The United States has completed the withdrawal of it forces from Afghanistan, the US military said, nearly twenty years after it invaded the country following the September 11, 2001 attacks on America.
Marine General Frank McKenzie, the head of the US Central Command, made the announcement at a Pentagon news briefing on Monday after the last troops sent to evacuate Americans and Afghans at risk following the Taliban’s return to power flew out of the capital Kabul.
“I’m here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the military mission to evacuate American citizens,” McKenzie said.
The last flight, a large C-17 military transport, took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport one minute before midnight Kabul time, McKenzie said. President Joe Biden set a deadline of August 31 for the withdrawal earlier this year.
The final flight took place under heavy security following two attacks on the two-week evacuation operation by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) – one a suicide bombing that left at least 175 people dead, including 13 US troops.
The sound of celebratory gunfire was heard across Kabul after the US military confirmed their exit to end the 20-year war.
Here are the latest updates:
US commander, ambassador were last to board evacuation flight: General
The commander of American military forces on the ground in Afghanistan and Washington’s ambassador there were the last to board the final evacuation flight from Kabul, the head of US Central Command said.
“On the last airplane out was General Chris Donahue, the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, and my ground force commander there,” Marine General Frank McKenzie told reporters at the Pentagon. “And he was accompanied by ambassador Ross Wilson.”
‘We have made history’: Senior Taliban official after US troops leave
A senior Taliban official said the Taliban had “made history”, as celebratory gunfire was heard across the Afghan capital after the last US troops pulled out.
“We made history again. The 20-year occupation of Afghanistan by the United States and NATO ended tonight,” said Anas Haqqani, a senior official in the movement, in a tweet.
“I am very happy that after 20 years of jihad, sacrifices & hardships I have this pride to see these historic moments.”
Last US troops leave Afghanistan: Pentagon
United States General Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, announced completion of the US troop withdrawal during a press briefing.
“The last C-17 lifted off from Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 30, this afternoon, at 3:29pm east coast time (19:29 GMT) and the last manned aircraft is now clearing the airspace above Afghanistan,” McKenzie told reporters.
“Tonight’s withdrawal signifies both the end of the military component of the evacuation, but also the end of the near 20-year mission that began in Afghanistan shortly after September 11, 2001.”
Read more here.
Flight with last US troops reportedly leaves Kabul: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, reporting from Kabul, said the Taliban had claimed that the last flight has left Kabul.
“This has not been confirmed by anybody but there’s been an awful lot of chatter on social media that may have seen the wheels up on the last of the evacuation transport aircraft from Kabul airport. There are emails quoting the Taliban as saying that this finally the end, they are taking control of the airport,” he said.
“In the last couple of minutes or so we’ve seen and heard a build up of what could be celebratory gunfire. There have been bursts of gunfire around the streets here. Over in the direction of the airport itself, we’ve seen streams of a red tracer firing up into the air, which might suggest a kind of celebration,” he added.
“Most importantly, the aircraft noises that we’ve been hearing constantly now for days and especially this Monday evening, they have suddenly in the last 15, 20 minutes suddenly dropped.”
Professors, rectors required to report back to work: Taliban spokesman
The Afghan ministry of higher education has requested deans, professors and others to report back to work starting August 31, a member of the Taliban negotiation team in Doha announced on social media.
“Ministry of Higher Education informs rectors, deans, professors and administrative staff of governmental and private universities to report to their jobs tomorrow 31st August and resume their administrative and academic works including making due preparations for starting classes,” he tweeted.
Ministry of Higher Education informs rectors,deans, professors and adminstrtive staff of governmental and private universities to report to their jobs tomorrow 31st August and resume their administrative and academic works including making due preparations for starting classes.
— Suhail Shaheen. محمد سهیل شاهین (@suhailshaheen1) August 30, 2021
US has ‘responsibility’ to families of civilians killed in drone strike: Amnesty
Human rights group Amnesty international condemned the US drone strike that killed civilians including several children, saying it had a “responsibility to the families of the dead”.
