[ad_1]
The withdrawal of the US troops got here earlier than the tip of August 31. (File)
Washington:
The US navy introduced the departure of the final US troops from Afghanistan Monday, concluding a 20-year battle that ended with the Taliban seizing management of the nation.
“I am right here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the tip of the navy mission to evacuate Americans,” mentioned Common Kenneth McKenzie, the top of the US Central Command.
The final flight, a big C-17 navy transport, took off from Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport one minute earlier than midnight Kabul time, McKenzie mentioned.
On board had been US troops, their commander, and US Ambassador Ross Wilson, abandoning a shuttered embassy that when buzzed with a whole bunch of diplomats.
It got here after an airlift that had evacuated round 123,000 international nationals and Afghans fleeing the ultra-conservative Taliban.
The ultimate flight came about beneath heavy safety following two assaults on the two-week evacuation operation by ISIS-Ok — one a suicide bombing that left greater than 100 folks lifeless, together with 13 US troops.
Earlier this yr, US President Joe Biden set a deadline of August 31 for the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
Most of the Afghans who had been evacuated had labored for the US navy and embassy and different international locations within the worldwide coalition.
McKenzie mentioned the airlift ended about 12 hours earlier than the ultimate flight and that a number of hundred US residents remained behind.
“There’s quite a lot of heartbreak related to this departure. We didn’t get everyone out that we wished to get out,” mentioned McKenzie.
“However I believe if we would stayed one other 10 days, we would not have gotten everyone out that we wished to get out.”
“There have been no evacuees left on the airport,” he added.
He mentioned the Taliban had been “very useful and helpful” in conducting the evacuation and protecting safety across the airport, regardless of the deep enmity between the 2 sides.
“The Taliban have been very pragmatic and really businesslike as we have now approached this withdrawal,” he mentioned.
US troops led a NATO coalition to eject the Taliban from energy in 2001 after the September 11, 2001 assaults on america by Al-Qaeda, which was based mostly in Afghanistan and guarded by the Taliban.
The sound of gunfire was heard throughout Kabul after the US navy confirmed their exit to finish the 20-year conflict.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
[ad_2]
Source link
