The complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan seems imminent,as all Nato and US troops left the largest air base in Afghanistan, as peran American official who spoke to a foreign news agency.
Bagram Air Base served as the linchpin for US operations in the ruggedcountry, where the long war against the Taliban and their Al-Qaeda allieswas fought with air strikes and resupply missions from the airfield.
“All coalition forces are off Bagram,” said the official on Friday—whoasked not to be identified—without specifying when the last foreign troopsleft the base, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Kabul.
He did not say when it will be officially handed over to Afghan forces.
The US military and Nato are in the final stages of winding up involvementin Afghanistan, bringing home an unspecified number of remaining troops bya deadline of September 11.
The Taliban have launched relentless offensives across Afghanistan in thepast two months, gobbling up dozens of districts as Afghan security forceshave largely consolidated their power in the country’s major urban areas.
The ability of Afghan forces to maintain control over the vital Bagramairfield will likely prove pivotal to maintaining security in the nearbycapital Kabul and keeping pressure on the Taliban.
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Over the years, the mini-city has been visited by hundreds of thousands ofUS and Nato service members and contractors.
It boasted swimming pools, cinemas and spas—and even a boardwalk featuringfast-food outlets such as Burger King and Pizza Hut.
The base also hosted a prison that held thousands of Taliban and jihadistinmates.
Bagram was built by the US for its Afghan ally during the Cold War in the1950s as a bulwark against the Soviet Union in the north.
