US Closed At Least 10 Bases In Afghanistan Since Signing Deal With Taliban - Reports

At least 10 US military bases in Afghanistan have been closed since the United States committed to decreasing military presence under the deal with the Taliban in February, the Washington Post newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th November, 2020) At least 10 US military bases in Afghanistan have been closed since the United States committed to decreasing military presence under the deal with the Taliban in February, the Washington Post newspaper reported on Friday, citing sources.

According to the daily, the exact number of the remaining US bases in Afghanistan is unknown, since the data was not made public. The newspaper added that some 10 years ago, there were hundreds of US troops in Afghanistan but their number has since decreased to dozens.

The US has reportedly closed its bases in the provinces of Uruzgan, Helmand, Lagman, Paktia, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Balkh, Kabul, Faryab and Zabul. The closure of five of the ten bases was required as part of the agreement with the Taliban within 135 days of its signing.

Some of the bases were given to the Afghan security forces, others may be temporarily sealed and reopened, should US forces return to the country.

According to the Washington Post's sources, the plans to cut the number of US troops from 5,000 to 2,500 by January 15 remain uncertain.

The gradual withdrawal of the US contingent from Afghanistan was one of the conditions in the US-Taliban agreement, which was signed in February. Last week, US Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said that the US would cut the number of its troops in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by January 15 in line with President Donald Trump's initiative, adding that the complete withdrawal of military personnel was expected by May 2021.