The final United States military flight has left Kabul, officially ending the country’s 20-year war in Afghanistan.
According to Fox News, that the last plane carrying service members lifted off from the Kabul airport at 3:29 pm U.S. Eastern Time.
“Every single American service member is now out of Afghanistan. I can say that with absolute certainty,” General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of US Central Command said.
He added that the US evacuated 79,000 people from Kabul, including 6,000 American citizens, since August 14, a day before the Taliban took control of the city.
Reuter reported that Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf who spoke to Al Jazeera TV on Monday said that “The last US soldier has left Kabul airport and our country gained complete independence.”
The news publisher also reported celebratory gunfire heard out in Kabul after the completion of the US pullout that ended America’s longest war.
President Joe Biden said in a statement after the withdrawal that the world would hold the Taliban to their commitment to allow safe passage for those to want to leave Afghanistan.
“Now, our 20-year military presence in Afghanistan has ended,” said Biden. He thanks the US military for carrying out the dangerous evacuation.
Tuesday’s deadline for troops to leave was set by Biden, fulfilling an agreement reached with the Taliban by his predecessor, Donald Trump to end US involvement in Afghanistan.
