A group of nearly 200 stranded Afghan refugees, including military pilots, will soon be evacuated from Tajikistan after they fled Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, US Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby said.
"What I can confirm is that a group of approximately 191 Afghan evacuees, including pilots, remain in Tajikistan, and our embassy there is working to expedite their departure. We expect that they'll be able to depart Tajikistan soon, but we are not in control the timeline," Kirby said in a statement on Tuesday (local time).
Some 150 military pilots have been detained for more than three months by the authorities in Tajikistan following their crossing over the border from Afghanistan in a bid to save their lives, according to Russia's Sputnik.
In early August, the Taliban mounted an offensive against the Afghan government forces.
( With inputs from ANI )
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