US asks its citizens to leave Afghanistan as Taleban-led violence intensifies

Kabul - White House spokesperson Jen Psaki earlier said that the US is "concerned about" retaliatory killings of civilians in the country.

The US on Saturday asked its citizens to leave war-torn Afghanistan as the Taleban intensified its attacks.

"The US urges its citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options. Given the security conditions and reduced staffing, the Embassy's ability to assist US citizens in Afghanistan is extremely limited even within Kabul," the US Embassy in Kabul said in a statement.

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Earlier at a media briefing on Friday, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said that the US is "closely tracking" and is "concerned about" retaliatory killings of civilians in Afghanistan.

"If the Taleban claim to want international legitimacy, these actions are not going to get them the legitimacy they seek. They do not have to stay on this trajectory. They could choose to devote the same energy to the peace process as they are to their military campaign," Afghanistan's TOLO News quoted Psaki as saying.

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Since foreign troops started leaving Afghanistan, the Taleban have been extensively fighting with the Afghan government in an attempt to gain control of key areas.

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