Fri 02 July 2021:
With US forces ahead of schedule on their withdrawal from Afghanistan, Bagram Airfield, the biggest US military station in the country, has been transferred to Afghan forces, according to local media on Friday.
After nearly two decades the base, 60 kilometers north of Kabul,
Located 69 kilometers (43 miles) north of the capital Kabul in the central province of Parwan, Bagram Airfield saw more than 100,000 US troops pass through its compound, served as the center of the U.S. fight to remove Taliban forces from power and take down al-Qaida.
All Coalition and American troops have departed Bagram Air Base last night. The base was handed over to the ANDSF. ANDSF will protect base and use it to combat terrorism.
— Fawad Aman (@FawadAman2) July 2, 2021
Additional U.S. announcements on Afghanistan were not expected over the weekend, according to the official. Other media reports have suggested the withdrawal from Afghanistan could be completed by the U.S. Independence Day on Sunday, July 4.
Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, welcomed the reported announcement.
“We consider this withdrawal a positive step. Afghans can get closer to stability and peace with the full withdrawal of foreign forces,” he said, adding that the withdrawal was also beneficial for the U.S. government.
Pro-Taliban social media outlets erupted into celebrations in response to reports of the U.S. military vacating Bagram became public early Friday, declaring it the insurgent victory.
According to the report, the handover shows that “last of the roughly 2,500 to 3,500 US troops” have left the war-ravaged country.
In February 2020, the US reached an agreement with the Taliban to completely withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021, later pushed back to Sept. 11 of this year.
More than 50% of the withdrawal has been completed and six military bases have been handed over to Afghan forces, but the American command has not yet officially announced the number of troops withdrawn, according to the most recent statement by the US Central Command.
The US is expected to keep a military unit of several hundred to protect its embassy in Kabul.
The US’ Biden administration, which has reportedly reached an agreement in principle with Turkey to protect Kabul’s international airport, is considering retaining some military personnel as support forces.
