Switzerland to withdraw 3 remaining staff from Kabul 'as soon as possible'

Switzerland will withdraw its three remaining staff in Kabul "as soon as possible" as the security situation in Afghanistan worsens, said the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday (local time).

"Due to the latest developments in Afghanistan, the FDFA has already reduced its Swiss staff on the ground by half. As a result, there are currently three Swiss employees left in Kabul. The FDFA will transfer these people as soon as possible to another country," the spokesperson said in an email to CNN.

The evacuation was announced earlier on Friday by Deputy Foreign Minister Livia Leu during a news conference in Bern, Switzerland.

Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against Afghan forces and civilians with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away.

Due to rising violence in the country by the Taliban, the situation is deteriorating badly as the terror group has been looting people and killing civilians after capturing multiple areas from the government.

Several countries in recent weeks including the US and UK have announced the evacuation of their diplomats and mission staff from Kabul.

The Taliban escalated its offensive against the Afghan forces soon after the US forces started leaving Afghanistan in large numbers after the peace deal signed between Washington and the Taliban in February last year.

Taliban has toppled six provincial capitals in the past 24 hours which brings the total number of provinces fallen to the terrorists to 18, local media reported on Friday.

Khaama Press reported that centers of Kandahar, Helmand, Herat, Badghis, Ghor, Logar, Zabul, and Oruzgan provinces fell to the Taliban in the past 24 hours.

( With inputs from ANI )

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