Another two B-52 bombers arrive in region to protect US troops
Two additional US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress aircraft from the 5th Bomb Wing, Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, arrived at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on Tuesday as the US Forces and NATO ramp up the troops’ withdrawal process.
According to the US Central Command, the bombers join the four B-52 aircraft that arrived at Al Udeid in late April.
These aircraft are in place to “protect the orderly and responsible withdrawal of US and coalition forces from Afghanistan,” CENTCOM stated.
In addition, CENTCOM stated it is committed to providing the necessary force protection to ensure the drawdown is conducted in a safe manner.
On Saturday, the US military and coalition forces officially started their withdrawal process after almost 20 years in the country.
Within days of the start of the exit process, US officials said 60 planeloads of military equipment had already left the country.
According to reports, US military cargo flights were working around the clock to move hardware out of Afghanistan.