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Photo shows US Marine gently cradling an Afghan baby as desperate evacuations out of Kabul continue

Aug 21, 2021, 21:29 IST
Business Insider
A U.S. Marine assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) holds a baby during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, August 20, 2021. Sgt. Isaiah Campbell/U.S. Marine Corps/Handout via Reuters
  • A viral photo shows a US marine cradling an Afghan child in his lap amid evacuation efforts.
  • The man in the picture has not been identified but belongs to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
  • Nearly 6,000 US troops are facilitating evacuations from the country as the Taliban takes control.
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A viral photo shows a US Marine cradling an Afghan infant in his arms amid evacuation efforts at Kazai International Airport in Kabul on Friday.

American soldiers have been stationed at the capital's airport to protect military and civilian evacuation flights continue.

One of these soldiers, an unidentified Marine assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was photographed in a touching moment cradling an Afghan infant while smiling down at it.

Read more: Video shows an Afghan girl being lifted over the wall at Kabul airport into the arms of a US soldier as desperate crowds gathered to flee the Taliban

The picture has been widely shared on social media and liked more than 25,000 times.

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Tens of thousands of Afghans, fearful of a brutal Taliban rule, are still waiting to be evacuated from the country before US troops leave at the end of the month.

The airport, in particular, continues to be a scene of desperation as Afghans are unable to get through crowds and Taliban checkpoints.

President Joe Biden said this week that the United States forces had airlifted 13,000 people out of Afghanistan since August 14. Nearly 6,000 US troops are currently facilitating evacuations.

"This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history," Biden said in a televised address from the White House on Friday, according to Al Jazeera. "I cannot promise what the final outcome will be."

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