U.S. troops have abandoned their base near a military airfield in Kandahar province, once the largest deployment of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. This was reported by the Stars and Stripes newspaper citing its own sources
According to the newspaper, the withdrawal of the troops was carried out without any formalities and farewell ceremonies and in such a hurry and secretly, that the Afghan representatives, who, according to official statements, received the base, had difficulties in specifying the exact date of its transfer.
“The transfer of Kandahar airfield was done in coordination with Afghan government officials and our Afghan partners in the 205th Corps”, – Colonel Sonny Leggett, a representative of the US and other NATO military coalition in Afghanistan, told the newspaper.
However, according to the spokesman for the said 205th Corps, the departure of the Americans came as a complete surprise to the Afghans and was carried out – “either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning” – without any coordination with the local authorities.
“They left during the night and there are no more American troops in Kandahar, for the moment”, – General Farik Kwowahi, the military commandant of the airfield, told the newspaper.
A U.S. defence official told the newspaper on condition of anonymity that coalition troops would be at the base “for another day or two” to resolve security issues.