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 (20022014). Around 2,200 evacuees were also 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 military campaign 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 (ISAF), alongside the US and allies, to train and reinforce the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) 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 (ARAP) scheme to offer relocation of eligible Afghans to the UK. An Afghan Threat and Risk Evaluation Unit (ATREU) was established at the British Embassy in Kabul to assess candidates. The scheme began to offer relocation or other assistance in April 2021.