TALIBAN SEIZE CONTROL OF AFGHANISTAN’S PROVINCES

▶ As the last British troops leave, UK military chief delivers grim briefing about insurgent gains

Britain “is not walking away” from Afghanistan, the UK’s prime minister told Parliament on Thursday, as he confirmed that nearly all British troops had left the country.

Boris Johnson promised that Britain would try to ensure stability in Afghanistan but was “under no illusions about the perils of today’s situation and what may lie ahead”.

As the last UK troops leave the country, along with US and Nato forces, the Taliban are reported to be making widespread gains. Yesterday evening, US President Joe Biden said his country’s military mission would conclude on August 31.

Mr Johnson was told that serious questions remained about the future stability of Afghanistan that could lead to a rebirth of terrorism.

“We simply cannot wash our hands or walk away,” said Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the opposition Labour Party.

“It’s hard to see a future without bloodier conflict and wider Taliban control. Already, they are on the brink of gaining control of provincial capitals.”

More than 150,000 British troops served on operations in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, mostly in Helmand province in the country’s south. Nearly 460 were killed.

Gen Nick Carter, the head of Britain’s military, gave a bleak briefing on the outlook, saying news of the Taliban advance was “pretty grim”. The general said it was “fair to say the Taliban now hold nearly 50 per cent of the rural districts in Afghanistan”, but not any cities.

While noting that the Afghan army was resisting the Taliban’s spread, Gen Carter warned it would face more challenges when it would “no longer have access to [Nato] air power”.

Mr Johnson cautioned against talk of a Taliban takeover.

“I don’t believe that the Taliban are guaranteed the kind of victory that you sometimes read about. We are not walking away,” he said.