“For two decades the United States has carried out strikes with no accountability to the public for how many civilians were killed by U.S. actions in Afghanistan and other countries. It is unconscionable that the Biden administration continues airstrikes in this shroud of secrecy,” Paul O’Brien, the executive director of Amnesty International USA said in a statement said.
“For two decades the United States has carried out strikes with no accountability to the public for how many civilians were killed by US actions in Afghanistan and other countries. It is unconscionable that the Biden administration continues airstrikes in this shroud of secrecy.”
UN Security Council adopts resolution on ‘safe’ departure from Afghanistan
The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution Monday calling on the Taliban to honor its pledges to allow Afghans and foreign nationals “safe” departure from Afghanistan.
The 15-member Council passed the resolution with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions, from China and Russia.
Taliban condemns US attack in Kabul: CGTN
A Taliban spokesman condemned the United States for launching an attack in Kabul without informing it first, in an interview on China’s state television CGTN.
The spokesman told CGTN that it is unlawful for the United States to launch attacks in other countries at will.
UN Security Council to vote on resolution to put pressure on Taliban
The UN Security Council is planning to vote soon on a resolution that would increase pressure on the Taliban to give people safe passage out the country.
A draft seen by Al Jazeera also calls for the rights of women, children and minorities to be respected. Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey reporting for New York said the United Kingdom and France have been pushing a resolution that essentially calls for the continued safe passage of civilians and aid agencies in and out of Kabul.
“It is worth noting that the Taliban has said that civilians will be able to come and go as they please. This essentially puts it in writing lets the Taliban know that the international community plans to hold them to that commitment by enshrining it in international law,” she added.
Saloomey said the resolution attempts to put the focus back on the humanitarian situation in the country.
“UN officials have been warning that the situation on the ground is increasingly dire, there was concern about medical supplies running out earlier today. The World Health Organization got its first flight into the country since the Taliban takeover, bringing much needed medical supplies and health related supplies into the country.”
Psaki on Afghan civilian casualties: ‘Loss of life from anywhere is horrible’
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said there is an investigation to “determine what happened” in the US drone attack that killed 10 Afghan civilians in Kabul, according to family members.
“We take efforts, take steps from the United States to avoid civilian casualties in every scenario and probably more than almost any country in the world,” Psaki told reporters.
She cited a statement from the Pentagon suggesting that the targeting of a vehicle filled with explosives may have caused unintended blasts.
“The loss of life from anywhere is horrible, and it impacts families no matter where they’re living – in the United States or around the world,” she said.
UNICEF says 10 million Afghan children vulnerable
The United Nations says 10 million children are in desperate need of assistance in Afghanistan.
“Unfortunately, those least responsible for this crisis are paying the highest price,” said Herve Ludovic De Lys, UNICEF’s Afghanistan representative.
De Lys said the welfare of children in the country is the relief agency’s highest priority: “The events of last week amplified the imperative of protecting the most vulnerable children.”
INSIDE STORY: Is ISIS-K a challenge for the Taliban?
The Islamic State in Khorasan Province claimed the worst attack in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power.
The United States is hours away from ending its longest war.
But with its 20-year mission in Afghanistan finally coming to an end, it leaves behind a new threat.
Watch here.
Pakistan not granted refugee status to Afghans fleeing since Taliban takeover: interior minister
Pakistan’s interior minister says his country has not granted refugee status to a single person from Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in Kabul this month.
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Monday that Pakistan is helping to facilitate the evacuation of those foreigners desiring to leave Afghanistan.
However, he said so far there has not been any influx of foreigners from Afghanistan, as was feared last week following the attack at the Kabul airport.
Pakistani authorities have repeatedly said they cannot accommodate any new influx of Afghan refugees.
About 2 million Afghans are already living as refugees in Pakistan, some for more than 40 years reflecting Afghanistan’s decades of violence.
Exact time of withdrawal deadline unclear: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane said that a day before the United States’ withdrawal deadline, many final details remain unclear – including whether the deadline is on Kabul or Washington time.
“They’re being really tight lipped because things have been pretty tense in the Pentagon over the past couple of weeks, but not quite like this though,” she said, reporting from Washington DC.
“This is a very very tense time for the US military just trying to get everyone safely out.”
