A US Chinook helicopter hovering near Kabul's US Embassy, August 15, 2021. AP Photo/Rahmat GL
To rescue Americans, the US military conducted operations outside of Kabul's airport.
The Pentagon stated that there have been at most two cases involving "rotary airplanes", hinting that there may be more.
Commanders on the ground make these decisions.
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According to Pentagon, multiple rescue operations were conducted by the US military outside Kabul's airport to assist Americans who are trapped there.
On Friday, President Joe Biden said that the US military had left the airport in order to save 169 Americans. This has been a sharp criticism of his handling of developments in Afghanistan.
CNN reported that the Pentagon gave additional details. It stated that three CH-47 Chinook helicopters picked the Americans up at the Baron Hotel, which is located approximately 650 feet away from the airport.
John Kirby, the Pentagon's press secretary, spoke to reporters Monday and revealed that additional missions have taken place but did not provide any details.
Kirby stated that "occasionally, where there's an emergency and there's the capability to meet it, our commanders are doing what they feel necessary to help Americans get to the airport," noting that such missions "not regularly" and that US military personnel "don't patrol the streets of Kabul."
He said that there was at least one other instance in which rotary airlifts were used to assist Americans getting from the outside of the airport into it.
The spokesman stated that "we are going out as necessary and helping Americans." He also said that although he only mentioned two missions that involved helicopters, it doesn't necessarily mean that this is the total of what he did to help Americans arrive.
Kirby stated that the US military uses a variety of techniques to help Americans get through difficult-to-reach gates to the airport. However, he did not say if he would "detail every one of them" because of the high threat environment.
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A Pentagon spokesperson stated that there was "no coordination with the Taliban" during airlift operations. It is not clear when exactly Kirby mentioned the missions.
After two decades of war, Afghanistan fell to the Taliban quickly. The US and NATO allies were forced to rush to evacuate their Afghan partners at Hamid Karzai International airport.
People trying to get to the airport encountered large crowds, hostile Taliban militants, as well as sporadic outbreaks of violence.
The US has assisted in the evacuation of approximately 37,000 Afghans since August 14th, just one day before the Taliban's massive offensive reached Kabul. There is still a lot of need for support.
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