Bagram Airbase, the largest military installation at the heart of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, was fully vacated in the early hours of Friday, July 2. The US Army and its allied forces abandoned their largest military base in the dead of the night, switching off the electricity on their way out. The longest war in the history of the United States ebbed and flowed from this sprawling complex that inhabited thousands of troops at its peak. But the final batch of departed soldiers from the last of seven airbases completed more than 90 percent of the US troop withdrawal, far ahead of its new deadline of Aug 31.

With the Americans gone, civilians are anxious about the security of Bagram as the threat of Taliban looms large. Shaiq Sanjani, Police Chief of Bagram district claims that their problem is not security, but the number of personnel at their disposal.  

“The problem we are facing right now is that the number of police we have is quite less. Bagram is important for not just Afghan National forces but also Talib and DAESH. We only have 108 personnel to protect the entire district. Some of them have gone to Ghorband to help with ongoing clashes and some of them are on sick leave. Our forces are working day and night. We are overworked,” reveals Sanjani.  

Once the seat of US military power, Bagram Airbase is now fully under the control of the Afghan National Army who is confident of defending the base until its last soldier, General Kohistani told TRT World.