"Every minute counts" when it comes to evacuating people from Afghanistan, the UK's armed forces minister has said.
James Heappey said the UK was working to get people out by 31 August, when US troops withdraw - though the prime minister is expected to ask President Joe Biden to extend that deadline.
Mr Heappey said evacuations had been made possible by the presence of US troops and Taliban co-operation.
But he said the UK was "taking nothing for granted" with the militants.
Boris Johnson will ask Mr Biden to extend the deadline in order to allow evacuation flights to continue when they meet at an emergency gathering of world leaders from the G7 countries on Tuesday.
Mr Heappey told BBC Breakfast that 6,631 people had been evacuated in the past week, and there would be nine flights over the next 24 hours.
He said this would not be possible without the US, which "has effectively taken over the full operation" at the airport.
"If there is no opportunity to extend [the deadline] - either because there's not the international appetite to do so, or perhaps more likely the Taliban are unwilling to allow us to - then we need to continue with our plans to be out by 31 August," he said.
"If that is to be the case, every minute counts to get as many people out in the meantime."
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2021-08-23 07:42:06Z
CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTU4MzAyNzM00gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWstNTgzMDI3MzQuYW1w
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