The US exit was completed quickly enough that some looters managed to get into the base before being arrested, Afghan officials said. Hundreds of members of the Afghan security forces have surrendered in recent weeks, while their counterattacks have taken back little territory from the Taliban. And as the Afghan forces fracture, regional militias have appeared with renewed prominence, in an echo of the country's path toward civil war in the 1990s. Raufi said the Americans had failed to coordinate their departure with the Afghan forces, leaving a gap in security at the base. Through September, McKenzie will also be authorised to keep about 300 additional troops in Afghanistan, if needed for security, Pentagon officials said.

Source: bd News24 July 03, 2021 04:07 UTC