Two British nationals and a child amongst victims of Kabul massacre
TWO British people and the child of a British national were among those killed in the Kabul terror attack.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab confirmed the deaths in a statement yesterday evening, saying two British people had also been injured in the blasts.
An Isis-k suicide bomber is understood to have detonated an explosive close to the airport’s Abbey gate on Thursday, with a second bomb being set off shortly afterwards nearby.
There was gunfire between the two blasts, with more than 60 Afghans and 13 US military personnel among the fatalities.
Mr Raab said last night that the UK would not be cowed by terrorists, while Boris Johnson said the fatalities underlined the urgency of the evacuation.
The Foreign Secretary said: “I was deeply saddened to learn that two British nationals and the child of another British national were killed by yesterday’s terror attack, with two more injured.
“These were innocent people and it is a tragedy that as they sought to bring their loved ones to safety in the UK they were murdered by cowardly terrorists.
“Yesterday’s despicable attack underlines the dangers facing those in Afghanistan and reinforces why we are doing all we can to get people out. We are offering consular support to their families.
“We will not turn our backs on those who look to us in their hour of need, and we will never be cowed by terrorists.”
Initially, the Ministry of Defence said there had been no reports of Britons being injured in the attacks.
It is understood the child who died was a teenager, while those injured are a British national and an Afghan child with a British family.
Ministers insisted the atrocity did not affect the decision to close the UK’S processing centre outside Kabul airport, with no more Afghans being told to come forward for evacuation.
There is currently no confirmation about when the last British troops will leave Kabul, but it is expected to be before the deadline of Tuesday, August 31. US forces have vowed to continue evacuating people until the last day.
Mr Johnson, speaking to reporters following the announcement that Britons were among those killed, said: “I think what their loss really underlines is the urgency of getting on
and concluding Operation Pitting in the way that we are, and also underlines the bravery of our armed services, our troops, everybody else involved.”
He admitted: “Of course, as we come down to the final hours of the operation there will, sadly, be people who haven’t got through, people who might qualify.
“What I would say to them is that we will shift heaven and earth to help them get out. We will do whatever we can in the second phase.”
When asked whether the scenes seen in Afghanistan amounted to a national humiliation, he said the circumstances were extremely difficult and extremely horrible.
“It’s certainly not something that…
the timing of this is certainly not the one that this country would have chosen, and I think that everybody understands that.”
US President Joe Biden vowed to hunt down those responsible for the terror attack,saying: “We will hunt you down and make you pay.
“We will respond with force and precision at our time, at the place we choose and the moment of our choosing.
“These Isis terrorists will not win.” Ian Blackford, the SNP’S Westminster leader, said the UK had a duty to help those stuck in the Afghanistan nightmare.
He said: “This is devastating news. My heart goes out to the victims, their
families, our personnel on the ground, and to the vulnerable Afghan people stuck in this nightmare situation.
“The UK Government must do everything it can to ensure safe routes for the evacuation, relocation and resettlement of those left behind and substantially increase the number of Afghan refugees the UK plans to take. We must not abandon those we have a responsibility to protect.”
Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said a safe passage corridor had to be created in the next 24 hours to help those who still wished to flee.
He also called for an inquiry into the handling of the withdrawal, saying there needed to be an explanation
about the length of time it took to begin evacuating interpreters and why Mr Raab was on holiday when Kabul fell to the Taliban.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said details of the G7’s agreed roadmap should be published before Parliament returns on September 6, including a plan to control Afghan financial assets, and a strategy to ensure Afghanistan did not become a haven for terror and a threat to security again.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace acknowledged there would be as many as 1,100 Afghans eligible to leave the country under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy who would now not make it out.
We will not turn our backs on those who look to us in their hour of need