Celebratory gunfire echoed across Kabul as the last of U.S. troops, that held control of the international airport for evacuation purposes, left Afghanistan. The troops withdrew before dawn on Tuesday, ending 20 years of war post the 9/11 attacks.
The Taliban released blurred video footage showing its fighters entering the airport after U.S. troops took-off a minute before at midnight.
The U.S. Army posted an image taken with nigh-vision-optics of its last soldier stepping on board the last evacuation flight leaving Kabul.
The departure marks end of the longest war waged by America that took lives of nearly 2500 U.S. troops and an estimated 2,40,000 Afghans and cost some $2 trillion.
During the 2-decade tenure, U.S. troops and coalition forces succeeded in toppling Taliban from power and stopped Afghanistan from being used as base by al Qaeda to attack the United States. However, the present exit has ended with the hardline Islamic militants controlling more of the country than they ever did during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001.
