Afghanis LOOT Bagram airbase HOURS after US troops pull out and leave the site 'without telling local officials' - as experts fear America's withdrawal could plunge the country into new crisis
Dozens of looters have moved onto the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan just hours after the final group of American troops vacated the base - without telling local officials.
Bagram, located 30 miles north of Kabul, was the strategic hub for the US war in Afghanistan, which is poised to come to an end in the coming months after President Biden vowed to have every American soldier out of the country by September 11.
The US war in Afghanistan began 20 years ago, and is America's longest running conflict. It has killed 2,312 US troops and cost the military an eyewatering $816 billion.
But experts fear Biden's 'gut decision' to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan could bring renewed chaos to the region - as evidenced by the looting on Friday morning.
Defense officials confirmed all American soldiers had left Bagram by Friday, and said the airbase has been handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defence Force in its entirety.
However, Darwaish Raufi, who serves as district administrator for the town of Bagram, told the Associated Press that 'the Americans left without any coordination' and the airfield's gates were subsequently left unsecured, leading to the looting.
Another local official told Stars & Stripes reporter J.P. Lawrence: 'They [the US troops] told us nothing, and that's why there was a gap, there was nothing to secure the airport'.
The looters quickly moved in around 4am local time, entering several unsecured buildings, seizing plastics and metal. They were able to steal for several hours before they were finally booted off the base by Afghan National Security and Defence Forces, who eventually gained control.
One eyewitness told J.P. Lawrence: 'People are used to looting. That's why Afghanistan is getting destroyed day by day'.
The incident is a disturbing sign of the unrest that may come following the hasty withdrawal of US troops.
Dozens of looters moved onto the Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan early Thursday morning, just hours after the final group of US troops vacated the base without telling local officials. Pictured: An Afghan National Army soldier stands guard at the base after they managed to regain control on Friday
The once-bustling base has now been abandoned by American troops. Back in 2012, Bagram saw more than 100,000 U.S. troops and NATO service members pass through its sprawling compound. It is pictured looking eerily deserted on Friday
Empty: For two decades, the ever-expanding airbase was filled with US troops. This week, the last group of American soldiers there finally departed
The Taliban have launched a relentless offensives across Afghanistan in the past two months, gobbling up dozens of districts. They are also celebrating the US withdrawal from the Bagram Airbase.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, footage showed the Taliban stealing trucks and Humvees from Afghan security forces who were once backed up by American forces.
According to Forbes, the Taliban has managed to seize 700 armored military vehicles frim the US-back forces in the past month alone.
The ability of Afghan forces to maintain control over the vital Bagram airfield will likely prove pivotal to maintaining security in the nearby capital Kabul and keeping pressure on the Taliban.
Afghan soldiers stand guard at the gate of Bahram U.S. air base on Friday, after American troops finally vacated it after close to two decades of occupation
US troops are seen loading a helicopter onto a C-17 Globesmaster at Bagram on June 16 as they prepare to leave the airbase
A gate is seen at the Bagram on June 25, as the last US troops prepared to withdraw
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