According to the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris and US President Joe Biden discussed with their national security team the ways to speed up the evacuation of Americans and refugees from Afghanistan.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan the previous week, the evacuation of US diplomats and civilians, as well as Afghan citizens who worked with the United States government, has become much more difficult.

Biden was forced to send reinforcements of American troops to Kabul to help with the evacuation. From abroad and at home, the US President was criticized for the way the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan was planned to end their 20-year war.

Biden and Harris met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army General Mark Milley, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, CIA Director William Burns, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

They discussed efforts to speed up the evacuation of US citizens and vulnerable Afghans and ensure safe travel to Kabul airport, a White House spokesman said. It was also discussed monitoring any potential terrorist threats in Afghanistan.

According to eyewitnesses on Wednesday, three people were killed during protests against the Taliban in the Afghan city of Jalalabad when the evacuation of diplomats and civilians was activated.