Last UK troops leave Kabul on final military flight – bringing Britain’s 20-year Afghanistan campaign to an end
The last remaining UK troops have been flown out of Kabul airport, ending Britain’s 20-year campaign in Afghanistan.
It comes as the last dedicated flight purely for the evacuation effort left the Afghan capital last night – ahead of the 31 August deadline set by Joe Biden for American forces to withdraw.
Operation Pitting has now ended, with the UK evacuating 15,000 people from Kabul in a fortnight – including 5,000 British nationals and more than 8,000 Afghans who worked for the UK, and their families, as well as many highly vulnerable people.
Troops left Afghanistan on packed military flights
Among those fleeing were approximately 2,200 children, who have now been lifted to safety – the youngest of whom was just one day old.
It has been the UK’s largest military evacuation since the Second World War.
Around 10,000 people have been brought to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP), which is double the number anticipated this year.
The British embassy and ambassador to Afghanistan, Laurie Bristow, will now be temporarily relocated to Qatar to lead the UK’s diplomatic, security and humanitarian engagement remotely.
The government said it intends to re-establish a diplomatic presence in Kabul “as soon as the security and political situation in the country allows”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Twenty years ago, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the first British soldier set foot on Afghan soil aiming to create a brighter future for the country and all its people.
“The departure of the last British soldiers from the country is a moment to reflect on everything we have sacrificed and everything we have achieved in the last two decades.
“The nature of our engagement in Afghanistan may have changed, but our goals for the country have not. We will now use all the diplomatic and humanitarian tools at our disposal to preserve the gains of the last twenty years and give the Afghan people the future they deserve.”
British troops departing Afghanistan on Saturday
The government has said it will continue to provide help to any remaining British nationals and Afghans who have worked with the UK and who were not evacuated on time.
The UK also reiterated the legitimacy of the Taliban regime in the eyes of the G7 depends on the group continuing to provide safe passage for those who want to leave the country and safeguarding the rights of all Afghans.
The Home Office is working to establish the details of the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which aims to provide protection for Afghan citizens identified as most at risk – such as women and girls.
The government has committed to take around 5,000 refugees in the first year and 20,000 over the coming years.
The final flight carrying UK troops left on Saturday evening. Pic: MoD
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Sharing an image of departing troops on a packed military plane earlier this evening, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The UK should be very proud of what you have done. Every one of you has displayed the highest levels of professionalism and bravery.
“You have helped thousands to get to a better future and safety. Thank you.”
Police have appealed for information after a man was charged with murdering two women and raping a third.
Simon Levy has been charged with murdering 53-year-old Carmenza Valencia-Trujillo who died on the Aylesbury Estate, south-east London, on 17 March, the Metropolitan Police said.
In September, Levy, of Beaufoy Road, Tottenham, north London, was charged with murdering 39-year-old Sheryl Wilkins who was found unresponsive in High Road, Tottenham, on 24 August.
He is also accused of grievous bodily harm with intent, non-fatal strangulation and two counts of rape against a third woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in Haringey, north London, on 21 January, police said.
The 40-year-old will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with Ms Valencia-Trujillo’s murder.
Sheryl Wilkins was found unresponsive in High Road, Tottenham, on 24 August. Pic: Metropolitan Police
He is also due to appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday for a plea and trial preparation hearing for the murder of Ms Wilkins.
Detectives believe there may be individuals who have information relevant to this investigation – or who are yet to report incidents which have directly impacted them – and are asking for people to come forward.
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UK
Family of woman killed 56 years ago, in a case of mistaken identity, believe her remains are buried in a garden
A new “national day” to honour victims and survivors of terrorism will be added to the calendar from next year, it has been revealed.
The annual commemoration will fall on 21 August, and will be marked in a different place each year to recognise the widespread impact of terrorism around the country.
It comes after a 12-week public consultation showed 91% supported the plan for a national day, and 84% strongly supported the proposal.
Flowers left in St Ann’s Square, Manchester, to remember the Manchester Arena terror attack. Pic: PA
How the day will look, including a final name and symbol, will be worked out collaboratively between survivors and ministers, according to the Home Office.
But it will “honour and remember victims and survivors of terrorism”, encouraging survivors to access specialist support, spotlighting their stories, and educating the public.
A spokesperson for the Home Office confirmed that it would not be a bank holiday.
Jo Berry, whose father Sir Anthony Berry was killed in the IRA Brighton hotel bombing in 1984, said victims of terrorism would no longer be “a footnote of history”.
Jo Berry, whose father was killed in the Brighton bombing in 1984, with convicted bomber Patrick Magee in 2004. File pic: PA
She said: “What we remember as a nation matters. It sends a signal about what we value.
“For too long, survivors of terror attacks, and those who have been killed in them, have been a footnote of history. Survivors have felt ignored and forgotten.
“That’s why Survivors Against Terror launched a campaign for a new national day of memorial three years ago.”
Read more:
Referrals to UK counter-terrorism programme reach new high
I was reporting in London during 7/7 – here’s what happened
Travis Frain, who survived the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017, also backed the campaign.
He said: “A national day would provide an opportunity to remember those we have lost, to pay tribute to the bravery and resilience of those who have survived these heinous acts, and for us to look forward to the future to educate the next generation.”
The date was chosen to coincide with the UN International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
Plans have also been announced for a new support hub to help victims in the aftermath of terror attacks.
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