THE LATEST plane carrying evacuees from Afghanistan to Britain arrived in the county in the early hours of Thursday.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) says an RAF Voyager aircraft carrying around 250 people from Kabul landed at RAF Brize Norton, near Carterton, soon after midnight.

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MoD figures show more than 11,500 people have now been airlifted to the UK since the evacuation mission Operation Pitting began on August 13 as the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan ahead of the US-led withdrawal of western troops from the country.

Oxford Mail: Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of military personnel handing out food, drink, toys, and blankets during Op PITTING at RAF Brize Norton to arrivals who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP). Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of military personnel handing out food, drink, toys, and blankets during Op PITTING at RAF Brize Norton to arrivals who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP).

This includes embassy staff, British nationals, those eligible under the Afghan relocation and assistance policy (Arap) programme, as well as some evacuees from allied countries.

The Arap programme is designed to allow those Afghans who helped the UK forces, and therefore are at risk of persecution by the Taliban, to leave the country.

Oxford Mail: Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of military personnel handing out food, drink, toys, and blankets during Op PITTING at RAF Brize Norton to arrivals who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP). Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of military personnel handing out food, drink, toys, and blankets during Op PITTING at RAF Brize Norton to arrivals who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP).

The MoD said the UK has evacuated some 7,000 Afghan individuals and their families.

The UK's Afghanistan evacuation now has has a 'matter of hours left', the Defene Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News this morning.

Mr Wallace said the effort was now in its 'final hours', adding: "The saf fact is not every single one will get out.

Oxford Mail: Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of military personnel handing out food, drink, toys, and blankets during Op PITTING at RAF Brize Norton to arrivals who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP). Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of military personnel handing out food, drink, toys, and blankets during Op PITTING at RAF Brize Norton to arrivals who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP).

"The threat is obviously going to grow the closer we get to leaving."

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Yesterday, 72 Afghan civilians and 13 US military personnel were killed in two twin suicide bombings and gun attacks at Kabul airport.

Oxford Mail: Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of arrivals at RAF Brize Norton who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP) during Op PITTING. Issue date: Thursday August 26, 2021.Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of arrivals at RAF Brize Norton who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP) during Op PITTING. Issue date: Thursday August 26, 2021.

ISIS said it carried out the attacks and the US general says his troops are ready for more.

President Biden told the attackers: "We will not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay."

Oxford Mail: Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of arrivals at RAF Brize Norton who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP) during Op PITTING. Issue date: Thursday August 26, 2021.Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of arrivals at RAF Brize Norton who have been evacuated from Afghanistan, via the UAE, under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Program (ARAP) during Op PITTING. Issue date: Thursday August 26, 2021.

Boris Johnson said 'evacuations' from the country will 'continue despite the attack'.