The British government has been left with a “hostage crisis” as 1,000 Brits and allies are stranded in Afghanistan after the UK’s withdrawal.
Up to 1,000 individuals who are eligible for evacuation are expected to remain in Afghanistan (Reuters/PA).
After it was revealed that up to 1,100 individuals may be left behind in Afghanistan, the UK could face its “largest hostage situation ever.”
With the British army’s huge airlift operation coming to an end today, a top Tory MP has expressed concern for people still trapped in the nation.
Tom Tugendhat claims that his own translator, with whom he fought in Afghanistan, is among those who are unlikely to survive.
The MP, who heads the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, told Sky News: ‘There’s a chance we’ll end up with the greatest hostage situation the UK has ever seen.’
People should not try to go to the airport in a last-ditch effort to catch a flight, according to the former army officer, since it is too hazardous.
He said that attempts are still being made to get some of the remaining allies out of the country via different methods.
‘It still makes me very upset that so many of my friends have been left behind,’ he said on Breakfast.
‘What I’m working on, and please understand that I’m afraid I won’t give you all the specifics, is that we’re looking at various networks to get individuals into second countries and then linking them to UK high commissioners and ambassadors to bring them to the UK securely.’
Today, British soldiers are returning to the United Kingdom (Picture: PA)
After a two-week effort to evacuate the nation after the Taliban’s takeover of power, the final planes are set to depart Kabul today.
Only those UK citizens and Afghans who had already been processed will be flown from the airport on Friday night, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). This would free up room for the remaining UK diplomats and military personnel.
Boris Johnson has promised to “move heaven and earth” to enable people who want to leave the UK after the American deadline of August 31 to do so.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace acknowledged that between 800 and 1,100 Afghans who were eligible for evacuation will be left behind, while between 100 and 150 UK citizens would be left in Afghanistan, but Mr Wallace said that some of those who stayed voluntarily.
Not everyone has been successful in escaping (Picture: Reuters)
After Thursday’s horrific explosion that killed 170 civilians and 13 US military members, US President Joe Biden was informed that “another terror strike in Kabul is imminent.”
In retaliation for the assault, the US killed an ISIS planner in an airstrike last night, possibly inflaming relations even further.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab stated that two British adults and a British national’s child perished in the airport incident.
Mohammad Niazi, a London cab driver, was reported murdered in the Kabul assault after flying out to assist his family in returning home, although it was unclear if he was one of the UK nationals mentioned by the Foreign Office.
The United Kingdom is shutting down its business ahead of the American deadline on August 31. (Photo courtesy of Getty)
According to The New York Times, the wounded kid, who is thought to be under the age of ten, was connected to one of the people murdered.
Since August 13, 14,543 individuals, a mix of Afghan and British citizens, have been evacuated from Kabul, according to the Ministry of Defense.
Approximately 8,000 Afghans and their families were relocated under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) policy, which applies to individuals who assisted the UK but are at danger of Taliban persecution.
A father who traveled from London to Afghanistan to save his family was murdered in an airport explosion.
MORE: ‘More than 1,000 Afghans have been left behind’ on the last UK planes out of Kabul today.
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