US troops 'will temporarily deploy' to Afghanistan to help evacuate diplomats

A contingent of 3,000 U.S. troops “will temporarily deploy” to assist the withdrawal of American diplomats from Afghanistan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s team announced Thursday, adding that the U.S. Embassy in Kabul will remain with limited personnel.

“We expect to draw down to a core diplomatic presence in Afghanistan in the coming weeks,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. “In order to facilitate this reduction, the Department of Defense will temporarily deploy additional personnel to Hamid Karzai International Airport.”