KABUL, Jul 3 (NNN-XINHUA) – All U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, have evacuated the Bagram Airfield, near the Afghan capital, Kabul, handing over the largest coalition base to Afghan government troops, a spokesperson of the Afghan Defence Ministry confirmed, yesterday.
“All coalition and American troops departed from Bagram Air Base last (Thursday) night. The base was handed over to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF). The ANDSF will protect the base and use it to combat terrorism,” spokesperson, Fawad Aman, wrote on Twitter.
The Bagram Airfield, some 50 km north of Kabul, 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 security situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since May 1, when U.S. and NATO troops started to withdraw from the conflict-torn country.
About 3,500 U.S. forces and 7,000 NATO troops will be withdrawn before Sept 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the U.S. into war in Afghanistan.
The Taliban group welcomed the U.S. withdrawal from the Bagram Airfield. Purported Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, called it a “positive step” in a tweet, urging for the “withdrawal of foreign forces from all parts of the country.”
The coalition forces have reportedly handed over most of the nine military bases across Afghanistan, to the Afghan side in recent months.
An unknown number of U.S. and NATO forces, reportedly remain in a base in central Kabul, before all foreign forces leave the country.– NNN-XINHUA
