Mission to Afghanistan ended: Minister of Defense in Tashkent

The Afghanistan mission is over. Now the Bundeswehr soldiers are on their way home. They are expected to be accompanied by Defense Minister Kramp-Karrenbauer, who flew to Tashkent yesterday.

After the end of the evacuation mission in Afghanistan, the Bundeswehr soldiers involved are still expected in Germany today. They are expected to be accompanied by Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

The CDU politician flew to the Uzbek capital Tashkent on Thursday evening together with the Bundeswehr Inspector General Eberhard Zorn, where the troops have their logistics hub. There she received the emergency services who had returned from Kabul. Today around 4 p.m., the soldiers are supposed to land at the Wunstorf air base in Lower Saxony.

More than 5300 people flown out

“The evacuation operation in Kabul was extremely dangerous,” tweeted the Defense Ministry. “The Bundeswehr brought as many people as possible to safety on site under the most difficult of conditions.” An extension of the airlift was not possible due to the security situation in Kabul. But they will continue to take care of those who remain to be protected. More than 5300 people were brought out of the country with the Bundeswehr machines. According to Kramp-Karrenbauer, these include more than 4,000 Afghans and around 500 Germans who are now being brought to Germany.

Under the leadership of Brigadier General Jens Arlt, up to 600 emergency services were involved in the largest ever military evacuation operation in the Federal Republic. The Bundeswehr supported the German Foreign Office’s evacuation mission to bring German citizens, Afghan local staff, their families and other people in need of protection to safety.

According to the Bundeswehr, paratroopers, soldiers from the Special Forces Command (KSK), military police, crisis support teams, paramedics, military police, members of the air force and other specialists from all areas of the Bundeswehr were on duty. They were deployed in Germany, in the Uzbek capital Tashkent and at the airport in Kabul to ensure the evacuation from the German side.

“Responsibility for backward local staff”

Immediately before the last Bundeswehr soldiers left Kabul, the attackers carried out a double attack at the airport in the Afghan capital. Dozens of people were killed, including 13 US soldiers. According to the federal government, German emergency services were not harmed. On Thursday evening, the Bundeswehr announced on Twitter that the last of four A400M military aircraft had landed in the Uzbek capital Tashkent.

Despite the efforts, not all threatened people could be brought to safety. The defense minister reaffirmed that Germany remained responsible for those who could no longer be flown out. “For her, the end of this airlift is the moment of greatest concern,” she said. Your acceptance letters remained valid.

Maas: Have discussions with various partners

According to Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the federal government is also working to create exit opportunities for remaining local workers and people who are particularly at risk. “The military evacuation has now ended. But our work will continue – until everyone for whom we are responsible in Afghanistan is safe.”

The relief operation is now entering a new phase. You are still in direct contact with the German nationals remaining in Afghanistan. In order to make it possible to leave the country, talks are being held with various partners and also with the Taliban. Among other things, it is about the continued operation of the airport.