The UK’s final evacuation flight purely for civilians has left Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, the Ministry of Defence has said. Further flights which leave will have UK diplomatic and military personnel on board, it added.
The head of the armed forces, Gen Sir Nick Carter, said it was “heartbreaking” they had not been able to rescue everybody. He said hundreds of Afghans eligible to come to the UK remained in Afghanistan.
A mass airlift has been under way since the Taliban took control of the capital, with a deadline of 31 August in place for foreign troops to leave the country.
The US has been running the airport in Afghanistan’s capital, where a suicide bomb attack on Thursday may have killed as many as 170 people – including two British nationals and the child of a British national.
More than 1,000 UK troops were in Kabul helping to process departures at the airport at the height of the operation. Some have already left and the rest will depart over the weekend.
The British ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, who remained at Kabul airport, tweeted that nearly 15,000 people had been evacuated but it was “time to close this phase of the operation now”.
Nearly 15,000 British nationals, Afghan staff and others at risk have been evacuated from Kabul since Operation Pitting began – our commitment to the people of Afghanistan will endure. pic.twitter.com/zUQ52ps1cE
— Laurie Bristow (@laurie_bristow) August 28, 2021
He added: “But we haven’t forgotten the people who still need to leave. We’ll continue to do everything we can to help them.
In other news – Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott are in a better place than ever
Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott have been in a “much better place” lately, and are mentioned to be having fun with their “unconventional relationship” as they put together for the arrival of their second little one.
The on/off couple are reportedly anticipating their second little one collectively, and sources have mentioned the pair are having fun with their “unconventional relationship”, as there isn’t a longer any unhealthy blood between them. Learn more
Source: BBC
