The Pentagon said on Friday that 169 Americans had been rescued from a hotel in Kabul, a rare US military rescue mission beyond the airport grounds since the Taliban took control of the Afghan capital nearly a week ago.

Three UH-47 helicopters based near Hamid Karzai International Airport ferried the group to safety on Thursday, John F. Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman told reporters.

The Americans had gathered at the Baron Hotel, a designated meeting point for evacuees in Kabul, from which they intended to walk the 200 yards to the Abbey Gate entrance to the airfield, Kirby said.

But officials expressed concern about a large crowd at the entrance, and US commanders at the airport decided to pick up the Americans instead. The helicopters landed next to the hotel, loaded up the passengers and flew the short hop back to the nearby airfield without incident, Kirby said.

Earlier on Friday, President Biden said he did not want to expand the perimeter around the airport to help with the rescue effort, because he feared that doing so would open the floodgates. “There will be judgments made on the ground by the military commanders,” he added.

President Putin and Turkey’s Erdogan discussed the situation in Afghanistan during a phone call and agreed to strengthen coordination on Afghan issues.

New York Times News Service