By Sam Webb PUBLISHED: 13:16 EST, 20 November 2012 | UPDATED: 02:48 EST, 21 November 2012 France today ended its combat operations in Afghanistan, pulling hundreds of troops from a base in a volatile region northeast of Kabul and fulfilling promises to end its combat role on a faster track than other NATO allies. After a handover ceremony with Afghan troops, 500 French combat soldiers in trucks and armored vehicles left the Nijrab base in the Kapisa region, where anti-government insurgents have been active, and traveled southwest to Kabul, the capital, said Col. Thierry Burkhard, a French military spokesman.
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500 troops withdraw from insurgent-infested region
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Death toll of 88 since 2001 sparked public outcry over deployment
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Hollande promised to withdraw majority of troops by Christmas
France has been preparing such a handover for months, recently focusing on training Afghan forces instead of having @placeholder troops lead patrols in Kapisa.