The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan late on Monday, ending America’s longest war and closing a chapter in military history likely to be remembered for colossal failures, unfulfilled promises and a frantic final exit that cost the lives of more than 180 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, some barely older than the war, Euronews reports.
Hours ahead of President Joe Biden's Tuesday deadline for shutting down a final airlift, and thus ending the U.S. war, Air Force transport planes carried a remaining contingent of troops from Kabul airport. Thousands of troops had spent a harrowing two weeks protecting a hurried and risky airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans, Americans and others seeking to escape a country once again ruled by Taliban militants.
In announcing the completion of the evacuation and war effort. Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said the last planes took off from Kabul airport at 3:29 p.m. Washington time, or one minute before midnight in Kabul.
A spokesman for the Taliban wrote on Twitter that with the full US military withdrawal "our country has gained full independence."
"Praise be to Allah. heartfelt congratulations to all countrymen," he added.
Taliban fighters had watched the last U.S. planes disappear into the sky over Afghanistan and fired their guns into the air to celebrate their victory.
“I cannot express my happiness in words. ... Our 20 years of sacrifice worked," Hemad Sherzad, a Taliban fighter stationed at Kabul's international airport.
Taliban leaders symbolically walk across Kabul international airport's runway after US withdrawal, marking their victory.
