British army pulls diplomats and families out of Sudan

British armed forces have evacuated UK embassy staff and their families from Sudan, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday, as fighting raged between rival Sudanese generals.

Sunak paid tribute to what he called a "complex and rapid" evacuation after he said there had been a significant escalation in violence and threats to embassy staff. But British nationals living in Sudan were not rescued.

"I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation," Sunak said on Twitter.

"We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country."

The prime minister said the government was "continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country."

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Defence Minister Ben Wallace tweeted that UK forces undertook the military operation alongside "the US, France and other allies."

Wallace said more than 1,200 military personnel were involved in organising and carrying out the rescue operation.

The foreign minister James Cleverly said a top priority remained the safety of British nationals. He advised British citizens in the country to shelter indoors and to tell the foreign ministry where they are staying.

A British citizen named as William told Sky News he had not heard anything from the foreign ministry and wanted to know that a plane had been prepared to take them out.

He said it was not feasible for British citizens to get past the checkpoints in the country and drive hundreds of miles to reach the Sudan border

Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group — which has seen fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum and air strikes launched by fighter jets — have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded.

Agencies