Operation Pitting
Operation Pitting was a British military operation to evacuate British nationals and eligible Afghans from Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban offensive. The operation consisted of more than 1,000 military personnel, including soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade. It ran concurrently with the evacuation efforts of numerous other countries.
Over 15,000 people were airlifted to safety on more than 100 flights in the largest British evacuation since the Second World War and the largest airlift since the Berlin Blockade of 1948–9. Of those evacuated, 5,000 were British nationals and 8,000 were Afghans who were vulnerable to persecution by the Taliban due to their role in assisting British forces during Operation Herrick. Around 2,200 evacuees were children, with the youngest just one day old.
The evacuation implemented commitments made by the British government under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, which began in April 2021. In total, 10,000 eligible Afghans were evacuated under ARAP through to the end of Operation Pitting. The operation marked the end of the UK's 20-year involvement in the war in Afghanistan.
Background
War in Afghanistan
In 2001, the United Kingdom joined the United States and its allies in invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban which was providing a safe haven to Al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden, both responsible for the September 11 attacks in the United States. The British contribution to this invasion was code-named Operation Veritas, which was replaced by Operation Herrick in 2002. During the operation, the UK worked as part of the International Security Assistance Force, alongside the US and allies, to train and reinforce the Afghan National Security Forces and counter a Taliban insurgency. At its peak, the UK had 9,500 military personnel deployed to Afghanistan. These numbers were gradually reduced, in coordination with allies, beginning in 2013. By 2014, all combat operations had ceased, whilst training continued under a new operation, code-named Operation Toral, part of the wider NATO Resolute Support Mission.Doha Agreement and Taliban offensive
In February 2020, the United States and the Taliban signed the Doha Agreement which permitted the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners, including 400 who were accused and convicted of major crimes, such as murder, in exchange for US and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, the prevention of Al-Qaeda operating in areas under Taliban control and dialogue between the Taliban and Afghan government. However, within 45 days of the agreement, between 1 March and 15 April 2020, there had been a significant upsurge in Taliban attacks against Afghan security forces. On 22 June 2020, 291 ANSF were killed in the previous week and 550 wounded in 422 attacks carried out by the Taliban. At least 42 civilians, including women and children, were also killed with 105 wounded, in 18 provinces. Despite this, the Trump administration in the United States agreed to an initial reduction of its force level from 13,000 to 8,600 by July 2020, followed by a full withdrawal by 1 May 2021. The newly-incumbent Biden administration subsequently extended the withdrawal deadline to 11 September 2021. This was further shifted to 31 August. The Taliban stepped up its offensives in response to the US and NATO withdrawals, making significant advancements in the countryside and increasing the number of its controlled districts from 73 to 223 in the first three months. From 6 August 2021, the Taliban had captured twenty of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals, including Kandahar and Herat, and by 10 August, it controlled 65% of the country's area. British Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace was highly critical of the deal between the US and the Taliban, describing it as "rotten" and a "mistake". In an interview with the press, Wallace also stated he was so "aghast" at the US decision to withdraw that he canvassed other NATO allies to see if there was support for a new alliance without the United States.Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy
In the UK, calls were made by veterans, politicians and campaigners for the government to grant asylum to Afghans who assisted British forces during the war, such as interpreters, due to fears of Taliban reprisals. In December 2020, the UK government launched the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme to offer relocation of eligible Afghans to the UK. An Afghan Threat and Risk Evaluation Unit was established at the British Embassy in Kabul to assess candidates. The scheme began to offer relocation or other assistance in April 2021.On 6 August, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advised all British nationals to leave Afghanistan immediately due to the worsening security situation; however, it warned people not to rely on the FCDO for support due to the limited capacity of the British Embassy in Kabul. The FCDO believed more than 4,000 British nationals were in Afghanistan at the time.
In July 2025 it was revealed that the details of up to 100000 Afghans potentially covered by AARP had been accidentally disclosed and the Afghan Response Route was launched.
