Taliban stop at least four planes from leaving Afghanistan: Report

At least four planes chartered to evacuate several hundred people trying to escape the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan have not been successful in leaving the country for days, reported TIME.

Contradictory reports are emerging about why the flights weren’t able to take off as pressure builds upon the United States (US) to help those left behind to flee.

An Afghan official at the  Mazar-e-Sharif airport said that the would-be passengers were Afghans, many of whom did not have passports or visas, and thus were unable to leave the country. He said they had left the airport while the situation was sorted out.

Residents of Mazar-e-Sharif also said the passengers were no longer at the airport. At least 10 families were seen at a local hotel waiting, they said, for a decision on their fates. None of them had passports or visas but said they had worked for companies allied with the US or German military. 

Republican Michael McCaul of Texas told Fox News Sunday that American citizens and Afghan interpreters were being kept on six planes.

“The Taliban will not let them leave the airport,” he said, adding that he’s worried “they’re going to demand more and more, whether it be cash or legitimacy as the government of Afghanistan.” He did not offer more details.

The US State Department has no reliable way to confirm information about such charter flights, including how many American citizens might be on them, since it no longer has people on the ground, according to a US official, reported AP.