U.S. expects more opportunities for U.S. citizens, others to leave Afghanistan

The U.S. State Department on Thursday welcomed a flight carrying U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and others from Kabul to Doha and said it expected additional such opportunities for people to leave Afghanistan by air or possibly other means.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that the United States had told Taliban officials "additional steps such as these will be well received by the international community." He declined to say how many U.S. citizens were on the flight, saying the U.S. government had invited 30 Americans and lawful permanent residents to take the flight but not all had accepted. (Reporting By Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis and Arshad Mohammed)