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US exit from Bagram Air Base met with mixed reaction
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While some residents voiced their anger at the US for having withdrawn from the base, others have welcomed their exit.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.
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Over 2.13 million Afghan refugees repatriated from Pakistan
Officials say over 150,000 individuals were returned from Punjab alone, where enforcement efforts are being led by the Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell.
More than 2.13 million Afghan nationals have been repatriated from Pakistan to Afghanistan as part of an ongoing campaign targeting undocumented foreign residents, according to Pakistani authorities cited by local media.
Officials say over 150,000 individuals were returned from Punjab alone, where enforcement efforts are being led by the Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell. The campaign includes inspections of thousands of residential areas and hundreds of markets, resulting in numerous detentions and legal cases against Afghan nationals found without valid documentation.
The repatriation process comes amid heightened tensions along key border crossings between the two countries. Hundreds of migrants have recently been sent back via the Chaman crossing, particularly during disruptions at other transit points.
The Torkham crossing—a major gateway for cross-border movement—has faced repeated closures. Although it briefly reopened, local officials in Nangarhar Province report that it was shut again after only a few hours. Authorities in Pakistan have not provided a clear explanation for the latest closure.
According to Sediqullah Quraishi, head of Nangarhar’s Information Department, the crossing was opened temporarily on Thursday before being closed again without official clarification.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghan migrants remain in temporary holding centers across Punjab, where they are undergoing registration and processing ahead of their return to Afghanistan. The large-scale repatriation effort continues to raise humanitarian and logistical concerns, particularly as border access remains unpredictable.
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Human Rights Watch calls Pakistani airstrike on Kabul rehab center ‘unlawful’
Patricia Gossman, senior associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said available evidence suggests the strike hit a well-known civilian medical facility.
Human Rights Watch has condemned a recent Pakistani airstrike on a rehabilitation facility in Kabul, calling it “unlawful” and warning it could amount to a war crime.
The strike, which reportedly took place on March 16, targeted the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Center, located within the former Camp Phoenix complex in eastern Kabul. According to international agencies, at least 143 people were killed and more than 250 others injured, most of them patients undergoing treatment.
Patricia Gossman, senior associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said available evidence suggests the strike hit a well-known civilian medical facility.
“The available evidence indicates that the Pakistani airstrike against a well-known Kabul medical facility killing dozens of patients was unlawful,” she said, adding that authorities must determine why the site was targeted and who should be held accountable.
An employee of the center told the organization that three buildings were struck, including a dining hall, a residential building housing hundreds of patients, and a guard post. At the time of the attack, more than 1,000 patients were reportedly at the facility, many gathered to break their fast during Ramadan.
Human Rights Watch said satellite imagery and visual evidence show extensive destruction across the compound, with multiple structures either destroyed or severely damaged. The organization added that it found no indication the facility was being used for military purposes.
Under international humanitarian law, medical facilities are afforded special protection. The group stressed that attacks failing to distinguish between civilian and military targets, or those causing disproportionate civilian harm, may constitute serious violations of the laws of war.
Human Rights Watch has called on Pakistan to carry out a prompt, impartial investigation and ensure accountability if violations are confirmed.
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Torkham crossing closes again hours after brief reopening
Officials say the reason for the sudden closure has not been clearly communicated by authorities in Pakistan.
The key border crossing at Torkham crossing has once again been shut down, just hours after it was temporarily reopened, according to local officials in Nangarhar province.
Sediqullah Quraishi, head of information at the provincial Department of Information and Culture, said that on Thursday the Pakistani side allowed the crossing to open briefly to Afghan migrants. However, the crossing was closed again shortly afterward, leaving many travelers stranded.
Officials say the reason for the sudden closure has not been clearly communicated by authorities in Pakistan.
The Torkham crossing serves as one of the most important transit points between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its repeated closures have caused significant disruption, particularly for migrants, traders, and families who rely on cross-border movement.
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