Spain ends Kabul airlifts after flying out 2,200 people

Spain announced the end of its Kabul evacuations on Friday after a nine-day operation that saw more than 2,200 people flown out of the strife-torn country following the Taliban takeover. 

The last two planes arrived in Dubai early on Friday, ending an airlift that began on August 18. 

"In total, we have managed to evacuate 2,206 people," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, indicating the number was almost three times higher than expected and hailing the work involved in a mission of "extraordinary complexity".

"Mission accomplished," he said while insisting Spain was "not going to abandon the Afghan people". 

He said most of the people evacuated were Afghans, including 1,671 -- and their families -- who worked for Spain. 

Some 333 worked for the European Union, 50 who worked for NATO as well as 21 Portuguese or Afghans working for Portugal. He said another 131 were evacuated on behalf of the United States.

"We stayed in Kabul until the last second while the security of the operation was guaranteed, but we remain committed to... seeking ways to continue evacuating the maximum number of people who worked with Spain and the international community."

Sanchez said Spain did not have "an exact number" of Afghan collaborators who were left behind but was working on "a way to continue getting them out". 

On Thursday evening, following twin suicide bombings outside Kabul airport that claimed at least 85 lives, Sanchez had pledged to evacuate "as many people as possible". 

Hours later, his government announced the end of its airlift, saying the last two planes had landed in Dubai at dawn on Friday carrying 81 Spanish nationals, 85 Afghans and four Portuguese troops.

All 166 will be flown to the Torrejon de Ardoz airbase near Madrid later on Friday on a commercial plane, the government said.

Sanchez said there 484 Afghans currently at the Torrejon base who would stay there another week before being sent to other reception centres within Spain and the EU. 

Spain has also agreed to host up to 4,000 Afghans flown by the United States to two bases in southern Spain.

Under an agreement signed between Madrid and Washington, the evacuees may stay for up to 15 days at the airbases, which are used jointly by the United States and Spain.