Afghanistan, the last five US flights departed from Kabul airport. “This is the end of almost 20 years of mission”

The Pentagon announced the completion of the withdrawal of troops from Kabul and gunshots were heard immediately to celebrate the departure of the last flights from the United States. By respecting the commitments made that provided for the completion of the operations by 31 August, the end of a twenty-year war is thus sanctioned. The “celebrations” began after they took off last five US aircraft. This marks the end of a massive airlift that has allowed more than 116,000 people to leave since the Taliban returned to power two weeks ago. “Afghanistan is finally independent” said the Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, commenting on the departure of the last US plane.

“Tonight’s withdrawal means both the end of the evacuation of military material and the end of nearly 20 years of mission that began in Afghanistan shortly after 9/11,” said the general. Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US central command. “It is a mission that brought Osama Bin Laden to justice along with many al-Qaida co-conspirators,” he continued. “The cost was 2,461 military e American civilians killed and beyond 20 thousand wounded, including unfortunately i 13 marines killed last week by a suicide bomber, ”he added. In announcing the completion of the evacuation and war effort, General McKenzie said the last planes took off from the Kabul airport at 3:29 pm Washington time or a minute before midnight in Kabul.

The Pentagon estimates that they remained in Afghanistan less than 250 Americans, after the completion of the US withdrawal. The US ambassador in Kabul and a general were the last Americans to leave Afghanistan.

In the chaotic last hours of the retreat, rockets from theIsis they had rained on the capital’s airport. The jihadists of the Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the launch of “six Katyusha rockets” which wanted to make another massacre after the kamikaze attack that the August 26 killed over 170 people in front of the airport gates. The Pentagon, in confirming the attack, spoke of five rockets, of which three fell outside the airport, one neutralized by the American anti-missile system and another crashed inside the perimeter of the airport, but without causing damage.

Meanwhile, the testimonies of neighbors and relatives revealed that the American raid that hit a car of suicide bombers ready to attack the airport on Sunday left behind a trail of blood of 10 civilians killed, including seven children. They were all members of the same family, they were exiting a car in the driveway of their house when the drone hit the target, he told the Washington Post Abdul Matin Azizi, a neighbor who witnessed the raid.

Then, as agreed, the definitive turning point. During the day the Americans had announced that others 1,200 people have been taken out of the country in the past 24 hours compared to the maximum of 21,000 in one day reached last week. The total of evacuated thus rose to 116.700 from 14 August. But so many have fallen behind, as the Pentagon itself admitted, and UN concerns turn to the future. Because “a broader crisis has just begun” for the 39 million inhabitants of the country, warned Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The appeal is al support of the population, on their knees two weeks after the return of the Islamic Emirate.

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