The US is set to complete the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan by 31 August, ending its 20-year long military presence in the country.
In a speech, US President Joe Biden defended the pull out and confirmed that the US military mission in Afghanistan will conclude at the end of next month.
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The announcement came as the Taliban continues to expand its control in key territories of Afghanistan raising concerns of another conflict in the war-torn country.
President Biden said: “When I announced our drawdown in April, I said we would be out by September, and we’re on track to meet that target.
“Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on 31 August. The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritising the safety of our troops as they depart.”
He added that the US will continue to work with countries in the region to achieve a peaceful settlement.
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By GlobalDataAccording to a Reuters report, around 650 US troops will continue to be stationed in the country to provide security for the US embassy.
Last year, the US agreed to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan following a deal with the Taliban.
The drawdown of forces began thereafter and has accelerated in the last few weeks. Recently, the US personnel vacated the Bagram Air Base, which used to be the hub of its forces for 20 years.
In May this year, Sweden completed full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Swedish soldiers participated in Nato-led operations in Afghanistan since the end of 2001 and were involved in training Afghan security forces.
Separately, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also announced the end of the country’s military mission in Afghanistan.
Speaking in the House of Commons, he confirmed that the majority of UK personnel left the country.
However, Prime Minister Johnson did not specify details owing to security reasons.
The Guardian reported that the UK’s 750-member contingent started leaving Afghanistan after the US Government confirmed their pull out.
