Ceremony Marks the End of 13-Year Afghanistan War

The war in Afghanistan has come to an end for U.S.-led coalition forces after 13 bloody years.

A quiet flag-lowering ceremony at the headquarters of the NATO mission in Kabul marked the transition of the fighting from U.S.-led combat troops to the Afghanistan’s own security forces.

U.S. Gen. John Campbell commemorated the 3,500 international soldiers killed on Afghan battlefields and praised the country’s army for giving him confidence that they are able to take on the fight alone.

Beginning Jan. 1, the new coalition mission will provide training and support for Afghanistan’s military, with the U.S. accounting for almost 11,000 of the 13,500 members of the residual force. Campbell says it will “serve as the bedrock of an enduring partnership” between NATO and Afghanistan.

An Associated Press tally puts the death toll among U.S. troops in the 13-year war at 2,224.

President Barack Obama says the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion.

Obama is welcoming the end of U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan.

Obama says in a statement that the effort has devastated al-Qaida’s core leadership, brought justice to Osama bin Laden and disrupted terrorist plots. He says U.S. troops and diplomats have helped Afghans reclaim their communities and move toward democracy.

Obama is also honoring Americans who have died in Afghanistan since the war .

Obama says those years have tested the U.S. and its military.