More than 2,200 diplomats and civilians have been evacuated from Afghanistan on military flights, a Western security official said on Wednesday, as the Taliban made first efforts to set up a government after their lightning sweep into the capital.
The Taliban have said they want peace, will not take revenge against old enemies and will respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law. But thousands of Afghans, many of whom helped U.S.-led foreign forces over two decades, are desperate to leave.
“We are continuing at a very fast momentum, logistics show no glitches as of now,” the Western security official told Reuters. He said it was unclear when civilian flights would resume.
The official said those getting out included diplomatic staff, foreign security staff and Afghans who worked for embassies, but he not give a breakdown of how many Afghans were among the more than 2,200 people to leave.
The Taliban, fighting since their 2001 ouster to expel foreign forces, seized…
