A simple but effective disguise
British SAS troops are said to have managed to slip through Afghanistan undetected and be successfully evacuated after they disguised themselves in burqas.
Up 20 British soldiers are believed to have concealed their identities and fooled Taliban soldiers into thinking they were “devout women” while trying to make their way back to Kabul airport.
Daily Express: SAS troops fool Taliban by disguising as ‘devout’ women in burqas in dramatic Kabul escape.https://t.co/z32RkkMmST
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The troops were reportedly on a mission in the south of the country when they were warned there would be no helicopters available to help evacuate them.
Following the Taliban ultimatum, all US and British forces – along with those they offered refuge – have now left Afghanistan. However, the mass exodus continues from places like Kabul, although this weekend at least four passengers planes full of evacuees had been blocked from leaving the country.
“The SAS team had been in Afghanistan for months and had been on a secret reconnaissance mission when everything went belly-up,” a source told the Daily Star.
As a result, the SAS personnel are said to have purchased five taxis and began their drive towards Kabul. They had to cross a number of roadblocks in order to keep travelling and would likely not have made it were it not for their burqa disguises.
Upon arriving in the capital, the troops abandoned their vehicles outside the airport, travelling through several more checkpoints before arriving at a gate, where they revealed themselves to American guards on duty.
After revealing their true identities, the SAS soldiers were taken into a room where they asked to be put in touch with a British officer to make arrangements for final evacuation.
Related links
- Taliban accused of killing a pregnant police officer
- No working US military dogs left behind in Afghanistan, Pentagon confirms
- Taliban feels ‘angry and betrayed’ after US left so many inoperable helicopters
