Britain withdraws its forces from Afghanistan but leaves hundreds of Afghans behind | Globalism

“A recent flight carrying members of the British Armed Forces has left Kabul,” the Ministry of Defense said on Twitter.A message accompanied by a picture of tired-looking soldiers boarding the plane.

Hours earlier, the United Kingdom sent its last aircraft to evacuate civilians from Afghanistan and devoted its last efforts to evacuating the remaining diplomatic and military staff before the August 31 deadline for the departure of US forces.

british prime minister, Boris JohnsonHe thanked everyone involved in the operation and highlighted that 15,000 people were evacuated in at least two weeks.

“I want to thank everyone who participated and the thousands who have served there over the past two decades,” he said in a message on social media.

The UK’s armed forces chief, General Nick Carter, said the withdrawal had “taken as far as possible” but that it was “unfortunate” that “it was not possible to get them all out”. Carter put the number of eligible Afghans who were not evacuated at “hundreds.”

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace had estimated this earlier Between 800 and 1,100 Afghans eligible to move under the UK “could not” leave scheme.

Among the last to leave Kabul was the British director of the animal charity Nawzad or Paul or “Ben” Farthing, whose campaign to evacuate 200 cats and dogs on a private charter plane has sparked controversy in the UK.

“We are relieved to confirm that Ben and Nawzad’s animals left Afghanistan this afternoon and are safe,” the organization said on Twitter.

Farthing’s insistence on getting the animals out while many Afghans remained behind, including some Nawzad’s staff, was widely criticized in the UK.