Hungary ends evacuations in Afghanistan after airlifting 540 people

By Anita Komuves

BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Hungary is ending evacuations in Afghanistan after airlifting 540 people including Hungarian citizens and Afghans and their families who worked for Hungarian forces previously, the Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benko said on Thursday.

The two military passenger planes and all the troops involved in the operation have returned safely to Hungary, Benko told a news conference.

Pressure to complete the evacuations of thousands of foreigners and Afghans who worked with Western countries during the 20-year war against the Taliban has intensified, with all U.S. and allied troops due to leave the airport next week.

Hungary had airlifted a total of 540 people from Afghanistan, including Hungarian, Austrian, Afghan and American nationals, flying them by military plane from Kabul to Uzbekistan, and then by commercial airline jet to Budapest.

Benko said 57 families had been airlifted, among them 180 children.

"As for Afghan nationals, 87% of them have been evacuated, those who contacted us in time and could remain in contact, we have airlifted all of them," Benko said.

Hungary has been present with troops in Afghanistan since the start of the NATO mission in 2003.

The United States and allies urged people to move away from Kabul airport on Thursday due to the threat of an Islamic State attack as Western troops hurry to evacuate as many Afghans as possible before an Aug. 31 deadline.

Hungary, an opponent of irregular migration to Europe, has rejected any plans to accommodate large numbers of Afghan refugees, and said it would only evacuate people whose lives were at risk for supporting the NATO presence in Afghanistan.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Anita Komuves; Editing by Giles Elgood and Raissa Kasolowsky)