Mr Raab admitted the UK Government was surprised by the rapid nature of the Taliban advance, which has seen them regain control of the country in a little over a week.

Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday, Mr Raab claimed Britain was not alone in being “caught off-guard” by the quick and hostile nature of the militant group’s takeover.

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Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in Downing Street, London as Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a third Cobra meeting in four days

He said: “The truth is, across the world, people were caught by surprise. I haven’t spoken to an international interlocutor, including countries in the region over the last week, who hasn’t been surprised.

“We saw a very swift change in the dynamics and, of course, this has been part and parcel of the withdrawal of Western troops, but it has also been the way and the approach of the Taliban.

“Of course it’s been a test for the Afghan security forces. All of those factors have been very fluid, but no-one saw this coming. Of course we would have taken action if we had.”

The senior UK Government minister also told BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme around 150 British nationals were flown out of Afghanistan on Sunday, while 3,300 Afghan staff had also been evacuated.

Mr Raab said: “As we secure the airport, you'll have seen the distressing scenes we saw yesterday.

"But the scenes this morning at 6am, the situation is much more stable, because we put in more troops and the US has done the same.

"We'll get more of those flights coming out with both British nationals and the Afghans who have served us."

His pledge comes as the SNP called for the UK Government to urgently introduce an ambitious Afghan Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme to provide safe routes to the UK for refugees.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the swift implementation of such a scheme should be a key focus of a four-nations UK summit on Afghanistan refugee resettlement.

He said: "The harrowing scenes in Afghanistan must kick the UK government into urgent action.

"The UK Government must work with the devolved governments and urgently introduce an ambitious and generous Afghan Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, to identify those in the greatest need and bring them to the UK without delay.

"If the scheme is properly funded by the UK Government, 35,000 or more Afghan refugees could be given asylum in the UK if, for instance, you were to take the equivalent 0.1 per cent population share of those supported from Syria.

"The world is watching and is horrified at the humanitarian crisis we are seeing unfold. The UK Government bears its share of responsibility for the crisis in Afghanistan and it must not leave vulnerable Afghan people without the support they need."

Sir Keir piled further pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Mr Raab, calling it “wrong” for them to have gone on holiday while the Taliban made gains in Afghanistan.

The Labour leader told broadcasters: “It was completely wrong to be on holiday.

“Speak to anybody who has any experience of Afghanistan and they will tell you it was obvious last week that we were heading to a very serious situation.

“For the Prime Minister and the foreign secretary to be missing in action at this vital time is something that everybody thinks is wrong.”

Mr Raab defended his holiday to a five-star resort in Crete, from which he only returned on Sunday.

He explained: “When we are abroad, whether it’s travel for work or for holiday, we are there able to respond to events.

"So I was engaged in Cobra, talking to foreign counterparts, directly speaking to the head of our team here in London, I was doing that on an hour-by-hour basis and, of course, I left as soon as the situation deteriorated and demanded it.”

Sir Keir also raised fears terrorists could set up in Afghanistan again following the Taliban takeover.

And he said that when Parliament is recalled on Wednesday to discuss the crisis, he would be pushing Boris Johnson over his plan for refugees.

He said: “I am concerned about that terrorist risk and my concern generally is that Afghanistan could become a place where international terrorism emanates again.

“Everything needs to be done to guard against that. That’s why it is very important that the Prime Minister and our government step up to the role of leading and bringing countries together, to have an assertive approach to that very question.

“But there are broader questions than that. We can’t have as our goal here simply that Afghanistan doesn’t slip back to a hotbed for international terrorism.

“There have been important developments over the past 20 years, particularly for women and girls, advancements throughout the country, and we must do what we can, working with our partners, to make sure we safeguard some of that progress.”

Taliban chiefs last night stressed the takeover in Afghanistan was a peaceful one and promised interpreters and contractors who supported Allied efforts would be pardoned.

Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “I would like to reassure all the compatriots, whether they were translators, whether they had military activities or whether they have been civilians, all of them have been pardoned.

“Nobody is going to be treated with revenge.

“We would like to assure you that no-one is going to knock on their door to inspect them or to ask them or interrogate them as to who they have been working for or interpreting for.

“I would like to assure you that no harm is going to come. They are going to be safe.”

Mr Mujahid also insisted the Taliban would build up Afghanistan’s economy and the regime was committed to a “free and independent media”.

Sir Keir Starmer warns Afghanistan cannot slip back to 'hotbed of international terrorism' as Dominic Raab says Britain did not see Taliban takeover coming

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