London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 24, 2026

Afghanistan: Evacuation will continue despite Kabul attack, says PM

Afghanistan: Evacuation will continue despite Kabul attack, says PM

The UK will continue its operation to evacuate people from Afghanistan despite an attack at the capital's airport, says Boris Johnson.

Speaking after an emergency meeting in No 10, he pledged the UK "will keep going to the last moment."

The PM called the blasts - reportedly carried out by suicide bombers - "barbaric" and "despicable".

Two explosions hit Kabul airport on Thursday, killing more than 60 people - among them 13 US military personnel.

At least 140 people were also wounded in the attack, which the so-called Islamic State group has claimed it was behind.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said there had been "no reported UK military or UK government casualties".

Speaking on Thursday, President Joe Biden vowed to carry on with the evacuation. He said the US would "not forgive" and "not forget" the attack, telling the perpetrators: "We will hunt you down and make you pay."

Mr Johnson said the UK airlift would continue "flat out" but that it was nearing its conclusion.

Figures released by the MoD on Thursday night showed 13,146 individuals had been flown out so far.

Analysis

By Damian Grammaticas, BBC political correspondent

In the aftermath of the suicide bombings at the airport, the pace of the emergency airlift from Afghanistan has slowed but it has not halted.

The BBC understands that people who'd already been allowed inside the airport perimeter have continued to be processed, to be boarded on to departing planes.

But sources said the numbers arriving to be processed had decreased considerably as the Taliban were turning back many Afghans, particularly those who did not hold foreign passports or visas.

Boris Johnson said the UK was "coming towards the very end" of its operation and suggested "the overwhelming majority of those eligible" had now been flown out.

But there remain many clamouring not to be left behind, including interpreters who had worked for the British military, security guards from the UK embassy, Afghan soldiers trained by British forces, those who worked with international organisations and academics.

Thursday's twin blasts took place outside the Abbey Gate - where US and British forces have been stationed to help with evacuations - and at a nearby hotel, following warnings there could be terrorist incidents in the area.

After chairing an emergency Cobra meeting on the situation, the PM told reporters: "I want to stress that this threat of a terrorist attack is one of the constraints that we've been operating under... in the big extraction that's been going on, and we've been ready for it, we've been prepared for it.

"And I want to stress that we're going to continue with that operation - and we're now coming towards the end of it, to the very end of it, in any event.

"But, clearly, what this attack shows is the importance of continuing that work in as fast and as efficient manner as possible in the hours that remain to us, and that's what we're going to do."

The total number of casualties remains unconfirmed

Mr Johnson said the Foreign Office, Home Office and Border Force teams were "going to work flat out" to get people through "as fast as they can".

He added: "We're going to keep going up until the last moment."

The US has set a deadline of 31 August for the withdrawal of its troops, with President Biden rejecting calls from Mr Johnson and other allies for an extension.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab offered condolences to the families of the civilians who had been killed or injured, and said the US troops who had been killed and harmed had "paid the ultimate sacrifice while helping others reach safety".

"The UK and US remain resolute in our mission to get as many people out as possible. It is testament to the remarkable courage of our personnel that they continue to do so while under fire," he said.

'Owe a debt'


A statement from the MoD said: "Our primary concern remains the safety of our personnel, British citizens and the citizens of Afghanistan. We are in close contact with our US and other NATO allies at an operational level on the immediate response to this incident."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called the attack "devastating", and said his thoughts were with "all those killed and wounded, serving personnel supporting the evacuations and all those desperately trying to leave".

He added: "The bravery of the troops at the airport will always outweigh the cowardice of those who wish to harm us."

Kabul airport is currently being defended and run by the US, which has 5,800 troops on the ground - with the help of more than 1,000 UK troops.

Armed Forces minister James Heappey declined to give a date for the last UK evacuation flights, but said it was likely that UK and other foreign troops would have to leave before the last American airlifts.

However, during a visit to the British military's Permanent Joint Headquarters in north London, where he met troops involved in evacuation efforts, Mr Johnson insisted the US deadline would not mark the end of the UK's efforts to help people wishing to flee the Taliban-controlled country.

He added that the current airlifts were just the "first phase".

"Even beyond the US deadline of 31 of this month, we hope to be able to continue to say to people, well you can come out," he said.

