Contact Us

Taliban celebrate last US troops leaving Afghanistan

Published August 31,2021
Subscribe

The Taliban have celebrated after the last US troops have left Kabul, bringing to an end the US-led evacuations at the airport and Washington's 20-year war in Afghanistan.

"We are making history again, the US and NATO's 20-year occupation of Afghanistan ends tonight," tweeted Anas Haqqani, a high-ranking member of the Taliban and senior leader of the Afghan guerrilla insurgent group Haqqani network.

"Skies are quiet and I can hear and see what appears to be celebratory gunfire from the Taliban," tweeted Matthieu Aikins, a New York Times reporter based in Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that the last US troops left Afghanistan at about midnight local time (1930 GMT) and the country has now achieved "full independence."