The Pentagon on Tuesday completed “more than 90%” of the entire withdrawal of its forces and equipment from Afghanistan amid Taliban capturing more districts of the war-torn country, sparking fears of civil war.
Since the President Joe Biden’s decision, the US military has retrograded the equivalent of approximately 984 C-17 loads of material out of Afghanistan and have turned nearly 17,074 pieces of equipment to the Defense Logistics Agency for disposition, according to the US Central Command (Centcom).
The 17,074 pieces of equipment, which have been disposed, comprise almost entirely federal excess personal property. “Most of this equipment is not defensive articles or considered to be major equipment,” read the statement.
Also, the U.S. has officially handed over seven facilities to the Afghan Ministry of Defense, it added
In April, Biden announced a full withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, ending the 20-year-long war which was launched after the 9/11 attacks.
Under the deal made last year between the Trump administration and the Taliban, the foreign forces were bound to leave Afghanistan by May 1 but Biden extended it, enraging the militant group.
In the midst of withdrawal of US troops, the Taliban have accelerated their activities as they have taken control of some more areas.
Reports on Monday said that Taliban have captured 11 more districts – seven districts in Badakhshan, two districts in Kandahar, one in Parwan and one in Helmand.
The districts are Maimai, Nusai, Shuki, Khwahan, Ishakashim, Shuhada and Yawan in Badakhshan, Nish and Mianshin in Kandahar, Nawa in Helmand and Shinwari in Parwan.
During the last few days, Taliban have captured 24 districts in northeastern part of the country.
Furthermore, more than one thousand Afghan troops have fled across the border into Tajikistan to save their lives from Taliban who are advancing with the help of army vehicle they captured in last few days.
Earlier this month, the US military departed Afghanistan’s Bagram airbase, the epicenter of its war to oust the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaeda perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks, after almost 20 years, according to two US officials.
The airbase was turned over to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in its entirety on Friday.
Bagram Airbase, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Kabul, saw over 100,000 US soldiers travel through its vast complex at its height.
The departure from the airfield is the clearest sign that the last of the 2,500-3,500 US soldiers in Afghanistan have departed or are about to leave, months ahead of President Joe Biden’s pledge that they would be gone by September 11.
Soon after the US announced in mid-April that it was ending its “forever war,” it became apparent that the withdrawal of US troops and their anticipated 7,000 NATO partners would be closer to July 4, the country’s Independence Day.
