U.S. plans to send contingent of troops to Port Sudan to help remaining American citizens amid war

The U.S. plans to send a contingent of troops to Port Sudan to coordinate the departure of American citizens seeking to leave Sudan, U.S. officials told CBS News Monday. 

The troops would be part of the Pentagon's effort to make the over 500-mile land route between Khartoum and Port Sudan a viable way out for up to several thousand Americans who remain in Sudan. 

Already, the U.S. military is flying reconnaissance drones near the land route to identify potential threats, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in an interview on "CBS Mornings."  While Kirby stressed that it is "not safe right now for another evacuation attempt," the Defense Department is looking for avenues for Americans to find a way out of Sudan.