Dutch troops leave Afghanistan after four years as worrying void opens up

DUTCH troops ended their mission in Afghanistan yesterday after four “proud” years, in a departure experts say signals the beginning of a drawdown of foreign forces that will leave a worrying void.

The pull-out is the first significant drawdown of troops from the Afghan war, now in its ninth year, and comes as Taliban-led violence worsens and US forces suffered their worst month for casualties.

Troops held a “change of command” ceremony at the main military base in central Uruzgan province where most of the country’s 1,950 soldiers have been deployed, said a Dutch embassy official.