The head of the Central Command of the US Armed Forces, General Kenneth Mackenzie, has announced the end of a nearly 20-year mission
TASS reports that at a briefing for journalists at the Pentagon on Monday, the head of the Central Command of the US Armed Forces, General Kenneth Mackenzie, whose area of operational responsibility includes primarily the Middle East, said the United States had withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan and ended both the operation to evacuate civilians from Kabul and its entire military mission in that country, which began shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
“I am here today to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the military operation to evacuate American citizens, citizens of other countries, and Afghans in vulnerable situations”, – he emphasized.
Mackenzie said U.S. Charge d’Affaires a.i. in Afghanistan Ross Wilson was aboard the last plane to leave Kabul.
“The last [military transport aircraft] C-17 flew out of Hamid Karzai International Airport this afternoon Aug. 30 at 3:29 p.m. US East Coast Time (22:29 Moscow time), and the last manned aircraft is now leaving Afghan airspace”, – the general added.
The U.S. general said this marked “the end of a nearly 20-year mission that began in Afghanistan shortly after Sept. 11, 2001.”
“The price has been the deaths of 2,461 U.S. service members and civilians, as well as more than 20,000 wounded. Sadly, these numbers include 13 US servicemen who were killed last week by a suicide bomber from [the group] Islamic State in Khorasan (an offshoot of the terrorist organisation Islamic State”, – he said.