LONDON, 16 August 2021, (TON): UK troops have arrived in Kabul to help evacuate any British citizens and employees who are from Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry said Sunday, as British lawmakers were called back to Parliament from their summer break to discuss the worsening situation in Afghanistan.

Authorities said “parliament will be recalled for one day on Wednesday to debate the government’s response to the crisis. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also met with his Cabinet’s emergency committee Sunday as the Taliban advanced into Kabul, the Afghan capital.”

After the meeting, Johnson said the priority is to get British citizens, as well as Afghans who helped UK forces in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, out “as fast as we can” in the next few days.

“The ambassador is working round the clock, has been there in the airport to help process the applications,” he told Sky News.

“We certainly have the means at the moment to get them out. It’s just a question of making sure that they’re able to do it over the next few days.”

Johnson said that the “vast bulk” of UK embassy staff and officials have already left Afghanistan.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that the UK’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Laurie Bristow, would be airlifted out of the country by Monday evening. The Foreign Office declined to comment on that report.