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US military disables aircrafts, armored vehicles before leaving Afghanistan

General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of Central Command, said 73 planes already at Hamid Karzai International Airport were "demilitarised," or rendered unusable, by US forces before they completed the two-week departure of the Taliban-controlled country.

US military disables aircrafts armored vehicles before leaving Afghanistan gcw
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Kabul, First Published Aug 31, 2021, 12:07 PM IST

According to a US general, before exiting Kabul airport on Monday, the US troops destroyed hundreds of planes and armoured vehicles, as well as a high-tech rocket defence system. General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of Central Command, said 73 planes already at Hamid Karzai International Airport were "demilitarised," or rendered unusable, by US forces before they completed the two-week departure of the Taliban-controlled country.

He said those planes would never fly again, and nobody will ever be able to operate them. He added the most of them are not mission competent and will never be able to fly again. McKenzie stated that they chose to keep such systems operational until the very last minute before the last US aircraft left. He said that breaking down those systems is a complicated and time-consuming operation. As a result, we demilitarise specific systems so that they are never utilised again.

Also Read | The last American soldier has left Afghanistan; US mission is officially over

He claimed that the Pentagon, which had assembled a force of nearly 6,000 troops to occupy and operate Kabul's airport when the airlift began on August 14, had abandoned around 70 MRAP armoured tactical vehicles, which can cost up to $1 million each, and 27 Humvees, which it had disabled before leaving.

The US also left behind the C-RAM (counter rocket, artillery, and mortar) system, which was meant to protect the airport from rocket assaults. On Monday, the system assisted in repelling a five-rocket bombardment from the Islamic State.

Also Read | Taliban celebrate ‘full independence’ with gunfire as US troops withdraw after 20-year long war

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