U.S., Nato Forces Leave Bagram Airforce As Full Withdrawal From Afghanistan Nears

The last U.S. and NATO forces have left Bagram Airbase, the epicenter of the foreign mission in Afghanistan, in a historic handover that marked the end of a nearly two-decade-long conflict.

"The Bagram military base was officially handed over to the Ministry of National Defense. The American and coalition forces have completely withdrawn from the base and henceforth, the Afghan army forces will protect it and use it to combat terrorism," defense ministry spokesman Fawad Aman said on Twitter.

Two U.S. sources confirmed to the Associated Press that the handover of Afghanistan's largest airfield to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force went place without fanfare.

A U.S. defense official also confirmed to Agence France-Presse the departure of the armed forces. The Taliban has expressed its appreciation and support for the current phase of the American withdrawal.

"Their full withdrawal will pave the way for Afghans to decide about their future between themselves," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

The massive facility of the airbase, about an hour's drive north of Kabul, held more than 100,000 international troops at the height of the war.

When U.S. and NATO forces arrived in 2001, it was discovered in ruins, with blast-ravaged walls and earth gouged by rockets and shells. It was soon transformed into a mini-city with two runways, hospitals, fitness centers, and fast-food restaurants as the core of America's longest mission in the country.

It was also the subject of multiple Taliban attacks, including suicide bombers and rocket attacks.

Due to security concerns and negotiations over the protection of Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, the U.S. has yet to reveal when the last of its troops will leave Afghanistan. The airport is currently guarded by the Resolute Support Mission (RSM), made up of U.S. and Turkish soldiers. RSM is a NATO-led mission that is nearing the end of its mission.

However, some U.S. forces will remain in Afghanistan to protect the U.S. embassy in Kabul.

The Taliban's exit from Bagram, which took place without fanfare or ceremony, is a symbolic success for the group, which has been fighting the Afghan military across the nation, pushing government forces back and taking control of a rising number of districts.

The withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan was described by a Taliban spokesman as a "positive step."

"The presence of foreign forces in Afghanistan was a reason for the continuation of fighting in the country," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mojahid told CNN Friday. "If foreign forces leave Afghanistan, Afghans can decide future issues among themselves. We will step forward for the security of the country and our hope for the peace would increase and inshallah we will have development."

As part of an emergency response to the horrific 11 September 2001 assaults on U.S. soil, the U.S. and NATO allies initiated nearly two decades of military operations in Afghanistan to depose the Taliban and kill the terror group Al-Qaeda.

After years of deadlock, Washington and the Taliban negotiated a peace pact in February 2020. The agreement called for the withdrawal of troops in exchange for a Taliban promise to end violence and prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for terrorists.