ALMATY, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The ruling Ak-Zhol party of the Kyrgyz parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill on closing a U.S. air base that provides support to military operations in Afghanistan, according to reports from Kyrgyz Capital of Bishkek.

    The bill will then be handed over to a plenary session of the parliament for a vote on Thursday, Interfax reported.

    A simple majority of votes is needed to pass the bill in parliament, that is, 46 out of 90 seats, while the ruling AK-Zhol party holds an overwhelming majority of 71 seats.

    The United States began using the Manas base shortly after it launched anti-terror operations in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

    Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said earlier in February he had decided to close the Manas air base.