‘Get Out In Seven Days ...Or Else'

The Taliban has threatened “consequences” if British forces do not leave Afghanistan in seven days.

- Michael Knowles

Boris Johnson will today seek an extension to the August 31 deadline for leaving Kabul in a bid to evacuate every UK national and Afghan ally. But Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen warned: “It’s a red line. If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer is no. Or there will be consequences.”

A senior defence minister admitted Kabul will become a “war zone” if Western forces remain in Afghanistan without the Taliban’s consent.

The death toll outside Kabul airport continued to rise yesterday, after an Afghan soldier died in a shoot-out with unidentified men.

It comes as British troops continued to care for the many frightened and confused children piling into the airport, many of them desperate for food and water.

US President Joe Biden said discussions were taking place about extending the evacuation deadline, but that “our hope is we will not have to”.

Armed Forces minister James Heappey added the Taliban “gets a vote” on the deadline.

Ahead of today’s emergency G7 summit, he said: “Even though they are the seven most powerful people on the planet they don’t get to take that decision in isolation.

“Even if the political will in London, Washington, Paris, Berlin is for an extension, the Taliban may say no.

“It’s just the reality. We could deny them the vote, we have the military power to just stay there by force.