US troops leave largest Afghan base, ending 20-year stay

Biden says withdrawal 'on track,' but won't be completed in days

A C-17 Globemaster III takes off into the mountains at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. In 2012, at its peak, Bagram saw more than 100,000 U.S. troops pass through it. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force)

Nikkei staff writers

July 3, 2021 00:21 JST

Updated on July 3, 2021 04:47 JST

TOKYO/NEW YORK -- All U.S. forces have withdrawn from Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, the Afghan Defense Ministry said Friday, ending their nearly two-decade deployment at the largest American military base in the country.

The U.S. military had used Bagram, a Soviet-built airstrip about 60 km north of the Afghan capital of Kabul, as an entry point for its forces. The installation also has provided a launch point for air attacks since coalition forces took it over in 2001.