Japan orders SDF pullout, vows continued efforts for Afghanistan evacuation

Japan ordered Tuesday the withdrawal of Self-Defense Forces dispatched to Kabul airport for an evacuation mission but vowed continued efforts to make Japanese nationals and local staff at its agencies leave Afghanistan, now in the hands of the Taliban.Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi ordered the pullout because it became difficult for the SDF to operate in a safe environment following the completion Monday of the U.S. troop exit from Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry said.Tokyo evacuated only one national and transported 14 Afghans out of the country last week, but about 500 evacuation seekers …READ FULL ARTICLE