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US to Send 3,500 More Troops to Afghanistan

US to Send 3,500 More Troops to Afghanistan
folder_openUnited States access_time6 years ago
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US officials said that the US military will send about 3,500 more troops to Afghanistan, Reuters reported Wednesday.

US to Send 3,500 More Troops to Afghanistan

The decision follows President Trump's new South Asia strategy, announced in August, which keeps US troops in the country and sends additional forces.

Those extra troops would bolster the Afghan military in its fight against the Taliban, al-Qaeda and the Wahhabi Daesh [Arabic acronym for "ISIS" / "ISIL"], and bring the total number of US forces in Afghanistan to about 14,500.

Pentagon officials said the War Department will not comment on a troop increase until an official announcement from War Secretary James Mattis.

The news comes as Mattis, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford and State Secretary Rex Tillerson on Wednesday briefed lawmakers about Trump's South Asia strategy and North Korea.

House lawmakers said after the meeting that the officials would not say how many more troops are being sent to Afghanistan.

Mattis last week signed orders to send additional troops to Afghanistan but did not specify the size of the force. He added that he will not discuss the details until after he briefs Congress.

Trump was widely expected to send roughly 4,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan, a recommendation made by the Pentagon months ago.

If confirmed, the additional forces would join the 11,000 troops already in the country. The Pentagon last month officially acknowledged there are thousands more troops in the country than the 8,400 previously reported.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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