Western forces evacuate key Afghan base

Complete withdrawal imminent as last US troops leave Bagram airfield

KABUL, Afghanistan — All troops from the United States and NATO have left the biggest air base in Afghanistan, said a US defense official on Friday, signaling the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the country after two decades of war.

Bagram Air Base served as the linchpin for US military operations in the rugged country, where the long war against the Taliban and al-Qaida terror group was fought with airstrikes and resupply missions from the airfield.

“All coalition forces are off Bagram,” said the official who asked not to be identified. The official also did not specify when the last Western troops left the base, which is 50 kilometers north of Kabul.

A spokesman for Afghanistan’s Defence Ministry confirmed on Friday that the US military had officially handed over the air base and henceforth the Afghan army forces will protect it and use it to combat terrorism.

The Taliban said it welcomed and supported the latest phase of the troop pullout.

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

The US military and NATO are in the final stages of winding up their involvement in Afghanistan, bringing home an unspecified number of remaining troops by the deadline of Sept 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the US into war in Afghanistan.

The Western coalition forces have reportedly handed over most of the nine military bases across Afghanistan to the Afghan side in recent months.

The withdrawal came as the security situation has been deteriorating drastically since May 1 when US and NATO troops started leaving the conflict-torn country.

The Taliban has launched offensives across Afghanistan over the past two months, seizing dozens of districts as Afghan security forces have consolidated their power in the country’s major urban areas.

The ability of Afghan forces to maintain control over the vital Bagram airfield will likely prove pivotal to maintaining security in nearby capital Kabul and keeping pressure on the Taliban.

Over the years, the base has been visited by hundreds of thousands of US and NATO service members and contractors. The airfield saw more than 100,000 US troops pass through its sprawling compound at its peak, barely an hour’s drive north of the capital.

Enormous bulwark

It boasted swimming pools, cinemas and spas, with even a boardwalk featuring fast-food outlets such as Burger King and Pizza Hut.

The enormous base has two runways. The second runway was built in 2006 at 3,657 meters long costing $96 million. Security think tank GlobalSecurity says Bagram has three large hangars, a control tower and numerous support buildings. The base has a 50-bed hospital and also houses a prison.

Bagram was built by the US for its Afghan ally during the Cold War in the 1950s as a bulwark against the Soviet Union in the north. When Moscow pulled out, it became central to the raging civil war.

In recent months, Bagram has come under rocket barrages claimed by IS militants, stirring fears that they are already eyeing the base for future attacks.

As of February, there were about 9,500 foreign troops in Afghanistan, of which the US made up the largest contingent of 2,500.

Media reports said the Pentagon will probably retain about 600 US troops in Afghanistan to guard the vast US diplomatic compound in Kabul.

So far, Germany and Italy have both confirmed full withdrawal of their troops.