The Afghan embassy in London is set to close after the Taliban sacked all staff based there.

Afghanistan's ambassador to the UK, Zalmai Rassoul, said in a post on X the embassy will close on 27 September "at the official request of the host country".

The move follows the Taliban's announcement in July it would no longer recognise embassies set up by the previous regime - including the mission in Kensington.

Mr Rassoul said: "We thank and appreciate all colleagues, citizens, and related institutions who have sincerely co-operated with the Afghan Embassy in London during this period."

Image: Zalmai Rassoul meeting the late Queen virtually in 2021. Pic: PA

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "The embassy is being closed following the dismissal of its staff by the Taliban."

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Many Afghan embassies in Europe continued to operate after the fall of Kabul in August 2021, but others, including the posting in Washington DC, have been forced to close.

The Taliban is not recognised by the UK as the legitimate government of Afghanistan and moved its embassy from Kabul to Qatar.

Read more:
The struggle for women's equality in Afghanistan
Two killed in public execution ordered by Taliban

The British government has previously said there is "no alternative to engaging pragmatically with the current administration".

The UK continues to work with other nations to provide humanitarian support to the Afghan people, according to the government.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.