Afghanistan: Withdrawal of foreign troops' completes 1 year, Taliban celebrates
Kabul, August 31: The Taliban observed the one-year anniversary of the foreign troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan on Wednesday. The Bagram air base, which was once the largest US military base in the country, is where the Taliban's leadership and fighters gathered, The Washington Post reported. Images released by the Islamic outfit's media outlet show fighters marching in uniforms, followed by columns of armoured vehicles bearing the group's black and white flag, according to the US daily.
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"We are gathered here to celebrate the first anniversary of the withdrawal," Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson told local media attending the ceremony. "I am proud that our country was liberated on this day and American troops were forced to leave Afghanistan," he said.
A day earlier, the Taliban declared August 31 a public holiday, according to a document at Sputnik's disposal. The festive events were planned to mark the anniversary, the document said.
Earlier, the Taliban also declared August 15 a national holiday to celebrate the first anniversary of its return to power in Afghanistan.
The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, after the collapse of the US-backed civilian government and mass evacuations.
On August 31, 2021, US forces withdrew from the country after two decades of military presence. Since the Taliban's takeover, the Afghan population has been facing a deepening economic, humanitarian and security crisis.
After two decades of war, tens of thousands of lives lost, and trillions of dollars spent, the Taliban are back in power in Kabul and apparently providing sanctuary to al-Qaeda once again.
The withdrawal featured images of utter chaos at the Kabul airport, which some experts compared to the fall of Saigon, stranded Afghan allies and Americans, and a terror attack that left 13 US troops and 170 Afghan civilians dead.
Critics blamed the current Biden administration for failing to act in time despite plenty of warnings that the fall of Kabul was imminent.
Though surveys show a majority of US citizens backed the decision to exit Afghanistan, the chaotic withdrawal process struck a blow to Biden's poll numbers.
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-PTC News
