American troops on Friday vacated one of the biggest military bases in Afghanistan, said a senior U.S. defence official as part of the peace agreement with the Taliban. "All American soldiers and members of NATO forces have left the Bagram air base, said a senior security official on condition of anonymity.

The closure of Bagram air base, 40 miles north of Kabul, ends the U.S. military presence at Afghanistan's most significant airfield which was frequently used to launch air strikes against the Taliban and other hardline Islamist militant groups in the 20-year-long Afghan war.

The base will be handed over to the Afghan defence ministry.