US Military Troops

Shaky video footage distributed by the Taliban showed fighters entering the airport after the last US troops flew out on a C-17 aircraft a minute before midnight, ending a hasty and humiliating exit for Washington and its NATO allies.

"It is a historical day and a historical moment," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference at the airport after the troops left. "We are proud of these moments, that we liberated our country from a great power."

President Donald Trump had previously warned that he would be cutting the size of US forces in the two countries.

The cuts will take effect before President Trump leaves office, the Pentagon said.

The Secretary-General of the Nato alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, has warned of a "high price" if US and allied forces leave Afghanistan too quickly.

In a statement, he said the country risked once again becoming a platform for international militants to organise attacks.