Operational history
Authorisation
The operation was first announced on 13 August 2021 after it was authorised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Its stated aim, according to the Ministry of Defence, was to evacuate British nationals, embassy staff and Afghans eligible for relocation under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy. The operation began with approximately 600 military personnel, some of which were drawn from the British Army's high-readiness 16 Air Assault Brigade, tasked with logistical support and force protection. They were joined by a small team from the Home Office to assist the FCDO in Kabul with processing visas and other travel documents. Command and control for the operation was based at Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, London and it was led by Commander of Joint Operations Sir Ben Key. The United States carried out a concurrent military operation with the same aim, code-named Operation Allies Refuge, and there were similar operations being carried out by other countries. The UK established an airbridge between the UK and Afghanistan with stop-overs taking place in the United Arab Emirates. The operation had been planned months before; however, the Taliban offensive progressed far quicker than expected.Arrival of British forces
British military personnel began arriving at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport on 15 August aboard a Royal Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III. HQ staff worked to establish a command and control centre beyond the airport wire to coordinate evacuation efforts, whilst other troops helped vacate diplomatic staff at the British Embassy and also establish a processing centre at Baron Hotel. Elsewhere, troops began cooperating with US forces to secure the airport. During the same day, Kabul, the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban shortly after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, leading to the collapse of the Afghan government. The Taliban subsequently requested a peaceful transfer of power. During the Fall of Kabul, the airport was targeted by gunfire and mortar rounds. Some of these rounds landed around an RAF A400M Atlas C1 aircraft which had landed with military personnel on board.On 16 August, the first flight of 370 evacuees arrived at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England via an RAF Airbus A330 Voyager aircraft. A total of eleven RAF aircraft, consisting of four Voyagers, four C-17s, two Atlas C1s and one Lockheed C-130J Hercules were involved in operations during the same day. Following the suspension of most commercial flights from Kabul, crowds of stranded Afghans took to the runways out of desperation and attempted to board aircraft. There were at least five confirmed deaths, with some falling to their deaths after latching onto the sides of aircraft that were taking off. This occurred in the commercial part of the airport, whilst British forces operated in the separate military side; Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was given assurances from the Taliban, via a third party, that the military side would be kept functional. During an interview with LBC, an emotional Wallace also admitted that some people would be left behind, particularly those not in Kabul, but insisted that the operation was open-ended and without a time limit. According to Wallace, the operation aimed to evacuate a further 1,500 people over the next 2436 hours. A further 200 military personnel were deployed to Kabul, bringing the total to 900, with further troops able to rapidly deploy from elsewhere in the region, as well as from the UK, if necessary.
The RAF began diverting aircraft from other operations to assist. The UK Border Force also became involved with the operation to help process evacuees. 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment deployed as part of the airlift protection force.
Mass airlifts
By 17 August, US forces, with the support of British and allied forces, had successfully taken control of the airport. The airport subsequently became more stable, allowing the RAF to begin mass airlifts. The access points to the airport, as well as the city at large, remained under Taliban control, however the Taliban were cooperative with local commanders. Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral Sir Ben Key warned that if the Taliban became uncooperative, British forces may have to abandon rescue operations.On 18 August, reports began to emerge that Taliban checkpoints outside the airport were refusing entry to some Afghans and beating women and children. This was followed by a report published by the RHIPTO Norwegian Center for Global Analyses that the Taliban were conducting door-to-door searches for Afghans who had previously assisted coalition forces. During the same day, two RAF evacuation flights took place, carrying a potential maximum of 250 passengers each, which also included 76 Australians.
On 19 August, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced that no unattended children would be permitted to fly after footage was released of desperate Afghan families handing over their children to British and US forces.
On 20 August, a report from The Times claimed UK Special Forces were active in Kabul and seeking out those unable to access the airport due to the Taliban. In the previous 24 hours, the RAF had evacuated 963 people.
On 21 August, soaring temperatures and cramped conditions lead to increased disorder from growing queues of Afghans. This resulted in casualties, which were tended to by British medics, as well as a number of deaths. To try and maintain order, shots were fired into the air. During the same day, an on-scene report by Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay provided an insight into the procedures undertaken by British forces. According to his report, a compound was being used to process evacuees which had a row of shipping containers at its entrance. Soldiers were stood atop them and called eligible people forward. Beyond the containers, a chaotic crowd of "possibly tens of thousands" awaited processing, held back by a line of paratroopers with riot shields. Taliban militants were also present in the crowd, beating people with canes. They also checked documents and ushered people to the front of the queue if they had basic travel documentation, such as a passport. They were then let through the line of paratroopers and shipping containers for further processing. According to another report by the same author, the Taliban cooperated closely with the paratroopers, sometimes standing atop their shipping containers. Once through the compound, a bus shuttled the evacuees to a passenger handling facility where the RAF Police performed safety checks and RAF movers processed check-ins. The Royal Logistics Corps was responsible for all logistics.