The ultimate UK flight carrying troops and diplomatic personnel has left Kabul airport, bringing to an finish Britain’s 20-year marketing campaign in Afghanistan.
The final evacuation flight left earlier on Saturday. About 14,000 individuals have been airlifted out of Afghanistan by British forces in lower than two weeks, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, stated now was a time to mirror on the UK’s mission in Afghanistan.
“Twenty years in the past, within the wake of the 9/11 assaults, the primary British soldier set foot on Afghan soil aiming to create a brighter future for the nation and all its individuals,” he stated.
“The departure of the final British troopers from the nation is a second to mirror on every thing we’ve sacrificed and every thing we’ve achieved within the final 20 years.
“The character of our engagement in Afghanistan might have modified, however our targets for the nation haven’t. We are going to now use all of the diplomatic and humanitarian instruments at our disposal to protect the features of the final 20 years and provides the Afghan individuals the long run they deserve.”
The Labour chief, Sir Keir Starmer, stated: “I pay tribute to the courageous women and men of our armed forces who’ve executed a lot to offer the chance of a brand new life to so many.
“Our diplomatic employees and navy personnel ought to be happy with the heroic work they’ve executed and we owe them an excellent debt of gratitude. It’s now for the federal government to urgently set out a plan for these left behind.”
The British ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, had earlier stated it was “time to shut this part” of the evacuation effort.
In a video posted on Twitter, Bristow – who has remained in Afghanistan processing those that want to depart the nation – stated: “The workforce right here have been working till the final second to evacuate British nationals, Afghans and others in danger.
“For the reason that 13 August, we’ve introduced practically 15,000 individuals to security, and about 1,000 navy, diplomatic, civilian personnel have labored on Operation Pitting in Kabul; many, many extra elsewhere.
“Thursday’s terrorist assault was a reminder of the troublesome and harmful situations wherein Operation Pitting has been executed. And sadly I attended right here yesterday the ceremony to pay our respects to the 13 US troopers who died.”
Prompted by the US choice to take away all its forces from the nation by 31 August, after 20 years, and hastened by the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the evacuation was punctuated on Thursday by a bomb and gun assault towards individuals ready on the airport and US troops, which killed greater than 90 individuals.
Whereas about 10,000 Afghan nationals who had labored with UK forces or different organisations have been eliminated below the Afghan relocations and help coverage (Arap) scheme, as much as 1,100 eligible individuals have been left behind, in keeping with the defence secretary, Ben Wallace.
A number of British nationals have been killed in Thursday’s bomb assault at Kabul airport, claimed by the regional Islamic State group.
The BBC reported {that a} taxi driver from London, Mohammad Niazi, was killed throughout gunfire within the aftermath of the blast, whereas his spouse and two of their youngsters have been lacking. A second British sufferer was recognized as Musa Papal, 60, in keeping with Sky Information.
The international secretary, Dominic Raab, stated on Friday that two British nationals and the kid of one other British citizen have been killed. It was not clear whether or not this determine included Niazi.
