The Pashtun Times Latest News
KABUL: More than 3,000 additional US troops are their way to Afghanistan in line with President Donald Trump’s new strategy, media reports said on Tuesday.
Defense Secretary James Mattis told a news conference at the Pentagon he had signed the order to send more troops to the war-torn country at the end of last month.
The troops — half of them from the 82nd Airborne — would start deploying over the next few days, the secretary was quoted as saying by the CBS news channel.
Last month, Trump rolled out a “conditions-based approach” to assessing troop levels or further military operations in Afghanistan.
Mattis did not give precise numbers but said he was sending “over 3,000” troops to Afghanistan. Some 11,000 American forces are already stationed in the country.
“Frankly I haven’t signed the last of the orders right now as we look at specifics,” he said. “Most of them are on their way or under orders now and I’d prefer not to give any more information that helps the enemy.”
In February, senior US commander Gen.l John Nicholson had requested several thousand additional soldiers to help break the stalemate.
