The US is one step closer to completing its troops withdrawal after vacating the sprawling Bagram Airfield base outside Kabul in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Local residents said the last plane carrying US forces flew out at 1am on Saturday adding that the base is now in the hands of the Afghan security forces.

Bagram, has in the past been called the “Guantanamo of Afghanistan” as it served as the main prison facility where US forces jailed alleged terrorists.

While the prison held as many as 3,000 prisoners at any given time in the past, today there is estimated to be between 400 and 500 prisoners, mostly members of the Taliban, in two blocks.

According to some sources, members of Daesh, al-Qaeda and Haqqani network are also imprisoned at Bagram, including some foreigners such as Arabs, Pakistanis, Tajiks and Chinese.

Sources also told Ariana News that soon after the last US plane flew out of the country, locals looted the facility, stealing thousands of dollars worth of equipment that had been left behind.

Angry residents accused the US of entering the country in a cowardly manner and leaving it the same way.

They said despite agreements to stand by the Afghans, they have left the country during a time of turmoil.

“They [Americans] have come cowardly to Afghanistan and cowardly left Afghanistan last night and fled,” said Basharmal, a resident.

“It was one o’clock in the night when their planes left, and after one o’clock everything was calm in the area,” said another.

The massive military base was the largest in the country and had two runways, three large hangars, an air traffic control tower and dozens of support buildings.

While some residents voiced their anger at the US for having withdrawn from the base, others have welcomed their exit.

“The Americans left at night and fled, but why? Because this country belongs to us and we will take care of it,” said Mohammad Hanif, an army soldier.

But government officials have also raised concern over the fate of the base, fearing it might fall into the hands of the Taliban.

“If the Taliban want to take Afghanistan by force, the people will not accept them,” said Dawolat Waziri, the former spokesman for the ministry of defense.

A few meters from the base lies the “American Bazaar” – a local market that sells a wide range of goods. Today, items looted from the base can be found at the bazaar – on sale.

“A number of people looted and sold some equipment,” said Amer Agha, a local resident.

The Wall Street Journal meanwhile reported Saturday that US officials have intensified planning for an emergency evacuation of the American embassy in Kabul amid concern that a worsening security situation could imperil the remaining military and diplomatic corps, as well as other Americans.

According to the WSJ, the preparations are taking place as part of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, which the Pentagon said Friday would take place by the end of August.

The plan to withdraw by the end of August represents a shift from earlier plans to remove all US forces by as soon as this month, the WSJ reported.

The report also stated that the expanded planning for an embassy evacuation, reflecting an increase in concern that a Taliban offensive could overwhelm US security and Afghan government forces guarding the US Embassy, has not been previously reported.

An evacuation could involve not only hundreds of personnel at the US Embassy but thousands of other Americans in the country, the WSJ stated.

Because of the more pressing concerns in Afghanistan, planners stepped up preparations, contemplating evacuation operations based on scenarios that are more specific, officials familiar with the planning told the WSJ.