Two years after the conclusion of the Afghanistan War, divergent narratives emerge as the U.S. honors its fallen heroes while the Taliban celebrates its reclamation of power, touting an "Islamic system" under Sharia law.

"The war in Afghanistan is over, but our gratitude to the Americans who fought it is unending," U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said, according to an Aug. 31 Defense Department (DOD) press release.

Austin honored the American service members and civilians who took part in the 20-year conflict and remembered the 2,461 U.S. service members who lost their lives and the more than 20,000 who were injured, the DOD release said.

Austin also highlighted the massive evacuation effort in the final days of the war. The United States, along with allies and partners, evacuated more than 124,000 civilians from Afghanistan. Austin announced the approval of the Presidential Unit Citation for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force-Crisis Response-Central Command, and Joint Task Force 82 of the 82nd Airborne Division and its supporting units, the DOD release said.

Austin committed to continuing support for Afghan allies, mentioning that over 115,000 Afghans who stood by the United States have been resettled in the country over the past two years.

The Afghan Taliban marked the anniversary with a public holiday, claiming to have brought stability to Afghanistan under an "Islamic system" governed by Sharia law. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement attributing their "great victory" to Almighty Allah. Security was heightened in Kabul, and Taliban members gathered near the former U.S. embassy building. In Herat, crowds of Taliban supporters chanted anti-Western and anti-American slogans, Al Jazeera reported.

The Taliban spotlighted what they view as a divinely sanctioned victory and the establishment of a system of governance based on their interpretation of Islamic law, Al Jazeera said.