FORMER commando turned animal rescuer Pen Farthing & his animals have been rescued from Kabul and have landed home "safe" in the UK on Sunday morning.

The ex Commando and his animals left Afghanistan on Saturday without his staff and landed in the UK on board a private flight out of the Taliban-controlled country.

After landing, he took to Twitter to express his thanks for being evacuated out of Afghanistan. In the post he wrote that he has "mixed emotions & true deep feeling of sadness for Afghan today."

Dr Iain McGill, a vet on the plane back with Mr Farthing told the BBC that: "the animals, considering what they've been through, are in very good shape on the whole".

There has however been backlash about prioritising Pen and his animals. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace complained Mr Farthing had "taken up too much time of my senior commanders dealing with this issue when they should be focused on dealing with the humanitarian crisis".

Read our Kabul explosion live blog for the latest updates…

• Milica Cosic4 minutes ago

  TALIBAN PROMISES TO ALLOW AFGHANS 'SAFE PASSAGE' TO LEAVE

  The UK Government has been reassured by the Taliban that anyone wishing to leave Afghanistan after the 31 August will be allowed to do so.

  While British troops have already left Kabul and US military will be out before the 31 August, there are fears over potentially thousands of Afghans who may not make it in time.

  A joint statement with the US and more than 90 other countries on Sunday said: "We have received assurances from the Taliban that all foreign nationals and any Afghan citizen with travel authorisation from our countries will be allowed to proceed in a safe and orderly manner to points of departure and travel outside the country."

• Milica Cosic14 minutes ago

  SAS CRACK TEAM OF 40 FIGHTERS VOLUNTEER TO STAY IN AFGHANISTAN TO AVENGE DEATHS OF 13 US TROOPS

  The diehard squad reportedly has 40 members who have asked to stay in the country so they can take the fight to terrorist group IS-K.

  Sources have claimed that the Who Dares Wins regiment will want to establish a base near to the Afghan-Pakistan border area to conduct undercover strikes. 

  The SAS squad’s base will be used by the Royal Navy’s SBS special forces, the US Army’s Delta Force and the US Navy Seals – the unit which killed al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden in 2011.

  All of the troops will be supported by drones as well as US and possibly British strike planes, with defence sources claiming that the Taliban will give them approval to operate in Afghanistan. 

  British and US special forces will be organised in a similar manner as the Task Force Black which operated during the Iraq war. 

  

• Milica Cosic24 minutes ago

  PEN FARTHING'S EVACUATION EXPLAINED

  Since the collapse of the Afghan government, Mr Farthing and his supporters have campaigned to have his staff, their families and 140 dogs and 60 cats evacuated from the country in a plan he named Operation Ark.

  But Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has complained some of Mr Farthing's supporters had "taken up too much time of my senior commanders dealing with this issue when they should be focused on dealing with the humanitarian crisis".

  Dominic Dyer said on Twitter his friend Mr Farthing was now a "national hero, of huge public standing".

  "He is one of the most courageous, dedicated people I've ever met and it's been an absolute privilege to work alongside others campaigning and fighting for him every step of the way."

• Milica Cosic34 minutes ago

  DOWNTON ABBEY’S PETER EGAN LEAPS TO DEFENCE OF PEN FARTHING

  Downton Abbey and Afterlife star Peter Egan tweeted: “I’m going to post further comment later but in the meantime here is the man who is being vilified this morning for being what he is a hero.

  “CNN Heroes Tribute: Pen Farthing.”

• Milica Cosic45 minutes ago

  NOWZAD CHARITY SAYS ITS THOUGHTS ARE NOW WITH PEN FARTHING’S STAFF IN KABUL

  Confirming the news Mr Farthing and the animals had left Afghanistan, the Nowzad charity said: “The last few days have been extremely difficult and hazardous for Pen and the Nowzad team and we very much appreciate your patience and messages of support as we have strived to get them to safety.

  “We know that Pen will update you as soon as he is able.”

  But it said their “thoughts for now are with our staff and the many people and animals who have also been left behind.

  “We will do our utmost to help them,” the statement added.

• Milica Cosic54 minutes ago

  AIRLIFT OF BRITONS AND REFUGEES FROM AFGHANISTAN WAS UNPRECEDENTED MISSION, SAYS BORIS JOHNSON

  Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK departure from Afghanistan was “the culmination of a mission unlike anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes”.

  The final UK troops and diplomatic staff were airlifted from Kabul on Saturday, drawing to a close Britain’s 20-year engagement in Afghanistan and a two-week operation to rescue UK nationals and Afghan allies. Named Operation Pitting, it was believed to be the largest evacuation mission since the Second World War.

  In a video uploaded to Twitter on Sunday morning, Mr Johnson praised the more than 1,000 military personnel, diplomats and officials who took part in the operation in Afghanistan.

