- ARAB NEWS
- 01 May 2025
Since 1975
TOKYO: Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi ordered the Self-Defense Forces on Tuesday to end their mission to evacuate Japanese citizens and others from Afghanistan.
The order came in line with the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, where the Taliban has returned to power.
For the evacuation mission, three SDF transport aircraft were sent from Japan. They are on standby in Pakistan after having transported one Japanese national and 14 Afghan people from Afghanistan.
At a press conference on the day, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi pointed out that last week’s terror attack made it difficult for evacuees to reach the airport in Kabul.
“We’re afraid that there are still (Afghan workers at the Japanese Embassy) who are left unable to evacuate,” Kishida said.
JIJI Press
