International
oi-Madhuri Adnal
London, Aug 29: British troops have left Kabul, ending the UK’s evacuation operation and its 20-year military involvement in Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the “heroic” evacuation effort, even as the government acknowledged some eligible Afghan civilians had been left behind. The UK’s top military officer conceded that “we haven”t been able to bring everybody out.”
The UK government said late Saturday that about 1,000 troops who ran an airlift of British nationals and Afghan civilians had departed from Kabul airport, hours after the final evacuation flight for civilians. Most countries apart from the United States had already left.
Before departing, Britain”s ambassador to Afghanistan, Laurie Bristow, said from Kabul airport that it was “time to close this phase of the operation now.”
“But we haven”t forgotten the people who still need to leave,”…