The Pentagon is sending troops to Karzai International Airport in Kabul to help evacuate the US embassy as the Taliban continues its offensive in Afghanistan.
A US official told CBS News on Thursday the Pentagon is sending in about 3,000 troops to help with the drawdown of some staff at the embassy.
State Department Spokesperson Ned Price that the embassy is not closing, and the US will continue to operate consular services and special immigrant visa applications.
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"This is not an abandonment," Price said. "This is not an evacuation. This is not a wholesale withdrawal."
Price said the US is going to have a smaller diplomatic presence, given the security situation. Price said this is a contingency plan that the US had been prepared.
In the past week, the Taliban has overtaken at least 10 provincial capitals and Kandahar City is "in the process of falling" according to a US official.
President Joe Biden earlier this year announced all US troops would withdraw by the end of August, but the US would maintain a diplomatic presence.
