Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
A formal withdrawal by US forces has left Taliban as in charge at Kabul. The US had decided August 31 as the date for a final withdrawal and hence it did after two decades of war, leaving the Taliban in charge.
America’s top military commander in the region, General Frank McKenzie who oversaw the pull-out says the US and its allies managed to evacuate some 123,000 civilians. And as the US leaves fresh reports of heavy gunfire is reported from the Afghan capital, Kabul, as pro-Taliban forces celebrate.
McKenzie said the cost of the mission had been high, with more than 2,400 US service personnel killed since 2001.
The US military says it’s investigating reports that a drone strike intended to stop an airport attack killed civilians.
McKenzie said the last C17 aircraft left Kabul with the US ambassador on board soon after midnight local time on Tuesday.
He added that the diplomatic mission to assist those who weren’t able to leave before the deadline would continue. Celebratory gunfire by the Taliban was heard after the last plane departed.
The departure of that last aircraft signifies the end of America’s longest war, and a massive evacuation effort that began on 14 August soon after the Taliban took over the country.
New footage has emerged of the Taliban entering Kabul airport, just after the last American plane left.
Taliban fighters explored a hangar with what appears to be aircraft left behind by retreating US forces.
Taliban fighters were seen shooting their machine guns into the sky in celebration, cheering and exploring the rest of the airport.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke in Washington, and called the evacuation a massive military, diplomatic and humanitarian undertaking and one of the most challenging the US has ever carried out. A new chapter has begun. A new diplomatic mission has begun, he said.
