One Japanese national was evacuated from Afghanistan on Friday as the government scrambled to bring home several more citizens and hundreds of Afghan support staff amid heightened tensions following deadly explosions near the international airport in Kabul.

Seeing Friday as the limit for the SDF to operate safely ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Japan is ramping up its evacuation efforts.

Japan has been seeking to end the evacuation mission by Friday, with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi saying it would be hard to conduct airlifts after the Aug. 31 deadline.