Some 3,500 U.S. troops and 7,000 NATO soldiers will withdraw from Afghan territory before September 11, 2021.
The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) spokesperson Fawad Aman confirmed that all U.S. troops and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces departed from the Bagram Airfield on Thursday.
“The base was handed over to the ANDSF,” Aman said, adding that will be used to fight the insurgent groups that still operate in his country.
Located some 50 km north of Kabul city, the Bagram Airfield served as a main U.S. and NATO military base in Afghanistan over the past two decades. The transfer of the military base came as the security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since May 1 when U.S. and NATO troops started to withdraw from the conflict-torn country.
Some 3,500 US troops and 7,000 NATO soldiers will withdraw from Afghan territory before 9/11. That date will mark the 20th anniversary of the attack on New York’s twin towers, which the United States used as a pretext to invade Afghanistan.
“We believe this is a good step for all Afghans and paves the way for establishing and maintaining peace. The departure of all foreign forces from the country is beneficial for both the U.S. and the Afghans,” the Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said.
The coalition forces have handed over most of the nine military bases across Afghanistan to the Afghan side in recent months. Nevertheless, an unknown number of U.S. and NATO forces remain in a base in central Kabul.
However, the process of reduction of foreign troops has coincided with an increase in offensives by the Taliban, who have gained control of more territory. Since the beginning of the withdrawal of U.S.-NATO troops, the insurgents have captured 80 out of 407 districts controlled by the Afghan government.