Filipinos in Afghanistan to be evacuated as security situation worsens

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will be evacuating Filipinos from Afghanistan after it raised Alert Level 4 in the troubled nation.

In an advisory late Sunday, the DFA said it raised Alert Level 4 in Afghanistan “due to the worsening security situation in the country.”

“Alert Level 4 is raised when there is large-scale internal conflict or full-blown external attack. Under this Alert Level, the Philippine government undertakes mandatory evacuation of all Filipinos in the area,” the DFA said.

There are an estimated 130 Filipinos in Afghanistan, according to the DFA.

The Philippine Embassy in Pakistan, which has jurisdiction over Afghanistan, is closely coordinating with the DFA on the repatriation of Filipinos.

The Taliban reached Afghanistan’s capital Kabul over the weekend, as American diplomats were evacuated from their embassy by helicopter to the airport.

This, after U.S.-led forces withdrew the bulk of their remaining troops in Afghanistan last month.

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