Thousands in the Afghan capital city of Kabul took to the streets on Friday to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the U.S. military withdrawal from the country and the Afghan interim government's return to power. Celebrations started early in the morning and spread across multiple parts of the capital. In the afternoon, the Afghan interim government's air force helicopters flew special maneuvers over Kabul, releasing colored streamers to mark the event. Some local residents shared opinions on the legacy of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. "The U.S. occupied our country without permission. That was never in our interest. It only served theirs. Otherwise they wouldn't have risked the lives of their own soldiers to come here," said Sadar, a demonstrator. Others described the anniversary as a symbol of national independence. "I'm so happy. Today feels like freedom, like independence, the end of occupation. Looking back, those were terrible times. This day makes me feel joy and relief," said Sami, another Kabul resident. Criticism of the U.S. and allied forces was also prominent among participants, with many blaming them for destruction and hardship. "They didn't help. They only destroyed. They bombed our homes, conducted night raids without permission. They came only to harm. Thank God they're gone. They will never come back here again," said Safiullah, another local. The Afghan interim government took over power on Aug. 15, 2021, and the last U.S. soldier left Afghanistan on Aug. 31 of the same year. Since the defeat and pullout of the U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, the Afghan interim government has marked the day Aug. 15 as "Victory Day." SHOTLIST: Kabul, Afghanistan - Aug 15, 2025 1. Various of crowds gathering to celebrate fourth anniversary of U.S. military withdrawal, Afghan interim government's return to power; 2. Various of air force helicopters releasing streamers; 3. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Sadar, local (full name not given/ending with shot 4): "The U.S. occupied our country without permission. That was never in our interest. It only served theirs. Otherwise they wouldn't have risked the lives of their own soldiers to come here."; 4. Various of crowds on streets to celebrate; 5. SOUNDBITE (Pushtu) Sami, local (full name not given/starting with shot 4): "I'm so happy. Today feels like freedom, like independence, the end of occupation. Looking back, those were terrible times. This day makes me feel joy and relief."; 6. Various of crowds on streets to celebrate; traffic; 7. SOUNDBITE (Pushtu) Safiullah, local (full name not given): "They didn't help. They only destroyed. They bombed our homes, conducted night raids without permission. They came only to harm. Thank God they're gone. They will never come back here again."; 8. Various of helicopters flying; crowds gathering to celebrate. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]