By Tony O’Riley-
British and Australians in Afghanistan have been urged by the UK Foreign Office to stay away from Kabul airport due to a “high threat of a terrorist attack”, the UK Foreign Office has warned.
In new advice, the FCDO told anyone in the area to “move away to a safe location and await further advice”.
It follows a warning from US President Joe Biden that a group linked to Islamic State that is seeking to target the airport.
In the update issued on Wednesday evening, the FCDO warned Britons there was “an ongoing and high threat of terrorist attack”, and that travelling by road was “extremely dangerous”, with people alleged to have been “mistreated” on their way to the airport.
Since the evacuation mission started nearly a fortnight ago, a total of 11,474 people had left Afghanistan, including almost 7,000 Afghan nationals and their families.
The total also includes British embassy staff, British nationals, those eligible under the UK government’s relocation programme – Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) – and some evacuees from allied countries.
The Foreign Office latest update of its travel advice for Afghanistan warning UK nationals not to travel to Kabul airport due to an “ongoing and high threat of terrorist attack” is a serious warning of impending danger.
Over 11,000 people have been evacuated with the help of 1,000 UK troops since 13 August, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The government says the operation to remove British nationals, as well as Afghans who worked for the UK and other vulnerable individuals, is moving at “significant pace”.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has told MPs that some Afghans wanting to flee to Britain may be better off trying to reach one of the country’s borders and making their way to a third country.
Speaking in an online meeting, Mr Wallace is reported to have signalled there were few places left on evacuation flights and said “not everyone is going to get out”.
The Foreign Office has previously warned against all travel to Afghanistan, and cited the possibility of terrorist attacks.
Officials refused to elaborate on the nature of the threat, but this change comes just 24 hours after President Biden warned of the danger posed by extremists linked to the group calling itself Islamic State.
The MoD said that since 13 August, when the evacuation mission started, a total of 11,474 people had left Afghanistan. That includes almost 7,000 Afghan nationals and their families.
The total also includes British embassy staff, British nationals, those eligible under the UK government’s relocation programme – Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) – and some evacuees from allied countries.
About 2,000 people eligible for ARAP remain in Afghanistan, but the plan is to evacuate more in the coming days, the BBC was told ahead of the new FCDO advice.
Since the Taliban takeover, more than 82,000 people have been airlifted out of Kabul airport, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said. About 10,000 are waiting to be evacuated by the US.