Australian forces will be withdrawn from Afghanistan later this year – sparking debate over whether the countries longest war involvement was worth it.

The Taliban is declaring victory following the decision by the US and Australia.

Former digger Daniel Keighran was awarded a Victoria Cross for his bravery during the conflict which spanned two decades.

He told 6PR’s Liam Bartlett there were no winners.

“20 years of war and loss of life, I certainly have mixed emotions talking about Afghanistan to this day,” he said.

“The purpose was to stem the flow of terrorism, they did that, they achieved that mission early on.

“Then we dropped the ball.

“We are leaving in September and I don’t think we have left it any better, the country as a whole.

“The reality is we probably needed another half a million troops to do the job well whilst we were there.”

Click play to hear the full interview. 

(Photo: Sydney Morning Herald.)