Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Plane carrying 170, including US and UK citizens, departs Kabul for Doha -official

A flight with around 170 passengers on board, including U.S., UK and German citizens, departed Kabul on Friday for Doha, a Qatari official said.

The third chartered flight from Afghanistan to Qatar since the chaotic U.S.-led airlift ended last month was due to arrive in the Qatari capital at 1630 GMT (12:30 p.m. EDT), they said.

Other nationals on board included those from Belgium, Croatia, the Netherlands and Italy, but the official made no mention as to whether any Afghans were on the flight.

The passengers were transported to Kabul airport in a Qatari convoy after the Gulf Arab state reached a safe-passage agreement with Afghanistan's new rulers, the Taliban, the official said.

In Doha, the passengers will initially stay in a compound that is hosting Afghans and other evacuees.

Qatar has emerged has a key interlocutor between the West and the Taliban. The Gulf state is a close U.S. ally, hosting the largest American military base in the Middle East. But it has also been home to the Taliban's political office since 2013.

(Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.