, which then airlifted the Americans into the airport.
'There was an established landing zone there at the hotel premises,' Kikrby said. 'They flew in, picked up the 169 Americans and flew right back to HKIA.'
The Americans were dropped off at the airport for processing, but Kirby said he could not confirm whether they had since been flown out of Afghanistan.
Their extraction was the first time U.S. officials have confirmed that troops have been operating outside the walls of the airport, militarytimes.com reported.
Kirby said these were the 169 Americans rescued that President Joe Biden mentioned in his speech earlier on Friday when he said he is 'considering every opportunity and every means by which we can get folks to the airport.'
'Any American who wants to come home, we will get you home,' Biden said. 'I cannot promise what the final outcome will be, or that it will be without risk of loss. But as commander in chief, I can assure you that I will mobilize every resource necessary.'
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby confirmed that on Thursday three U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters were dispatched to rescue Americans at the nearby Baron Hotel
President Joe Biden said he is 'considering every opportunity and every means by which we can get folks to the airport' on Friday
Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor, deputy director of the Joint Staff for regional operations said that the U.S. had not yet begun negotiating with the Taliban on conducting operations outside the airport because they have not received any orders to do so, DefenseOne.com reported.
When asked why the U.S has not extended their perimeter beyond Kabul airport Biden said it was to avoid the risk of having U.S. forces and civilians of being attacked by terrorist groups, including ISIS.
'The reason why we have not gone out—it's likely to draw a lot of unintended consequences,' he said Friday.
British and French allies have gone beyond the boundaries of Kabul airport and sent troops into the city to help recover their citizens.
Kabul airport has been the scene of chaos as Westerners and visa holders desperately trying to get to their flights say they are unable to check in because of the crowd of up to 50,000 desperate locals who are gathering at the gates.
At the main entrance, Taliban fighters periodically fire into the air to clear the crowd in an attempt to disperse the crowd - but video of the fighters unleashing a volley of automatic fire shows the terrifying gauntlet evacuees have to negotiate.
Taliban fighters were seen shooting over the heads of crowds, striking people with rifles, while those on the ground reported beatings and whippings being dished out seemingly at random.
Crowds have also gathered at the entrance to the military wing of the airport, which is guarded by US and British troops who have been firing into the air to disperse the crowds.
Westerners face a race against time to get out of Kabul, with control of the airport resting on the up to 60,000 troops.
Joe Biden has said they will stay until all US citizens are evacuated, but there are suspicions among British troops that they could leave abruptly - leaving the 600 British unable to keep operating to evacuate UK nationals and interpreters.
UK troops have said that firing warning shots is a last resort, the Taliban are causing pandemonium and were filmed today shooting from the hip just yards away from women and children, and whacking people with the butts of their rifles.
Such is the desperation among crowds at the airport that women have resorted to passing babies over barbed wire to soldiers in a vain attempt to get them out of the country.