30th August, 2021
The last American evacuation flights have left Afghanistan’s Kabul international airport, ending almost 20 years of US war, its longest.
A Taliban guard at Hamid Karzai International Airport told the Associated Press the last plane left shortly after midnight Tuesday, Afghanistan time.
This was later confirmed at the Pentagon by Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander of U.S. Central Command.
He said the last American troops left Kabul airport almost 24 hours ahead of schedule.
The flight officially ended the U.S. war in Afghanistan after 20 years and the deaths of more than 2372 troops.
Witnesses in Kabul said the Taliban let off celebratory gunfire as news circulated that the final U.S. flight had left.
It means President Biden managed to meet his August 31 deadline, with 13 U.S. service members killed last week.
‘I’m here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the end of the military mission to evacuate American citizens third country nationals and vulnerable Afghans,’ McKenzie said .
He said the last C-17 lifted off from Hamid Karzai International Airport at 3:29 pm East Coast time.
‘And the last manned aircraft is now clearing the airspace above Afghanistan,’ he added.