Another 200 UK troops are being sent to evacuate Brits and allies from Kabul as the foreign secretary confesses he is shocked at how fast the Taliban took hold of Afghanistan.
The additional men and women brings the number of UK armed forces personnel in the city to around 900 – most of whom flew out as the situation escalated this week.
More are on standby in the UK if they are needed for defensive duties, according to the Ministry of Defence.
At least eight people died in Kabul on Monday as thousands flee the new Taliban rule.
Campaigners fear the militant group will introduce a brutal regime, with women expected to lose rights they were given when western troops took over the country 20 years ago.
Female activists are said to be terrified as the Taliban daubs their doors with paint to mark them as targets.
Dominic Raab said on Monday ‘lessons can be learned’ from the speed the Taliban swept across the country.
It comes after he was slammed for ‘going AWOL’ as he holidayed abroad when the international crisis sparked.
Mr Raab said this afternoon: ‘Everyone, I think, has been surprised by the scale and the pace at which the Taliban have taken over in Afghanistan, and that’s a lesson that we’ve all got to learn from.
‘But the truth is what matters right now is focusing on getting British nationals out, getting out those who have so loyally served the UK, and making sure that the gains that we’ve made over 20 years are not lost.’
He added: ‘We need to consolidate and try and stabilise the gains which we’ve made with so much blood, sweat, tears and loss of life over 20 years.’
The foreign secretary said tonight he had spoken to his US counterpart Antony Blinken on plans to ensure Afghanistan cannot become a safe harbour for terrorists.
It comes as President Joe Biden insists he doesn’t regret his decision to pull out American troops.
Boris Johnson, in a phone call with French president Emmanuel Macron, outlined his intention to host a virtual meeting of G7 leaders on Afghanistan to co-ordinate an international response.
Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 after campaigning for girls’ education, said she is ‘horrified’ by the takeover.
In a clip on BBC Newsnight, the Nobel Laureate said: ‘Taliban gunmen would be standing there telling women that they cannot work, they cannot go shopping, girls cannot go to school.
‘I do not want to see Afghan … girls and women living through those times.
‘We cannot accept this. We cannot live in a world where a girl is denied her right to education.’
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