The last US military aircraft has left Kabul, marking the end of the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
Gen Kenneth McKenzie, the top U.S. military commander in the region, said that the last C17 plane departed Kabul shortly after midnight on Tuesday, local time, and the U.S. ambassador was also on the plane.
He also said that diplomatic missions will continue to help those who cannot leave before the deadline.
After the last plane took off, the Taliban celebrated with gunfire.
The departure of the last plane marked the end of the longest war in the United States. This large-scale evacuation started on August 14, shortly after the Taliban occupied Afghanistan.
General Mackenzie stated that the United States and allied aircraft evacuated more than 123,000 civilians. During this period, an average of more than 7,500 civilians were evacuated every day.
After the announcement regarding the evacuation of the last military aircraft, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken delivered a speech in Washington, calling the evacuation a “large-scale military, diplomatic, and humanitarian operation” and the largest in the history of the United States. One of the challenging actions.
“A new chapter has opened,” he said. “The military mission is over. The new diplomatic mission has begun.”
But he said that the Taliban needs to obtain legitimacy, and this judgment will be based on the extent to which the Taliban has fulfilled its promises and obligations to allow civilians to travel to and from the country freely, protect the rights of all Afghans, including women, and prevent terrorist organizations. Gain a foothold in the country.
Brinken also said that although the United States has suspended its diplomatic presence in Kabul and transferred related operations to Doha, it will continue its “unremitting efforts” to help Americans and Afghans holding American passports leave Afghanistan if they have This willingness.
Brinken was the first member of the Biden cabinet to talk about withdrawal.
US President Biden issued a brief statement thanking all those who participated in the evacuation in the past 17 days and said that he would address the nation later on Tuesday.
At the same time, there are reports that a U.S. drone attacked a suspected suicide bomber in Afghanistan, killing many civilians, including 6 children and a man who worked as an interpreter in the U.S. military. The United States has not yet explained this.
Relatives of the victim stated that the attack on a car near Kabul Airport was based on misinformation. The Pentagon said it is evaluating and investigating these reports.