Sudanese army agrees to extend ceasefire by a further 72 hours after more rescued Brits arrive

The Sudanese army has agreed to extend ceasefire by a further 72 hours to allow more civilians to leave the conflict area.

So far, 897 British citizens have been safely evacuated from Sudan, with over half reportedly now back in the UK.

Brits who are still trapped in the war-torn nation had previously been told they had just hours left to cross dangerous Khartoum before the first 72 hour ceasefire ended.

Hundreds of people have been killed in the capital in nearly two weeks of conflict between the army and a rival paramilitary force - the Rapid Support Forces.

Around 450 British nationals, including women with small children and elderly in wheelchairs, evacuated from Sudan have been pictured at Stansted Airport as they were reunited with relatives and loved ones.

Eight flights are expected to have left Sudan by the end of today. 

Approximately 900 British citizens have been safely evacuated from Sudan, with over half reportedly now back in the UK

Hafiz Sinada, greets his children as they arrive off a coach as British nationals arrive at the Radisson Blue hotel at Stansted Airport

British Nationals boarding an RAF aircraft in Sudan, for evacuation to Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus 

The UK Government, which has been criticised for not evacuating British civilians sooner.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said it will be 'potentially impossible' to continue the operation after the truce agreed between rival generals ends at midnight.

More than 2,000 British nationals in Sudan have registered under the evacuation plans but the true number of citizens there could be far higher. 

Many boarding have been forced to leave family members behind, with one British man able to flee with his pregnant wife and their six-year-old son, but forced to leave behind his elderly mother.

Razan Wahbi, 44, travelled out with her twin daughters, aged 7. She said she had to leave her husband Ghassan, a non British passport holder, and other members of her family behind.

'I left them there, only I have a British passport. They don't have (one), so there was no way to get out,' she told Reuters as she waited to board a flight chartered by the British government to a London airport.

Another said he too left family behind. 'Its very hard to get water, electric, you can't move anywhere,' said Hamid.

'Its very bad, very dangerous. I've never seen a problem like that.

'Sudan has been at war a long time, but this is different.'

Magda (black headscarf) who has been waiting for young family members to arrive from Sudan at Stansted Airport greets a young woman (R) as Islam Ali (Pink headscarf) is greeted by a young man

A man is greeted by a family member after arriving at Stansted Airport from Sudan

The race is on to evacuate as many of the 4,000 British civilians trapped in Sudan as possible before the 72-hour ceasefire ends tomorrow

Violinist Othmano hugs his daughter as British nationals board an RAF aircraft in Sudan

At Larnaca the evacuees from Sudan crossed paths with the first tourists of the season arriving at the holiday island.

Many had to leave with just the clothes on their back. Tarek, 52, had stuffed all his belongings in a small green bin bag, which had started to tear.

The 52-year-old, who lives in Oxford, had gone to Khartoum to visit his father, in intensive care after suffering a heart attack and who later died.

'What is happening there is terrible. People there are just like ghosts, a shell of their former selves. I never thought I would get out,' he said.

Military chiefs say they have the capacity to lift at least 500 people per day out of the Wadi Saeedna airfield near the capital of Khartoum.

Mr Cleverly warned that resumption of fighting could jeopardise the evacuation efforts.

'We cannot predict exactly what will happen when that ceasefire ends, but what we do know is it will be much, much harder, potentially impossible,' he told Sky News.

'So, what we're saying to British nationals is if you're hesitant, if you're weighing up your options, our strong, strong advice is to go through Wadi Saeedna whilst the ceasefire is up and running.

'There are planes, there is capacity, we will lift you out. I'm not able to make those same assurances once a ceasefire has ended.'