August 16, 2026 03:50 pm (IST)

Make this your homepage

South Asia / Southeast Asia / China

After SC rebuke, BCI chief apologises to NALSAR students over enrolment freeze row | Independence Day: PM Modi’s big youth pitch— AI training, free coaching amid exam row and job concerns | ‘Shakti Ki Saptadhara’: Modi reveals 7 pillars to power India’s next leap in his I-Day speech from Red Fort | West Bengal STF arrests 3 more suspected Pakistani spies in Cooch Behar | Bengal man arrested in Bengaluru over terror links, Afghanistan travel plan | Ajit Doval breaks silence on Operation Sindoor in Discovery’s explosive new docuseries | Rahul Gandhi's 'mock hug' taunt sparks row; Centre stresses 'mutual respect' with Italy | Delhi on high alert: Bomb threat to High Court, airport and multiple locations ahead of I-Day | ‘Who are they to interfere?’: CJI Surya Kant slams Bar Council of India over NALSAR students’ enrolment row | 'Shows how low Congress has sunk': BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over Modi foreign policy jibe

US Exits Afghanistan

Wikipedia Creative Commons

Final flight leaves Kabul marking US withdrawal and end of 20-yr-long war in Afghanistan with Taliban in control

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | Aug 31, 2021, at 09:16 am

As the last US military flight carrying troops left the Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul, the United States completed the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, ending a two-decade-long war ignominiously, with the Islamist Taliban in full control.

The last three US military evacuation flights departed HKIA just ahead of the August 31 deadline. The last one, a C-17 Globemaster transport plane, took off from the Kabul airport at 3:29 pm. East Coast Time, Russia Today (RT) reported quoting General Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

Foreign correspondents in Kabul reported how Taliban fighters rejoinced the historic event with celebratory gunfires after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan was officially completed.

Celebratory gunfire from #Taliban fighters shooting tracer rounds into #Kabul's night sky after #US withdrawal. pic.twitter.com/4dhrHz7CNw
— Nabih (@nabihbulos) August 30, 2021

U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad in a tweet said: "Our war in Afghanistan is over. Our brave Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen served with distinction and sacrifice to the very end. They have our enduring gratitude and respect."

1/5 Our war in Afghanistan is over. Our brave Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen served with distinction and sacrifice to the very end. They have our enduring gratitude and respect.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) August 30, 2021

#Afghanistan #Taliban #USTroopsWithdrawal

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.