  He said: “UK troops and officials have worked around the clock to a remorseless deadline in harrowing conditions. They have expended all the patience and care and thought they possess to help people in fear for their lives.

  “They’ve seen at first-hand barbaric terrorist attacks on the queues of people they were trying to comfort, as well as on our American friends. They didn’t flinch. They kept calm. They got on with the job.

  “It’s thanks to their colossal exertions that this country has now processed, checked, vetted and airlifted more than 15,000 people to safety in less than two weeks.”

• Milica CosicToday, 19:30

  THE LABOUR PARTY CHALLENGES THE UK GOVERNMENT’S ESTIMATE OF HOW MANY AFGHANS WHO COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR RESETTLEMENT

  PA Media has reported that defence secretary Ben Wallace previously said he believed between 800 and 1,100 Afghans eligible under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (Arap) would be left behind.

  Around 100-150 UK nationals would remain in Afghanistan, although he said some of those were staying willingly.

  However, Lisa Nandy has challenged this and sent a letter to foreign secretary Dominic Rabb. She said that 5,000 potential cases had been identified by Labour MPs alone and warned the government was working with a “serious underestimate” and should plan for “significantly larger” numbers.

  She also wrote: "My office is currently tracking cases related to 5,000 people from Labour MPs alone, including British nationals, high-profile public figures, people with serious disabilities and children separated from their families – which may give a sense of the complexity of evacuation."

• Milica CosicToday, 19:20

  HAVE PEN FARTHING'S ANIMALS LEFT AFGHANISTAN?

  Fortunately, the animals, including 94 dogs and 79 cats, have also been allowed to leave with him.

  They will now reportedly have to quarantine under UK law.

  It was reported that Farthing packed 125kg of dry pet food, 72 tins, 270 litres of water, 12 industrial size rolls of paper towel and 20 bottles of disinfectant for mucking out the crates during the private rescue flight to Britain.

  

• Milica CosicToday, 19:10

  EXPLAINED: HAS PEN FARTHING LEFT AFGHANISTAN?

  The former Royal Marine commando flew into London Heathrow on Sunday morning – just days after he was helped by the British Army to board a private flight out of the Taliban-controlled country.

  On Friday, the Ministry of Defence tweeted: "Pen Farthing and his pets were assisted through the system at Kabul airport by the UK armed forces.

  "They are currently being supported while he awaits transportation.

  "On the direction of the Defence Secretary, clearance for their charter flight has been sponsored by the UK Government."

• Milica CosicToday, 19:00

  BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN LAURIE BRISTOW SPEAKS ON THE SITUATION

  British ambassador to Afghanistan Laurie Bristow, who had remained in the country and relocated the embassy to Kabul airport to process as many evacuees as possible, arrived back in the UK earlier today.

  He said: "We’ve had to leave Afghanistan for now and the embassy will operate from Qatar for the time being. We will continue to stand by the people of Afghanistan, working on humanitarian, diplomatic and security work, and above all bringing to the UK Afghans and British nationals who still need our support, and we will be putting pressure on the Taliban to allow safe passage for those people.

  "We will reopen the embassy as soon as we can. We will do everything we can to protect the gains of the last 20 years and above all to help the Afghan people achieve the security and the peace that they deserve."

• Milica CosicToday, 18:50

  LARGE NUMBER OF BRITS WAITING ON EVACUATION

  A large number of British citizens continued to wait outside the airport in Kabul over the weekend despite terror threats.

  They were desperately hoping there might be a way out of one of the last flights out of Afghanistan.

  The UK flew its last flight out of Afghanistan yesterday, however there are fears that single-nationality Britons had been prioritised over those of Afghan origin.

• Milica CosicToday, 18:40

  FORMER BRITISH ARMY HEAD SAYS ‘WE SHOULD HAVE DONE BETTER’

  A former head of the British Army has said it was “unfathomable why it would appear that the Government was asleep on watch” in relation to the protection of Afghans who helped soldiers and officials.

  Speaking on Times Radio, General Lord Richard Dannatt said: “On the particular issue of those who we knew were in danger, people who had worked for us, interpreters, former locally-engaged civilians, this issue has been in the media.

  “This issue has been on politicians’ desks for two to three years and, certainly, it’s been there during the course of this year.

  “I mean, you might remember, back in July, 45 senior officers wrote to the Government, an open letter to the Government, saying there are people we are concerned about and if we don’t do the right thing, their blood will be on our hands. It is unfathomable why it would appear that the Government was asleep on watch.

  “I think the issue of Afghanistan sat on the backburner. Maybe it started to come forward. But then, suddenly, when the Taliban took over the country in the precipitate fashion in which they did, it fell off the cooker straight onto the kitchen floor and we’ve … had this chaotic extraction.

