Up to 1,100 British troops in Afghanistan could be home in just over a year after the US-Taliban peace deal.
The deal was signed on Saturday in the Qatari capital Doha by U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on hand to witness the ceremony.
Under the agreement, the U.S. will begin withdrawing thousands of troops in exchange for Taliban commitments to prevent Afghanistan from being a launchpad for terrorist attacks.
If the Taliban meet their commitments, all U.S. troops would leave in 14 months, with the first cut from 13,000 to 8,600 soldiers coming in mid-June.
There are still more than 16,500 soldiers serving under the NATO banner currently. Germany has the next largest contingent after the US, with 1,300 troops, followed by Britain with 1,100.
It is understood that the first British withdrawals will take place at the same time in mid-June.
The remaining troops leaving the region would be dependent on the Taliban keeping up their end of the brokered deal, as reported by the Daily Telegraph.
Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary said: 'We should never forget that much of this has been achieved through sacrifices made by the brave men and women of the UK armed forces.
'I know how proud they are to have played their part, and the depth of the bonds that many of them have forged with the people of Afghanistan during their many tours over the last 18 years.'
President George W. Bush ordered the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks.
British troops have be a part of the campaign since the beginning and more than 450 were killed.
It only took a few months to topple the Taliban and send Osama bin Laden and top al-Qaida militants scrambling across the border into Pakistan.
But the war dragged on for years as the United States tried establish a stable, functioning state in one of the least developed countries in the world.
In all, 38 NATO countries are contributing forces to Afghanistan. The alliance officially concluded its combat mission in 2014 and now provides training and support to Afghan forces.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
