U.S. officials admitted on Sunday that at least four planes that are holding hundreds of people seeking to escape Taliban rule in Afghanistan are unable to leave the country for days now. Conflicting reports as to why they are not being allowed to leave have surfaced, including the possibility that the Taliban is holding them hostage while they come up with demands for the U.S.
According to CBN News, an Afghan official in the airport located at the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif said that passengers were Afghans who did not have passports and visas, which was why they were not allowed to leave Afghanistan. But Texas Republican Rep. Mike McCaul, of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, claims that the people on the planes included Americans which he firmly believes the Taliban are "holding them hostage." It was unclear where Rep. McCaul acquired that information.
"We have six airplanes at Mazar Sharif Airport-six airplanes with American citizens on them as I speak, also with these interpreters-and the Taliban is holding them hostage for demands right now," Rep. McCaul told Fox News, as reported by WND. "The state has cleared these flights and the Taliban will not let them leave the airport."
Rep. McCaul added that the planes have "sat at the airport for the last couple of days" and that "they're not allowed to leave." He explained, "We know the reason why is because the Taliban want something in exchange. This is really...turning into a hostage situation where they're not going to allow American citizens to leave until they get full recognition from the United States of America."
The Afghan official who spoke on the condition of anonymity shared that the passengers on the four planes were not staying at hotels as authorities determined whether they could leave or not. None of these passengers reportedly had any passports or visas but said they worked for companies allied with the U.S. or German forces. The four planes were supposed to fly to Doha in Qatar and it was unclear who chartered them or why they were waiting in Mazar-e-Sharif.
NPR reported that the U.S. State Department cannot confirm information about the charter flights or how many American citizens may be on them because it no longer has people on the ground. The State Department is only "[holding] Taliban to their pledges to let people travel freely."
Meanwhile, Taliban forces have self-proclaimed successfully taking over the capital of Panjshir, the last Afghan province that is opposing their rule. The militant group took to Twitter to post photos of the Taliban fighters standing in the front gate of the governor's compound, The Guardian reported.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid also released an official statement saying that Panjshir was officially under Taliban rule. He said, "With this victory, our country is completely taken out of the quagmire of war."
