United States To Send 4,000 Additional Troops To Afghanistan: Report

The Pentagon is planing to send almost 4,000 additional United States troops to Afghanistan, according to reports. The decision to deploy additional troops, some for training and advising Afghan forces and other for counter terrorism missions, could be announced as soon as next week. The Trump administration has been considering sending additional troops for some time.

About 8,400 US troops are currently in Afghanistan on a dual mission of training, advising and assisting Afghan troops in their fight against the Taliban and conducting counter-terrorism missions against groups such as al-Qaeda.

Meanwhile, President Trump has given Secretary of Defense James Mattis full authority to set US troop levels in Afghanistan. The Trump administration is currently reviewing US policy toward Afghanistan and the region. Mattis, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, said that he will be able to brief the committee on a new Afghanistan strategy by mid-July.

Before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, Mattis lauded the decision as a way to make managing the war effort more efficient. "This assures the department can facilitate our missions and nimbly align our commitment to the situation on the ground," he said. This comes in the backdrop of attacks in Kabul in May this year that have killed over 100 people and is the largest deployment of American manpower under Trump’s presidency.

With inputs from ANI