The US and its allies ended their 20-year military presence in Afghanistan in August following a decision announced by US president Joe Biden to leave the country--unconditionally--by September 11. 

The US and nearly 40 other countries entered Afghanistan in 2001 with the stated intention of countering terrorism, and eventually a plan for building a democratic state emerged.

Based on the agreement signed between the US and the Islamic Emirate on February 29, 2020, the foreign troops were supposed to leave Afghanistan by May 1, but Biden extended the deadline, citing the tough conditions for withdrawal in the determined period.  

Over the two decades of the US presence in Afghanistan, over 2,300 American soldiers were killed and over 20,000 were injured. The Afghan war approximately cost nearly two trillion dollars for the US.  

On July 5, US forces left their main base, Bagram, in the darkness of night.  

The US president sent thousands of troops to conduct the evacuation of US forces and allies, as well as local Afghan workers who supported the Western countries' diplomatic and military mission over the past 20 years in Afghanistan.  

According to reports, around 120,000 Afghan allies were evacuated by the US and its partners.

By the end of August, the US Pentagon announced that its last soldier had left Afghanistan. 

The withdrawal of the foreign troops was welcomed with celebratory gunfire by the Islamic Emirate forces in Kabul.  

“They made their last flight at midnight. We took full control of the airport,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.  

There were expectations that the US would maintain a small number of troops in Afghanistan to fight against or monitor regional extremism, but Biden promised to not pass on the US presence in Afghanistan to the next president.  

During the 20 years of the US and allies' presence in Afghanistan, in addition to the fatalities of the foreign troops, tens of thousands of the Republic's security forces were killed and wounded. Based on available numbers, over 100,000 Afghan civilians lost their lives as a result of the two-decade conflict.  

“The worst time was when the Afghans gathered at the airport. They were evacuated without passports or any documents, headed to any corner of the world. This was one of the shameful days,” said Sayed Ishaq Gailani, leader of the National Solidarity Party of Afghanistan.