Breaking news from BBC News UK
By Antoinette Radford
British diplomats evacuated from Sudan
British diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan in a "complex and rapid" operation, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed.
Mr Sunak said work was continuing to ensure the safety of British nationals who remain in Sudan.
The evacuees were taken to an airfield outside of Khartoum to fly out of the country overnight, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC.
Fierce violence erupted last week in Khartoum between two opposing forces.
The power struggle between Sudan's regular army and a paramilitary force called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has seen deadly shooting and shelling in the capital city.
Foreign Minister James Cleverly added that the government was working "around the clock to broker international support to end the bloodshed in Sudan."
Mr Wallace also thanked France and the United States for their assistance in the operation in an interview with the BBC.
He said the operation involved more than 1,200 British personnel from the Air Assault Brigade, Royal Marines and the Royal Air Force.
The UK's move follows the evacuation of US diplomats in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Fewer than 100 people were evacuated when three Chinook helicopters landed near the US embassy to collect them.
Several other countries including France, the Netherlands and Italy have also begun evacuating citizens from Sudan.
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Updated versions here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65367019
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