SHAFAQNA- Five American bases have closed in Afghanistan as part of an agreement with the Taliban more than four months ago, A US official in Kabul said on Tuesday. According to the deal, the US had 135 days to fulfill its pledge to reduce troops to 8,600 from nearly 14,000 in the conflict-hit country, which ended Monday. The agreement was signed Feb. 29 and is aimed at reducing violence in hopes of fostering bilateral talks between the Afghan government and the extremist group to end the war-torn nation’s 18-year conflict.
The Taliban agreed not to allow al-Qaeda, Daesh or any other militant group to operate in areas they control, as part of the pact, AA reported. “The United States has worked hard to complete the first phase of its commitments under the agreement, including reducing forces and leaving five bases. NATO troops have descended in proportional numbers, “said Khalilzad on Twitter, fr24news told.
Afghan media Tolo reported that the five closed US bases are located in the provinces of Helmand, Uruzgan, Paktika and Laghman, in southern and eastern Afghanistan. Bagram’s largest US bases outside Kabul and Kandahar airfield in southern Afghanistan remain open. The United States has reduced the number of soldiers in the region to 8,600, from a peak of more than 100,000 in 2010.