The Pentagon is sending 3,000 troops back into Afghanistan to help evacuate some personnel from the US embassy amid the Taliban's surging encroachment on the capital city of Kabul.

Those 3,000 troops, part of three infantry battalions, are in addition to the over 650 US service members still currently stationed in Afghanistan.    

Another 3,500 to 4,000 reserve forces will be stationed in Kuwait on standby, and another 1,000 will go to Qatar to help with Special Immigrant Visa processing. 

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said: 'We believe this is it the prudent thing to do given the rapidly deteriorating security situation in and around Kabul.' 

The latest move follows furious criticism of the Biden's administration troop withdrawal that has allowed the Taliban to run rampant across the country and capture 12 provincial capitals in a week. There are also reports the terrorists are executing Afghan troops the US left to try and stop the government from being overrun. 

Kirby said the mission is to reduce the civilian personnel presence at the US embassy in Kabul by the end of the month. He said he wouldn't speculate what the military 'footprint' would look like in Afghanistan beyond August 31.  However, he said President Biden's Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw US forces still stands.

Kirby specified the new deployment was part of a 'narrowly-focused mission of safeguarding' but refused to say whether the 3,000 troops would be included in that deadline. 

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the embassy would continue to focus on counterterrorism, furthering peace and security and consular work, especially facilitating Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghans who worked to help the US military over the past 20 years.