US troops pull out of 5 bases in Afghanistan: official

WASHINGTON

The US shut down five military bases in Afghanistan as part of an agreement with the Taliban, a Pentagon official said Tuesday.

The official, who wanted to remain anonymous, confirmed the bases were in Helmand, Uruzgan, Paktika and Laghman provinces.

According to the deal, the US had 135 days to fulfill its pledge to reduce troops to 8,600 from nearly 14,000 in the conflict-hit country, which ended Monday.

The agreement was signed Feb. 29 and is aimed at reducing violence in hopes of fostering bilateral talks between the Afghan government and the extremist group to end the war-torn nation's 18-year conflict.

The Taliban agreed not to allow al-Qaeda, Daesh or any other militant group to operate in areas they control, as part of the pact.

*Servet Gunerigok contributed to the story