This archive report was first published on 31 August 2021.
On August 31, 2021, the last U.S. troops departed from Afghanistan, bringing an end to the 20-year war that had left the country in shambles.
Celebratory gunfire echoed across Kabul as Taliban fighters took control of the airport, marking a significant milestone in the group's rise to power.
According to Al Jazeera TV, Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf declared, "The last US soldier has left Kabul airport and our country gained complete independence."
The U.S. Army shared an image of Major General Chris Donahue, the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, as the last U.S. soldier to step aboard the final evacuation flight out of Kabul.
The war, which began in 2001, had claimed the lives of nearly 2,500 U.S. troops and an estimated 240,000 Afghans, with a cost of over $2 trillion.
Despite the U.S. achieving its objectives in driving the Taliban from power and preventing Afghanistan from being used as a base for terrorist attacks, the war ultimately ended with the Taliban in control of more of the country than they had during their previous rule from 1996 to 2001.
The world is now watching to see whether the Taliban will form a more moderate and inclusive government in the months ahead.
