In recent weeks, the situation in Afghanistan has completely changed, as the Taliban* wages offensives across the country, seizing over half of the nation's provincial capitals, and coming close to Kabul, prompting the mass evacuation of diplomats from the city.
The United States has launched an evacuation of diplomats from its embassy in Afghanistan, Reuters reported citing anonymous officials.
"We have a small batch of people leaving now as we speak, a majority of the staff are ready to leave... the embassy continues to function", one diplomat said.
According to CBS News, all diplomatic personnel will be entirely evacuated by 31 August. Security engineers, special agents from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service as well as senior diplomats, including the ambassador, will stay behind to destroy all sensitive data storage devices.