  “We should have done better, we could have done better. It absolutely behoves us to find out why the Government didn’t spark up faster.”

• Milica CosicToday, 18:30

  HOW DRONES REVOLUTIONIZED WARFARE AS IT’S REVEALED REAPER THAT CAN CARRY EIGHT HELLFIRE MISSILES KILLED ISIS TARGETS

  The use of drones in warfare was drastically increased throughout the occupation of Afghanistan, leading many to call for accountability for civilian casualties.

  The Predator drone first arrived on the military scene in Afghanistan, and later went on to revolutionize modern warfare.

  Unarmed Predator drones were first deployed to Afghanistan in September of 2000 to scout out potential targets, and after 10 successful flights, a drone eventually caught sight of Osama bin Laden on September 25.

  But the deployment of armed Predator drones got off to a rocky start after the first planned strike on October 7, 2001 completely missed its intended target of Taliban Supreme Commander Mullah Omar, allowing him to flee.

  Read more here.

• Milica CosicToday, 18:20

  JOE BIDEN LOOKS ON AS BODIES OF 13 AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS RETURN TO HOME SOIL

  The US president Joe Biden was pictured looking on as the bodies of the 13 American service members killed in the Kabul attack this week returned to home soil.

• Milica CosicToday, 18:10

  PEN FARTHING'S EVACUATION EXPLAINED

  Since the collapse of the Afghan government, Mr Farthing and his supporters have campaigned to have his staff, their families and 140 dogs and 60 cats evacuated from the country in a plan he named Operation Ark.

  But Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has complained some of Mr Farthing's supporters had "taken up too much time of my senior commanders dealing with this issue when they should be focused on dealing with the humanitarian crisis".

  Dominic Dyer said on Twitter his friend Mr Farthing was now a "national hero, of huge public standing".

  "He is one of the most courageous, dedicated people I've ever met and it's been an absolute privilege to work alongside others campaigning and fighting for him every step of the way."

• Milica CosicToday, 18:00

  DAUGHTER OF BRITON KILLED IN KABUL ATTACK BEGS FOR HELP TO BRING MOTHER HOME

  The daughter of a British shopkeeper who was killed in the terror attack on Kabul airport has begged the UK Government to help bring her mother home.

  Zohra Popal broke down in tears as she described the pain of losing her father, Musa Popal, in the blasts that shook the Afghan capital on Thursday.

  The 23-year-old said the family feel "ignored" by the Foreign Office, which has not made contact since news of his death was confirmed.

  Mr Popal, 60, was among three British citizens, including a child, who were killed in the suicide attack. Mohamed Niazi, 29, an Uber driver from Aldershot, Hampshire, was also among the victims.

  Ms Popal said she fears for the life of her mother Saleema, 60, who remains in Afghanistan, and members of her family who she believe could be targeted by the Taliban.

• Milica CosicToday, 17:50

  SAS CRACK TEAM OF 40 FIGHTERS VOLUNTEER TO STAY IN AFGHANISTAN TO AVENGE DEATHS OF 13 US TROOPS

  The diehard squad reportedly has 40 members who have asked to stay in the country so they can take the fight to terrorist group IS-K.

  Sources have claimed that the Who Dares Wins regiment will want to establish a base near to the Afghan-Pakistan border area to conduct undercover strikes. 

  The SAS squad’s base will be used by the Royal Navy’s SBS special forces, the US Army’s Delta Force and the US Navy Seals – the unit which killed al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden in 2011.

  All of the troops will be supported by drones as well as US and possibly British strike planes, with defence sources claiming that the Taliban will give them approval to operate in Afghanistan. 

  British and US special forces will be organised in a similar manner as the Task Force Black which operated during the Iraq war. 

  

• Milica CosicToday, 17:40

  TALIBAN PROMISES TO ALLOW AFGHANS 'SAFE PASSAGE' TO LEAVE

  The UK Government has been reassured by the Taliban that anyone wishing to leave Afghanistan after the 31 August will be allowed to do so.

  While British troops have already left Kabul and US military will be out before the 31 August, there are fears over potentially thousands of Afghans who may not make it in time.

  A joint statement with the US and more than 90 other countries on Sunday said: "We have received assurances from the Taliban that all foreign nationals and any Afghan citizen with travel authorisation from our countries will be allowed to proceed in a safe and orderly manner to points of departure and travel outside the country."

• Milica CosicToday, 17:30

  PICTURED: TWO ISIS-K BOMB PLOTTERS WERE RIDING IN THE BACK OF A TUK-TUK WHEN THEY WERE KILLED

  The two senior ISIS-K terrorists – described as "planners" – died immediately and were reportedly sat in the back of a three-wheeled tuk-tuk when they were struck by a missile from an MQ-9 Reaper drone, reports the Mail.

