European troops make low-key return home from Afghanistan

Berlin: Germany and Italy declared their missions in Afghanistan over on Wednesday, bringing their deployments to a low-key end nearly 20 years after the first Western soldiers were deployed there. 

Announcements from several countries show that a majority of European troops has now left with little ceremony, bringing the Western mission in Afghanistan close to an end as the United States' own



withdrawal looms.

There was no update from NATO on how many nations still have troops in its Resolute Support mission.

Germany publicly announced the end of its nearly 20-year deployment in a statement and a series of tweets from the defense minister late Tuesday evening, shortly after the last plane carrying its troops had left Afghan airspace.