UK PM confirms most British troops have left Afghanistan

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed Thursday that most British troops have left Afghanistan, almost 20 years after the UK and other Western countries sent troops into the country to engage in what they described as a “war on terror.”

Addressing Parliament, Johnson said the threat posed by al-Qaeda to but he declined to answer questions on whether the hasty military exodus by the country and its NATO allies risks undoing the work of nearly two decades, the Associated Press reported. 

Johnson also declined to give details about the troop withdrawal, citing security reasons. But he said that “all British troops assigned to NATO’s mission in Afghanistan are now returning home,” adding that “most of our personnel have already left.”

“We must be realistic about our ability alone to influence the course of events. It will take combined efforts of many nations, including Afghanistan’s neighbors, to help the Afghan people to build their future,” Johnson said. 

“But the threat that brought us to Afghanistan in the first place has been greatly diminished by the valor and by the sacrifice of the armed forces of Britain and many other countries.”

He stressed that Britain remains committed to helping achieve a peace settlement in Afghanistan through diplomacy, AP reported.

“We are not walking away. We are keeping our embassy in Kabul, and we will continue to work with our friends and allies, particularly our friends in Pakistan, to work towards a settlement,” Johnson said.

The US military announced Tuesday that 90% of American troops and equipment had already left the country, with the drawdown set to finish by late August. 

Last week, US officials vacated the country’s biggest airfield, Bagram Air Base and most European troops have also quietly pulled out in recent weeks.