Blinken says under 200 Americans in Afghanistan

Washington: Secretary of State Antony Blinken says fewer than 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan who want to leave and the US will continue to try to get them out.

Blinken says the number of Americans left may be closer to 100. He says the US would work with Afghanistan’s neighbors to secure their departure either overland or by charter flight once the Kabul airport re-opens.

Speaking shortly after the Pentagon announced the completion of the US military pullout Monday, Blinken said the US Embassy in Kabul will remain shuttered and vacant for the foreseeable future.

He says American diplomats who had worked from the now-closed embassy will be based in Doha, Qatar.