KARSHI-KHANABAD, Uzbekistan, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- The United States has shut down its air base at Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan, on orders of Uzbek President Islam Karimov, a report said.
Closure of the base, which had been used for U.S. operations in Afghanistan, followed the U.S. call for an international inquiry examining Karimov's handling of a bloody May 13 crackdown in Andijan, Uzbekistan, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Human-rights groups say 700 people -- most unarmed demonstrators -- were killed that day. Karimov has maintained 187 people -- only armed protesters -- were shot.
The last U.S. military plane pulled out Monday, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.
The Pentagon had agreed to pay Uzbekistan $23 million for use of the base, which riled some U.S. lawmakers.
The shutdown of Karshi-Khanabad air base left one at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, as the Pentagon's primary staging point for Afghan combat and humanitarian missions, the newspaper reported.
