Nato Ends 13-year Afghanistan Mission Monday Dec 08,2014

 

A ceremony has taken place in Kabul to mark the formal end of Nato's 13-year combat mission in Afghanistan.

Commanders lowered the alliance's flag during the ceremony and officially closed their combat headquarters in the country's capital.

Nato's deployment began in 2001 following the 9/11 attacks against the US.

The alliance's role will shift to a mainly training and support mission for the Afghan army from  January 01,2015.
At its peak, the US-led Isaf deployment involved more than 130,000 personnel from 50 countries.
But from 1 January, Nato chiefs say they intend to maintain a reduced force of around 13,000 soldiers.

Speaking during the ceremony, US General John Campbell, commander of Nato's international security assistance force (Isaf), paid tribute to his troops

"This country is safer and more prosperous than ever," he said, according to the Reuters news agency. "The insurgents have been beaten back and the Afghan National Security Forces are carrying the fight to the enemy."

International Security Assistance Force Joint Command (IJC), Lieutenant General Joseph Anderson, left, folds the flag of IJC during a flag-lowering ceremony in north of Kabul International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Dec. 8, 2014.

  

The U.S. and NATO ceremonially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan on Monday Dec 08,2014, 13 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks sparked their invasion of the country to topple the Taliban-led government. From Jan. 1, the coalition will maintain a force of 13,000 troops in Afghanistan, down from a peak around 140,000 in 2011. There are around 15,000 troops now in the country.