All British forces exiting Afghanistan: Johnson

KABUL (Pajhwok): Most UK troops have pulled out of Afghanistan after almost two decades of deployment, confirms the British prime minister.

Al-Jazeera quoted Boris Johnson saying on Thursday the threat that Al-Qaeda posed to Britain had been reduced significantly. However, he did not go into details of the pullout for security reasons.

“All British troops assigned to NATO’s mission in Afghanistan are now returning home. Most of our personnel have already left,” the premier added.

Johnson stressed: “We must be realistic about our ability alone to influence the course of events. It will take combined efforts of many nations, including Afghanistan’s neighbours, to help the Afghan people to build their future.

“But the threat that brought us to Afghanistan in the first place has been greatly diminished by the valour and by the sacrifice of the armed forces of Britain and many other countries.”

In London, the Defence Ministry said the withdrawal of the last British forces from Afghanistan would be complete within a few months.

He did not underestimate the challenges facing Afghanistan, Johnson said, promising his administration would continue to provide development aid.

PAN Monitor/mud