Embassy officials, an Al-Azhar delegation, and Egyptians living in Afghanistan were evacuated and brought back to Egypt via military plane on Monday evening, amid the Taliban takeover.
The General Command of the Armed Forces had a military plane to evacuate the Egyptian community from Afghanistan, based a directive from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
A statement from the armed forces said that preparations to transport the group were being handled at the highest level, and that the mission was heavily insured.
The Egyptian plane landed at the east Cairo military base, after a 9-hour flight, according to local media reports.
The group was received with flowers, medical assistance, and transportation to their respective homes.
A member of the Azhar mission expressed his happiness upon returning, saying: “We thank His Excellency the President and the Grand Sheikh (of Azhar). We thank the Egyptian state for the wonderful effort it made with us… We spent a difficult week in Afghanistan, in light of events that witnessed demonstrations and shootings.”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
