The UK government Sunday announced the successful evacuation of British embassy staff and their families from Khartoum, Sudan. The military operation was carried out as a response to “significant escalation in violence and threats” to British diplomats in Sudan as fighting in the country continues.

As the power struggle between the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)  and the Sudanese military continues, military forces across the world have been evacuating their citizens from Sudan. The UK operation involved more than 1,200 British personnel including the Royal Marines, the Royal Air Force, and the Air Assault Brigade. France, the Netherlands, and Italy have also made efforts to evacuate citizens, while the US airlifted diplomats from Khartoum on Sunday.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak commended the efforts of the military involved in the operation in a statement issued via Twitter, while also calling for an end to the current violence:

I pay tribute to the commitment of our diplomats and bravery of the military personnel who carried out this difficult operation. We are continuing to pursue every avenue to end the bloodshed in Sudan and ensure the safety of British nationals remaining in the country. I urge the parties to lay down their arms and implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to ensure civilians can leave conflict zones.

Temporary ceasefires have been agreed between the military and the RSF, but no agreement to terminate the fighting has been reached. In their statement regarding the evacuation of British diplomats, the UK government advised British nationals still in Sudan to “shelter in place and contact the Foreign Office to register your location and contact details.”