Civilian evacuation Afghanistan It will end on Saturday, and the head of the British Armed Forces stated that the troops are ready to go home after “heartbreaking” efforts.
Mr. General Nick Carter The Chief of Defense Staff stated that Operation Pitting-an effort to evacuate British nationals and eligible Afghans from Kabul Airport-had “done everything possible”.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program, he said that there are “very few” civilian flights left.
He said: “We are about to end the evacuation, which will be carried out in the process today.”
“Then it is of course necessary to bring our troops to the remaining planes.”
Sir Nick also talked about the “heartbreaking” judgments military personnel were forced to make.
“We can’t get everyone out, it’s heartbreaking, and we have to make some very challenging judgments on the ground,” he said.
“And I think, you know, people like me have very, very long connections with this country. We will always receive very painful messages and text messages from friends in Afghanistan, so we all live in such an environment. The most painful way.”
Shadow minister of defense of the labor party John Healy Telling Sky News, he also expects the operation to end within 24 hours, as the RAF Brit Norton flight in Oxfordshire continues to arrive on Friday night and Saturday morning.
Mr. Healey said: “This is a cruel fact. Although more than 14,000 people have been evacuated, there may be 1,000 Afghans who have worked with us in Afghanistan for more than 20 years, helping our military, our aid workers, our diplomats, This is the protection we promised, but we are falling behind.
“And I know that especially those troops will feel that our failure in this area is a betrayal to many people who risked their lives to work with us.”
The Ministry of Defense said on Friday that once the final evacuation of civilians is completed, this will free up military flight space for diplomats and personnel.
but Tom Tugendhat A Conservative MP who had fought in Afghanistan said he was disappointed that the evacuation was coming to an end.
The former military officer and current chairman of the Special Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Commons told the BBC Breakfast: “I feel very sad about this and I very much hope that it may exceed the deadline in August, but a few days ago we found out that it was not no, so I Am looking forward to.
“A lot of my friends are left behind, which still makes me very sad.
“What I’m doing, you will understand, I’m afraid I won’t give you the complete details. We are looking for different networks to allow people to enter the second country, and then connect them to the Council and Ambassador of High Britain to ensure They arrived in Britain safely.”
When asked whether the British could do better in withdrawing personnel from Afghanistan, Mr. Tugendhat said: “Last week, it may not have been, but it was the end of the sprint after it was not exactly the beginning of the sprint.
“In the past few months and years, many of us have exerted pressure to improve the handling of people we believe we have a responsibility to take care of.
“In recent weeks, there will be some questions to ask the foreign secretary about the UK’s handling procedures, and we will have to see what the answer is.”
Secretary of defense Ben Wallace It was previously admitted that 800 to 1,100 Afghans who meet the Afghanistan Relocation and Assistance Policy (Arap) plan will be left behind, while about 100 to 150 British nationals will remain in Afghanistan, although Mr. Wallace said some of them are willing to stay. Come down.
But some members of Congress said that based on the letters they received asking for help, they thought it was an underestimation.
On Friday, Boris Johnson promised to “change the world” by allowing those who wish to leave the country after the August 31 exit deadline set by the Americans.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, the US military carried out an airstrike on a member of the so-called Islamic State of Afghanistan, who is believed to be involved in planning an attack on the United States in Kabul.
One person was killed in the attack. US spokesman Colonel William Urban said they knew there were no civilian casualties.
On Thursday, two British adults and a child of a British national (it is understood to be a teenager) were killed in an explosion, and another adult and child were injured.
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.
At the same time, The Times reported that the injured child is believed to be less than 10 years old and is related to one of the dead adults.
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 Arap program, which is suitable for people who are at risk of helping the United Kingdom and who are at risk of persecution by the Taliban.
