First plane with UK citizens, Kabul Embassy staff lands back in UK from Afghanistan

On Monday, the UK Ministry of Defence announced that the first plane to bring UK citizens and Kabul embassy staff back home from Afghanistan has landed in the country. The ministry stated in a tweet, "Last night the first flight of British Nationals and Embassy Staff arrived at RAF [Royal Air Force] Brize Norton as part of Op [operation] PITTING. The UK Armed Forces are supporting the evacuation of British Nationals and those eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program." 

To minimise overcrowding, all commercial planes have been cancelled at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. According to sources reported by TOLO News, several people have been killed and wounded in a shooting at Kabul's airport. On Monday, at least three individuals were killed by gunshots at Kabul's international airport's passenger terminal. 

According to The Wall Street Journal, the event occurred as hundreds of Afghans congregated at Kabul airport to seek an escape plane following the Taliban's control of the nation. As per several eyewitnesses, the prostrate, bleeding victims were seen sitting on the floor immediately outside the terminal building. According to the article, officials from the US Central Command were unavailable for comment right away. However, according to The Wall Street Journal, the US military has seized over protection at Kabul airport to carry out a massive airlift of diplomats to Afghanistan after the Taliban's capture of the country's capital. 

UK PM Boris Johnson's statement

After appointing a Cabinet emergency committee meeting on Sunday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the goal would be to take out British nationals as quickly as possible. He even said that the Afghans who have assisted British soldiers in Afghanistan over the previous 20 years should also be taken care of during the evacuating process. 

As per the Associated Press, he told Sky News that the ambassador is working day and night and has been at the airport to help process the applications. He even said that presently, they have the resources to bring them out, but the matter of fact is to make sure they'll accomplish it in the coming days. 

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