August 8, 2024
2 mins read

UK military on standby for possible Lebanon evacuation

Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the House of Commons last week that there were about 16,000 British nationals in Lebanon…reports Asian Lite News

The government has kept more than 1,000 British troops on high alert and ready to evacuate nearly 16,000 Britons currently in Lebanon amid growing fears of an all-out war, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

In response to the UK Foreign Office’s warning that the Middle East situation could deteriorate rapidly, preparations are being made in case British citizens need to be evacuated from Beirut.

The Foreign Office renewed its call for Britons to leave Lebanon on Saturday, while confirming that preparations were underway to help with any necessary evacuation as hundreds of troops had been sent to Cyprus. The UK already has a significant military presence there.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy told the House of Commons last week that there were about 16,000 British nationals in Lebanon.

Meanwhile, hundreds of troops have been put on alert in the UK and are ready for deployment to the region if necessary.

According to Saturday’s Foreign Office statement, military personnel were in the process of being deployed to provide operational support to UK embassies in the region, although the number of troops involved was not mentioned.

Meanwhile, Sky News reported on Wednesday that hundreds of soldiers, Royal Marine commandos, sailors and aviators had already been moved forward to bolster a key Royal Air Force base in Cyprus, which would act as a hub in any evacuation mission.

RAF Typhoon fighter jets already stationed there were involved last April in a mission against an Iranian drone and missile attack on Israel.

A Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Duncan, and a landing ship, RFA Cardigan Bay, are already in the Eastern Mediterranean. RAF helicopters have also been placed on standby.

Tensions have been growing across the Middle East since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Hostilities between Israel and its neighbors have escalated following the death of Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, in an attack for which Iran blamed Israel.

Haniyeh’s assassination came hours after Israel killed Iran-backed Hezbollah’s senior commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

Iran and Hezbollah have vowed “severe” retaliation against Israel.

ALSO READ-Countries Recommend Leaving Lebanon Now

Previous Story

Uddhav meets Congress top leaders ahead of Maharashtra polls

Next Story

Chancellor eyes £360bn pot to invest in economy

Latest from -Top News

Modi: We’ll Hunt Them Down

The Prime Minister thanked nations that extended support to India in the aftermath of the terror attack…reports Asian Lite News In his first address after the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu

Moscow Steps Up Afghan Diplomacy

Russia sees a potential economic partner in the Taliban authorities, who praised Moscow for scrapping the “terrorism” label last week…reports Asian Lite News Russia has announced that it will elevate the Afghan

World leaders condemn Kashmir terror attack 

Strong messages of condemnation of the terror attack came from leaders in different parts of the world including the US, Russia, UAE, Israel, Singapore, France, Sri Lanka and Iran  World leaders strongly

India downgrades ties with Pakistan 

The decision — which also included the downgrading of diplomatic ties with Pakistan — came after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by the PM   India on

Sindh Lawyers Lead Protests Against Canal Plan 

The protests, which have been ongoing for weeks, have gathered significant attention from various sectors of Sindh’s civil society, including nationalist parties, farmers, writers, and members of the legal community.  Judicial activities
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Submarines in race against Russians to find crashed F35 jet

Britain’s ministry of defence earlier said that the jet crashed

UK may limit foreign students’ family entry

A near-eightfold rise in the number of family members joining