- ARAB NEWS
- 03 May 2024
Since 1975
TOKYO: The Japanese government will consider the next move of the Self-Defense Forces’ evacuation mission in Afghanistan while examining the local situation after Tuesday’s deadline for US withdrawal, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Monday.
SDF troops, currently on standby in Pakistan, “will continue full efforts to support evacuations” from Afghanistan, Kato told a news conference.
After Tuesday, Kato said, “We’ll consider our response while assessing the local situation and coordinating with the United States and other nations.”
But it is believed to be difficult for the SDF to operate as Kabul’s airport is not secure after the US withdrawal.
The SDF has so far evacuated one Japanese national from Afghanistan. In addition, 14 Afghans have been flown out of Afghanistan at the U.S. request, Kato said.
JIJI Press
