Afghanistan crisis: UK in talks with Taliban over further evacuations

The UK is reportedly in talks with the Taliban over furthering the evacuation process and securing a safe passage out of Afghanistan for British nationals and Afghans who remain there.

"The Prime Minister's special representative for Afghan transition, Simon Gass, has travelled to Doha and is meeting with senior Taliban representatives to underline the importance of safe passage out of Afghanistan for British nationals, and those Afghans who have worked with us over the past 20 years," the BBC quoted a government spokesman as saying.

It comes after a Taliban pledge to allow further departures.

As per an official statement by the UK government, over 17,000 people had been evacuated by the UK from Afghanistan so far, including over 5,000 UK nationals.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Taliban deployed its special forces at the Kabul airport hours after the last batch of US troops left Afghanistan.

The final evacuation flight of the US was conducted in the last hours of Monday night, airlifting their military and non-military personnel back home, one day before the August 31 deadline.

The British troops had left the country over the weekend.

The Taliban have promised those with authorisation will be allowed to leave the country.

--IANS

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