US ‘appreciates’ Pakistan’s support in Afghanistan evacuation operations

Islamabad: The American embassy in Islamabad has appreciated Pakistan’s support and assistance in the evacuation operations as the US exited a war-torn Afghanistan after two decades of conflict.

In a tweet posted on Wednesday, the mission announced that the operation of the American military to evacuate its personnel from Kabul has been completed and now Washington will shift its focus on “diplomatic engagement” in the region.

“The United States appreciates Pakistan’s support and assistance with both of these efforts,” it added.

The US finished its withdrawal efforts from the airport in Kabul on Monday, effectively ending the prolonged conflict that began not long after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The last C-17 military cargo aircraft departed Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Monday afternoon, according to US Marine Corps General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of US Central Command, completing a massive evacuation effort that flew more than 116,000 people out of Afghanistan over the past two weeks.

In the final week of the withdrawal, terrorists from the group ISIS-K killed 13 US service members and dozens of Afghans in an attack outside the airport. US forces retaliated and launched strikes in a bid to thwart other attacks.