General Scott Miller, the longest-serving four-star US general in Afghanistan, on Monday relinquished the post, handing over the charge to Marine Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, who is the head of CentComm, at a small ceremony in Kabul. Miller thus became the last US four-star general to command US troops on the ground in Afghanistan. 

Calling on the Taliban to reduce violence and focus on talks, General Miller said that achieving peace has become hard as the violence remained high. 

“The people of Afghanistan will be in my heart and on my mind for the rest of my life,” Miller was quoted as saying by TOLOnews. “Our job now is not to forget” those who sacrificed here, he said.

“The violence is taking place across the country, but we know that with that violence, it works very difficult to achieve as a political settlement,” Miller said. “So again, what I tell the Taliban is they’re responsible too. The violence that’s going on is against the will of the Afghan people. And it needs to stop.”

McKenzie, who was also present in the ceremony, took the responsibility as the US and NATO’s military presence.  The new mission is "US Forces Afghanistan Forward" involving those troops who will remain in the country to protect diplomats after the US military drawdown ends next month. 

Mckenzie said, “While drawdown continues and will be ended by the end of August ... United States commitment to support the Afghan government and its armed forces carries on.” 

“Some gaps that have emerged after the withdrawal of foreign forces, these gaps are being filled and we are addressing the areas in need,” Afghan National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib said.

Last week, US President Joe Biden said that the United States military presence in Afghanistan will end on August 31.