BRITAIN'S ambassador to Afghanistan will be flown out of the country by Sunday (15) evening, the Sunday Telegraph reported, after UK troops moved to evacuate other British diplomats and officials.
Taliban fighters drew closer to Kabul on Saturday (14). The capital and Jalalabad, in eastern Afghanistan, are now the only cities not in Taliban hands, prompting the United States and other western countries to rush to evacuate their citizens.
A plan to evacuate Britons had been due to last weeks, but the Sunday Telegraph said the Taliban's advances meant there were fears the airport could be overrun sooner and the operation had been sped up.
By Saturday (14) night, only tens of British officials and diplomats remained in Afghanistan, down from around 500 earlier in the week, the paper said, with the ambassador due to leave on Sunday.
The government's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office could not immediately be reached for comment.
Britain said on Thursday (12) that it was sending 600 troops to help British nationals and local translators leave the country as the security situation deteriorated.
Clifford had previously denied killing Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters, Louise Hunt, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads guilty to crossbow murders of BBC presenter’s family
A 26-YEAR-OLD man on Wednesday pleaded guilty to murdering two daughters of a BBC sports commentator and stabbing to death their mother in a crossbow attack.
Kyle Clifford had previously denied killing Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters, Louise Hunt, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28.
However, appearing via video link at Cambridge Crown Court in eastern England, Clifford changed his pleas.
The court heard that Clifford tied up Louise Hunt, his former partner, binding her arms and ankles with duct tape before shooting her in the chest with a crossbow at the family home last July.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, one count of false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons. However, Clifford denied raping Louise.
The murders took place at the family home in the commuter town of Bushey, near Watford, northwest of London.
Clifford was arrested in July following a manhunt after the bodies of the three women were discovered.
(With inputs from AFP)