Taliban celebrate the anniversary of foreign troop withdrawal

 The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan declared a national holiday on Wednesday as they celebrated the first anniversary of the withdrawal of United States-led troops from the country after a brutal 20-year war.

They decorated Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, with colored lights. The Taliban officials also congratulated each other. 

The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan began last year at midnight on August 31. It ended America's longest war - a military intervention that began in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in New York. As many as 66,000 Afghan troops and 48,000 civilians were killed in the war. More than 3,500 troops from other NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) countries were also killed because of the longest war. 

After the withdrawal of the troops, the country's new rulers reimposed their harsh version of Islamic law in Afghanistan, with women squeezed out of public life. They imposed harsh restrictions on women in the country. 

Despite the restrictions and a deepening humanitarian crisis in the country, many people are happy that the foreign force that prompted the Taliban insurgency has gone.

Zalmai, a resident of Kabul, reportedly said, “We are happy that Allah got rid of the infidels from our country and the Islamic Emirate has been established.”

Taliban government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, wrote on Twitter, “Happy Independence Day.” The Taliban government reportedly said that the day marked “the country’s freedom from American occupation.”

According to media reports, the Taliban authorities held an official celebration at Bagram air base, a town and seat in Bagram District in Parwan Province of Afghanistan, which the US forces used to launch air strikes against the Taliban fighters.

On Tuesday, the skies above the Afghan capital were lit up with fireworks and gunfire from crowds of Taliban fighters. They also chanted “Death to America.” Other people drove around the city honking their horns.