Crowds of people are waiting outside Kabul airport



Johnson: "We always knew this was a moment where there were going to be particular vulnerabilities to terrorism"


Earlier, Boris Johnson said the UK had rescued the "overwhelming majority" of people to whom it owes a debt



Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Northern Ireland Executive Ministers Reach Consensus on Shared Economic Development Priorities to Stimulate Regional Growth in Belfast
Department for Business and Trade Finalizes Conditional Support Package for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication Facilities in Newport
Welsh Government Unveils Regional Industrial Development Strategy to Attract Green Energy Investment to South Wales Manufacturing Hubs
Foreign Secretary David Lammy Concludes Diplomatic Mission to European Capital Cities to Strengthen Post-Brexit Defense Cooperation
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Implements Stricter Regulatory Compliance Standards for Water Utilities Across England
Office for National Statistics Reports Moderate Wage Growth Stabilization and Resilient Employment Figures Across the United Kingdom
Scottish Government and Trade Union Representatives Reach Tentative Pay Agreement for Public Sector Transport Workers in Edinburgh
National Health Service England Announces Emergency Capital Funding Allocation to Reduce Winter Emergency Department Bottlenecks
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Inflation Pressures
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Treasury Officials Finalize Urgent Fiscal Adjustments Ahead of Upcoming National Budget
Tour de France Organizers Confirm Historic Grand Depart Featuring Edinburgh and Yorkshire Stages
National Cyber Security Centre Issues Urgent Alerts Following Global Security Vulnerability in Core Programming Software
Independent Energy Analysts Warn Great Britain Faces Highest Winter Power Tariffs in Europe
Major British Defense Contractors Commit to Delivering Forty Thousand New Apprenticeships and Training Placements
New Bradford Railway Station Infrastructure Project Approved to Transform Regional Transit Connectivity Across Northern England
Welsh Infrastructure Stakeholders Press Government for Accelerated Local Sourcing in Military and Uniform Manufacturing
Scottish Council Governance Crisis Triggers High-Court Legal Challenge Over Leadership Ouster Bid
High Street Bakery Chain Greggs Announces Major Factory Closures and Seven Hundred Job Cuts
Automotive Manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover Advances Advanced Defense Technology Partnership with European Allies
Treasury and Bank of England Officials Signal Persistent Concern Over Inflation-Driven Interest Rate Path
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast While Issuing Inflation Warnings
National Health Service Leaders Warn of Severe Capacity Pressures as Early Winter Respiratory Infections Surge
Government Issues Emergency Resilience Guidance Advising All British Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Private Sector Growth Beats Expectations in October Driven by Resilient Services and Manufacturing
Barclays to Cut Five Thousand Jobs in Major Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Cost-Cutting Overhaul
Piper Tomahawk Aircraft Crash Near Drymen in Stirling Claims Two Lives as Investigators Deploy
North Sea Transition Authority Approves Jackdaw Gas Field Production After Ministerial Authorization
Government Injects One Hundred and Forty Million Pounds to Expand Urgent Care Ahead of Winter Crisis
Department of Health Warns Further Pay Rises Will Derail National Health Service Waiting List Targets
Major Environmental Emergency Declared in South Wales Following Aerospace Kerosene Spill
Tank Barrel Production Returns to Britain as Defence Contractors Accelerate Domestic Rearmament
Government Approves Controversial Jackdaw Gasfield Development in the North Sea
National Health Service Maternity Safety Review Condemned Over Flawed Artificial Intelligence Integration
Dozens of United Kingdom Government Services Taken Offline Amid Critical Software Vulnerability
Barclays Announces Five Thousand Job Cuts Citing Artificial Intelligence Productivity Gains
Treasury Relaxes Post-Financial Crisis Accountability Rules for City of London Executives
United Kingdom Government Issues Unprecedented Guidance Urging Citizens to Stockpile Essential Supplies
United Kingdom Consumer Inflation Accelerates to Eleven-Month High Driven by Transport Costs
United Kingdom Public Sector Net Debt Breaches Three Trillion Pounds Ahead of Autumn Budget
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Commits Fifty Million Pounds to Establish Regional Artificial Intelligence Innovation Clusters
Ofgem Directs Major Energy Suppliers to Expand Vulnerable Household Support Funds Ahead of Winter Heating Season
Home Office and National Police Chiefs Council Unveil New Intelligence-Led Strategy to Tackle Organised Immigration Crime Networks
First Minister John Swinney Secures Scottish Parliament Approval for Comprehensive Climate and Green Energy Infrastructure Strategy
National Health Service England and Trades Union Congress Finalize Agreement on Emergency Winter Staffing and Pay Frameworks
HM Treasury and Department for Business and Trade Announce Multi-Billion-Pound Sovereign Investment Pact to Spur Regional Advanced Manufacturing
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Signals Potential for Faster Interest Rate Cuts as Domestic Inflation Pressures Ease Below Forecasts
Parliamentary Inquiry Highlights Urgent Need to Address Housing Shortage as Scottish Completions Hit Eleven-Year Low
United Kingdom and Singapore Sign Comprehensive Financial Agreement to Deepen Digital and Sustainable Market Ties
Greggs Announces Plan to Close Four Manufacturing Facilities and Cut Seven Hundred and Forty Jobs
International Monetary Fund Raises United Kingdom Economic Growth Forecast While Warning of Inflationary Pressures
×