Germany completed its troop pull-out from Afghanistan, started in May, ending a nearly 20-year mission, the German Defence Ministry announced Tuesday.
The announcement of the pull-out of German troops came as the U.S. aims to complete its own withdrawal by September 11.
“After nearly 20 years of deployment, the last soldiers of our Bundeswehr have left Afghanistan this evening,” German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in a statement. “They are on the way back.”
“A historic chapter comes to an end, an intensive deployment that challenged and shaped the Bundeswehr, in which the Bundeswehr proved itself in combat,” Kramp-Karrenbauer added.
The minister offered her thanks on Twitter to all the 150,000 men and women who had served there since 2001, saying they could be proud of their service.
She thanked the soldiers for fulfilling their duties in Afghanistan “with professionalism and conviction.”
Nach 20 Jahren haben heute Nacht die letzten Soldatinnen und Soldaten unserer Bundeswehr #Afghanistan verlassen. Sie sind nun auf dem Weg nach Hause. Damit geht ein historisches Kapitel zu Ende – ein intensiver Einsatz, der uns gefordert und geprägt hat. Ministerin @akk: pic.twitter.com/Z2ynBsL4yj
— Verteidigungsministerium (@BMVg_Bundeswehr) June 29, 2021
Moreover, she paid a heartfelt tribute to those killed and wounded in service there. “You will not be forgotten,” she said.
About 59 German soldiers have been killed since 2001 in the course of their service in Afghanistan, according to the army.
Also, Germany’s armed forces confirmed the pullout, saying that “last soldiers have left Afghanistan.”
Heute um 21.24 Uhr MESZ verließen die letzten Soldatinnen und Soldaten der #BundeswehrimEinsatz Afghanistan. Sie sind jetzt auf dem Rückweg mit Zwischenstopp in Tiflis. Nach fast 20 Jahren endet die Beteiligung der Bundeswehr an den #NATO-Missionen. Mehr: https://t.co/zo4dzW7n9m pic.twitter.com/yl1yPISlxf
— Bundeswehr im Einsatz (@Bw_Einsatz) June 29, 2021
In the same page, U.S officials stated that the United States could complete its troop from Afghanistan within days.
This move makes the current week a critical one for President’s campaign to end America’s longest war.
A defense official told CNN on Tuesday that the number of US troops in Afghanistan for embassy protection and airport security would not exceed 650 for now.
“This week could be a critical week in the withdrawal and end of the retrograde process,” he said.
