Baghdad - Hundreds of elite British forces are training in Lebanon to rescue Britons trapped in the war zone in the Middle East, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”.

According to the newspaper, it is expected that the British Army Rangers unit, which was formed only two years ago, will conduct an airlift operation alongside the Royal Air Force, to rescue the British who have been trapped in Gaza since Israel declared war on the Hamas movement.

The newspaper reported that the detailed plans remain secret to ensure the element of surprise, as there is a risk that Britons in countries such as Lebanon will be taken hostage by Hezbollah.

Chief of the General Staff, General Patrick Sanders, confirmed that British forces were "preparing to carry out non-combat extraction operations in parts of the region. We are preparing ourselves for that."

Patrick stressed that it was unlikely that British forces would be drawn into combat or conflict directly and that military planners would seek to avoid this.

He added before the House of Commons Defense Committee that the presence of British forces near Israel also aims to "deter" Iran from entering the conflict directly.

Rangers are usually recruited into covert roles in unstable areas of the world.

With the Hamas attack on October 7, Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon exchanged bombings that left deaths on both sides amid fears that the entire front would be ignited and the conflict would expand from Gaza to Lebanon.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency