was one of the most important bases in the country. The United States has withdrawn all of its troops from Kandahar Air Base in southern Afghanistan, Afghan authorities said on Friday.
“This base has not been officially returned to us, but I can confirm that they left it on Wednesday,” said Khoja Yaya Alawi, an Afghan army spokesman in Kandahar. “They handed over all the installations to the Afghan forces,” said the director of the Kandahar airport.
An official handover is due to take place after Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday which, until Saturday, marks the end of the Ramadan fast, the two officials said.
Former Taliban stronghold
At one time, this base was the second most important for American and international troops present in the country. Kandahar province is a former Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan and in recent months has been the scene of clashes between insurgents and Afghan forces.
A three-day ceasefire began Thursday between the two parties, on the occasion of Eid, after weeks of intense clashes across the country.
The US military declined to comment immediately.
Increase in violence since 1is May
Afghanistan has seen an upsurge in violence since the 1is May, when the United States was supposed to have withdrawn its 2,500 troops still present.
Washington and NATO have pledged to withdraw all of their troops still there by September 11, date of 20e anniversary of the 2001 attacks. The US military announced on Tuesday that it had advanced 6 to 12% in its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
