The British military involvement in Afghanistan came to a symbolic end on Sunday.
The Afghan army and police will now be left to deal with having to fight the Taliban, after the allies ended their 13-year campaign.
Both the US and the UK handed over their last bases to the Afghan forces, including Camp Leatherneck, which was the largest American base in Afghanistan.
The British presented them with Camp Bastion, which was their headquarters during the conflict. Both military centers were located in the Helmand Province, which has seen some of the fiercest fighting during allied forces’ engagement.
The UK’s Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon said, “It is with pride that we announce the end of UK combat operations in Helmand, having given Afghanistan the best possible chance of a stable future. Our Armed Forces’ tremendous sacrifice laid the foundations for a strong Afghan Security Force, set the security context that enabled the first democratic transition of power in the country’s history, and stopped it being a launch pad for terrorist attacks in the UK,” he was quoted on the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) website.
The number of British deaths of troops killed in Afghanistan stands at 453. For a complete list of name see website: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-10629358