translated from Spanish: US and NATO to hand over all their military equipment to Afghanistan before withdrawing from country

“All current equipment that is transferable, valued at $1 billion, will all be handed over to Afghan security forces during the withdrawal phase,” Afghan national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib said Saturday at a press conference in Kabul. , in early September. According to the adviser, the equipment and facilities of U.S. forces considered “non-transferable” will be destroyed by foreign forces prior to withdrawal. The Afghan Ministry of Defence today reported that it has assumed responsibility for all foreign bases in the country except the large bases in Balkh Province (north); the base of Bagram, in Parwan (east); and the base of NATO forces in Kabul.” U.S. and NATO forces currently have an active presence only in Mazar-e-Sharif (in Balkh), Bagram and Kabul. For all other remaining areas we have taken responsibility and only small groups of foreign troops remain in these areas for coordination,” Afghan Defense Minister Yasin Zia told the press, in some areas the facilities are being remodeled or some are being destroyed because “we don’t need to keep them all,” he explained. According to the planned plan, “the bases of Bagram and Kabul will be the last to be handed over to Afghan forces,” he added. In the coming months leading up to the withdrawal, Foreign forces will focus on training forces to address the “technical gaps,” particularly the Afghan Air Force with 163 military aircraft, Mohib said, US President Joe Biden announced a week ago his intention to withdraw his nearly 3,500 troops from Afghanistan after reviewing for weeks the historic agreement reached between Washington and the Taliban in February last year in Doha. NATO will also withdraw its nearly 7,000 troops from 1 May. Afghan forces are currently responsible for 96% of operations against the Taliban and the Afghan government has ensured that its 350,000 police and soldiers are able to defend the country from the Taliban on their own.

Original source in Spanish