MAJORITY OF UK MILITARY PERSONNEL NOW WITHDRAWN FROM AFGHANISTAN, BORIS JOHNSON SAYS

Thu 08 July 2021:

All British troops are returning to the United Kingdom from Afghanistan, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday, adding that the majority of personnel is already withdrawn, , ending its official role in a two-decades long conflict amid fears the departure of foreign soldiers could lead to a chaotic civil war.

“All British troops assigned to NATO’s mission in Afghanistan are now returning home.

For obvious reasons I will not disclose the timetable of our departure, but I can tell the House [of Commons] that most of our personnel have already left,” Johnson told the UK parliament.

The prime minister said that the UK did not underestimate the challenge of the NATO mission in Afghanistan and pledged to continue supporting Kabul after troops’ withdrawal.

“The international military presence in Afghanistan was never intended to be permanent. We and are NATO allies were always going to withdraw our forces. The only question was when, and there could never be a perfect moment,” Johnson added.

The United States last week abandoned Bagram air base, the longtime staging ground for U.S. military operations in the country, effectively ending America’s longest war. The Pentagon says the withdrawal of U.S. forces is 90% complete.

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