A U.S. official say American troops have begun leaving Afghanistan for the initial troop withdrawal required in the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement.
The official said Monday that hundreds of troops are heading out of the country and will not be replaced as the U.S. moves ahead with plans to cut the number of forces in the country from about 13,000 to 8,600.
The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the movement ahead of an official announcement.
The long-term plan is for all U.S. troops to leave within 14 months if the Taliban holds up its end of the peace deal.
Under the agreement, the U.S. troop withdrawal had to begin with 10 days after the peace deal was signed on Feb. 29.
The troop withdrawal comes as Afghanistan's incumbent president and his main political challenge have both sworn themselves in as president during rival inauguration ceremonies that took place at the exact same time Monday.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime, which had harbored al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
President Donald Trump confirmed last week that he spoke on the phone to a Taliban leader, making him the first U.S. president believed to have ever spoken directly with the militant group responsible for the deaths of thousands of U.S. troops in nearly 19 years of fighting in Afghanistan.
