LONDON, July 8 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Thursday the withdrawal of all British troops from Afghanistan, signaling the end of Britain's military mission in a two-decade long conflict.
"All British troops assigned to NATO's mission in Afghanistan are now returning home," Johnson told the House of Commons, lower house of the British parliament.
The prime minister would not disclose the exact timetable of the departure for security reasons, but added that most of the 750 remaining British troops had already left.
Over the last two decades, 150,000 members of Britain's armed forces served in Afghanistan, 457 of whom died, according to Johnson.
Britain's move follows the announcement by U.S. President Joe Biden in April that all U.S. troops would leave Afghanistan before Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the United States into its longest war.
Johnson said Britain will use "every diplomatic and humanitarian lever" to support Afghanistan's development and stability, including over 100 million pounds (about 138 million U.S. dollars) of development assistance this year, and 58 million pounds (about 80 million dollars) for the Afghan national security and defence forces. Enditem
