Taliban celebrate victory as U.S. troops leave Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban fighters watched the past U.S. planes vanish into the nighttime entity and past fired their guns into the air.

They were celebrating triumph aft 20-year insurgency that drove the world's astir almighty subject retired of 1 of the poorest countries.

"The past U.S. worker has near Kabul airdrome and our state gained implicit independence," a Taliban spokesperson was quoted by Al Jazeera TV.

The U.S. departure marks the extremity of a monolithic airlift successful which tens of thousands of radical fled Afghanistan, fearful of the instrumentality of Taliban regularisation aft the militants took implicit astir of the state and rolled into the superior earlier this month.

U.S. Gen. Frank McKenzie announced the completion of America’s longest warfare Monday.

The Department of Defense posted a representation of the past American worker to permission Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue is seen boarding a C-17 minutes earlier the Aug. 31 deadline to permission Afghanistan.

The past American worker to permission Afghanistan: Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commanding wide of the @82ndABNDiv, @18airbornecorps boards an @usairforce C-17 connected August 30th, 2021, ending the U.S. ngo successful Kabul. pic.twitter.com/j5fPx4iv6a

— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) August 30, 2021

The U.S. said portion the subject ngo has ended successful Afghanistan, diplomatic efforts volition continue.

"We volition assistance them leave," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said astir Americans who interaction the U.S. astir getting retired of Afghanistan.

Blinken said the U.S. believes determination are less than 200 Americans inactive successful Afghanistan.