The British PM remains tight-lipped about whether the pullback of troops would undo the gains made during the two decades. But he said that “all British troops assigned to NATO’s mission in Afghanistan are now returning home,” adding that “most of our personnel have already left.”“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 neighbors, to help the Afghan people to build their future," Mr. Johnson said. A total of 457 British servicemembers died in Afghanistan during the U.K.’s deployment, a much higher death rate compared to the U.K.’s involvement in Iraq. Britain’s last combat troops left Afghanistan in October 2014, though about 700 remained in Afghanistan as part of a NATO mission to train Afghan forces.

Source: The Hindu July 08, 2021 13:40 UTC