  

• Milica CosicToday, 17:20

  TWO ISIS-K BOMB PLOTTERS BEHIND KABUL ATTACK WERE KILLED IN US DRONE STRIKE WHILE RIDING A TUK-TUK

  The military launched its first deadly revenge attack against the terror group on Friday as a "24/7" hunt for those responsible for the bombing at Kabul airport – which killed 13 US troops – continues.

  A pair of "high-profile ISIS targets were killed" in the retaliatory strike, while another was wounded, Major General Hank Taylor on Saturday.

  Pictures of the burnt-out vehicle emerged on social media last night, and it could be seen next to a 4ft deep crater.

  Department spokesperson John Kirby wouldn't confirm whether the men were involved in Thursday's deadly suicide bombing.

  "They were ISIS-K planners and facilitators and that's enough reason there alone. I won't speak to the details of these individuals and what their specific roles might be," Kirby said.

   

• Milica CosicToday, 17:10

  BORIS JOHNSON TELLS SOLDIERS FAMILIES: ‘YOUR SUFFERING WAS NOT IN VAIN’

  Addressing the families and loved ones of the British troops who “gave their all”, Mr Johnson said: “Your suffering and your hardship were not in vain.”

  He added: “It was no accident that there’s been no terrorist attack launched against Britain or any other western country from Afghanistan in the last 20 years.

  “It was thanks to the bravery of our Armed Forces who fought to knock out (Osama) Bin Laden’s networks.

  “And, thanks to the devotion of British troops and aid workers and diplomats and others, we’ve helped educate 3.6 million girls.

  “Whatever the future may hold for Afghanistan, they will have that gift for the rest of their lives, a gift they will pass on to their daughters as well as their sons.”

• Milica CosicToday, 17:00

  DAD OF MARINE RYLEE MCCOLLUM KILLED IN KABUL REVEALS HEARTBREAKING LAST MESSAGE HE SENT SON BEFORE SUICIDE BLAST

  Rylee McCollum, 20, had only been in Afghanistan a matter of weeks and was due home in October to be reunited with his pregnant wife Jiennah Crayton, known as Gigi.

  His devastated dad, Jim, has hailed his son "selfless" in a touching tribute and he revealed the last message he sent to his son read: "Hey man… You good?" – which Rylee never responded to as he was caught up in the deadly blast.

  "The world changed for me a little bit Friday morning," Jim wrote on Facebook.

  "I'm sure I'll find that whimsical side of me again, but for now, I am somewhat empty. It could be that I'm sad.

  "It could be that I'm empty, or it could be that I am just tried.

  "I've managed about 6 hours of sleep since I rest my head on a pillow Thursday night, hoping to wake up seeing that my son had read my last message to him…'Hey man…You good?'

  "We know now, that he was not."

  The grief-stricken dad has said he has been overwhelmed by support given since his son's tragic death.

  

• Milica CosicToday, 16:50

  DEFENCE HELP TO FREE PEN

  Pen packed 125kg of dry pet food, 72 tins, 270 litres of water, 12 industrial size rolls of paper towel and 20 bottles of disinfectant for mucking out the crates during the private rescue flight.

  The drama has put huge pressure on British officials who were desperately trying to evacuate as many as possible before flights stopped today.

  As a British passport holder, Pen has always been at the front of the queue for evacuation.

  However, he had refused to leave without his animals or staff.

  Defence Minister Ben Wallace has repeatedly told Brits he'll "prioritise people over pets".

• Milica CosicToday, 16:40

  PEN FARTHING’S ANIMALS ‘COULD BE PUT DOWN’

  The ex-Royal Marine is understood to be immediately boarding a connecting flight to Norway to visit his wife Kaisa Markhus.

  Nearly 200 animals he was travelling with from Kabul will reportedly now have to quarantine under UK law.

  But there is a chance the dogs and cats could be put down if they are found to have any diseases.

  Read more here.

• Milica CosicToday, 16:30

  BIDEN TO RECEIVE BODIES OF 13 US MILITARY MEMBERS KILLED IN A KABUL AIRPORT SUICIDE BOMB AT DOVER AIR FORCE BASE

  The President and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, will meet the families of service members killed in the terror attack today, the White House confirmed.

  They will then witness the transfer of the military members' remains from an aircraft flown to the base in Delaware.

  The 11 Marines have been identified as Rylee McCollum, Nicole Gee, Dylan Merola, Kareem Nikoui, Jared Schmitz, Humberto Sanchez, Hunter Lopez, Taylor Hoover, Daegan Page, Johanny Rosario Pichardo, and 20-year-old David Lee Espinoza.

  A US Navy medic has been identified as Max Soviak. Finally, a US Army soldier named Ryan Knauss was also killed.

  Marine Nicole Gee was previously captured caring for the baby of an Afghan evacuee in a touching photo before being killed in the blast on Thursday.

  

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