Canadian special forces will deploy to Afghanistan where staff in Canada’s embassy in Kabul will be evacuated before it closes, a source familiar with the plan told The Associated Press.
According to CTV News Canada, an official who was not authorized to talk publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity did not say how many special forces would be sent.
Sources are saying that the embassy is in the process of destroying sensitive documents and finalizing an evacuation process, reports Global News.
Global News also learned that a number of Afghan’s who worked for Canada, along with their families, including children, are currently inside a Canadian compound hoping to be rescued along with Canadian citizens.
The Canadian government has not yet made a decision on their fate, but multiple sources told Global News they fear the families will be executed by the Taliban.
Global News has been told by sources that Canadian Special Operations units helping to evacuate the embassy include the Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR) and Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), the latter of which specializes as an elite terrorist and hostage rescue unit.
The stunning speed of the Taliban takeover
With just a few weeks to go on pulling out U.S. troops from Afghanistan, after a war that has lasted 20 years, the Biden administration is now rushing 3,000 fresh troops to the Kabul airport to help with a partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy.
Britain also said Thursday that it will send around 600 troops to Afghanistan to ensure the safe return of about 500 Foreign Office and other UK government officials, along with around 3,000 British citizens working in other roles, such as security guards for aid agencies, according to the BBC.
And Danish lawmakers have agreed to evacuate 45 Afghan citizens who worked for Denmark’s government in Afghanistan and to offer them residency in the European country for two years.
All this highlights the speed of the Taliban takeover of much of the country, including their capture on Thursday of Kandahar, the second-largest city and the birthplace of the Taliban movement.
