Watch Taliban Fighters Flaunt US Uniforms as They Celebrate Troop Pullout at Kabul Airport - Reports

 Watch Taliban Fighters Flaunt US Uniforms as They Celebrate Troop Pullout at Kabul Airport

MIDDLE EAST

Media reported earlier that the airport in Kabul had come under the full control of the Taliban* just after US CENTCOM announced that the withdrawal of American forces from the country was complete, putting an end to an almost 20-year-long war.

Taliban fighters were seen celebrating the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, a Los Angeles Times reporter tweeted late Monday, generously sharing pictures of the events.

In the photos, the militants were seen flaunting US-made weapons while in American uniforms after the last US flight took off from the airport. Gunfire and cheers were also reported.

Videos were also shared on Twitter earlier showing Taliban fighters firing gunshots into the air to mark the end of 20 years of American occupation. Chants of "Alhamdulillah" ("praise be to Allah") could be heard in the background in some other videos.

This comes as US CENTCOM chief Kenneth McKenzie assured Monday that the US had demilitarized some of the military equipment in Afghanistan that it was unable to bring back during the withdrawal.

Billions of dollars worth of military equipment is feared to have fallen into the hands of the Taliban, including famous Black Hawk helicopters and Humvees, and also military biometric devices, which can be used to track down ex-Afghan allies who worked with the Americans. The equipment was initially supplied to boost the capabilities of Afghan forces and was reportedly abandoned by the US military amid the chaotic evacuation from the country.

Photos and footage posted on social media days before pictured Taliban fighters posing next to their military booty, as National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed that a "fair amount" of US-supplied weapons had been seized by the Islamists.

A spokesman for the Taliban's political office told Sputnik that all of Afghanistan is under full Taliban control now that the last US forces have left the country. "Now our state has become free and independent," the spokesman said.

The United States was supposed to complete the evacuation of its contingent from the country by 31 August. However, the final days of their withdrawal have witnessed deadly attacks claimed to have been carried out by Daesh*-Khorasan terrorists, in which nearly 200 people were killed, including 13 US service members. Washington retaliated with drone strikes, which, according to the US military, targeted high-profile Daesh terrorists. However, they killed a number of civilians as well, including children as young as 2 years old.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden is expected to deliver a speech to the American public on the troop pullout.

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