The troops are preparing for the final push from Afghanistan Because more than 1,000 people are eligible to flee, another terrorist attack is said to be “probable”.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Friday night that only those British nationals and Afghans who have been processed will now be airlifted from Kabul Airport to make room for the remaining British diplomats and military personnel.
But Mr. Labour Leader Kyle Starmer Says that the UK must “urgently help those who stay” as well as Conservative MPs and Afghan veterans Tom Tugendhat Said that he felt “anger and shame” for those who could not be saved.
The Prime Minister promised to “change the world” and allow those who wish to leave the country after the August 31 withdrawal deadline set by the Americans.
However, in current operations, the Baron Hotel facility used by British officials to handle departing persons has now been closed.
The Ministry of Defence said that this will allow key evacuation of British nationals and others who have been processed and are at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
But the department said that “the ability of the UK to handle more cases is now greatly reduced, and the additional number of people will be limited” and no more people will be called now.
Secretary of defense Ben Wallace It is admitted that 800 to 1,100 Afghans who qualify for the Arap program will be left behind, while about 100 to 150 British nationals will remain in Afghanistan, although Mr. Wallace said some of them will stay voluntarily.
Mr. Tugendhat, chairman of the Special Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Commons, warned that this could trigger a huge hostage crisis.
In an interview with Sky News, a Conservative MP who served in Afghanistan said: “We may find ourselves facing the biggest hostage crisis in British history.”
Earlier he said that one of the people who did not want to leave was his own translator. He said: “I will not give up, but my anger and shame towards those who are hunted by the Taliban is growing.”
The White House stated that US President Joe Biden has been informed that “another terrorist attack may occur in Kabul” because of news that two British adults and a child of a British national (it is understood to be a teenager) were killed in the bombing on Thursday. middle.
Foreign Secretary Dominique Raab confirmed the death and said that the attack caused two more injuries. US officials now believe that this was an explosion at the Kabul airport, rather than the two initially suspected.
The BBC reported that Mohammad Niazi, a London taxi driver, was killed in an attack in Kabul after flying out to help his family return home, but did not confirm whether he was one of the British nationals mentioned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Times reported that the injured child is believed to be less than 10 years old and is related to one of the killed adults.
In addition to the British casualties, officials also stated that 13 US troops and at least 95 Afghan nationals were killed and more than 150 were injured in the “complex attack.”
Said to the broadcaster on Friday, Boris Johnson Saying that the death of the British indicates the speed at which the final evacuation must occur.
He said: “I think their loss really emphasizes the urgency of starting and ending the pitting operation the way we do.
“And it also highlights the bravery of our armed forces, our troops, all the others involved, and the bravery of the U.S. military that is also doing these things.”
But he added: “Of course, when we enter the last few hours of the operation, it is a pity that some people have not passed, and some people may be eligible.
“What I want to say to them is that we will turn the world upside down and help them get out. We will do our best in the second phase.”
The Ministry of Defence said on Friday night that 14,543 people had been evacuated from Kabul since August 13, including Afghan and British nationals.
Approximately 8,000 of them are Afghans and their families under the Afghanistan Relocation and Assistance Policy (Arap) program, which is for those who have helped the UK but are at risk of persecution by the Taliban.
