US military days away from completing Afghanistan withdrawal as last German troops leave
- Withdrawal comes as top US general foresees Afghan civil war
- Last German troops leave Afghanistan after nearly 20 years
The withdrawal of troops and equipment from Afghanistan would not include forces that will remain to protect diplomats at the US embassy and potentially assist securing Kabul airport. US officials have said that embassy presence could be around 650 troops.
The US military stopped publicly detailing the pace of its withdrawal after it was more than 50 per cent complete earlier in June.
But US officials spoke to Reuters on Tuesday about the American troop withdrawal, on condition of anonymity.
The disclosure of the brisk pace of the US withdrawal comes as the Taliban insurgency ramps up its offensive throughout the country. The Pentagon now estimates the Taliban control 81 of the country’s 419 district centres
Peace talks in Qatar, meanwhile, have failed to make significant progress.