The final U.S. military plane takes off from Afghanistan's Kabul International airport, just before the midnight deadline, officially marking the end to a nearly 20-year U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.
On August 15, the Taliban had seized control of the capital, Kabul, after a rapid offensive that advanced much faster than U.S. intelligence had predicted. This caused the U.S.-backed government to collapse and triggered a chaotic evacuation of thousands of U.S. personnel, allied nationals, and at-risk Afghans. On August 26, 2021, a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghan civilians. The attack was claimed by ISIS-K, a rival to the Taliban.
