US working on new Afghanistan strategy: Commander
The top US commander for the Middle East says Washington requires to put more troops on the ground in Afghanistan in the face of resurgent Taliban.
Head of the US Central Command General Joseph L. Votel told the Senate Armed Forces Committee on Thursday that he was working on a new strategy toward the US military presence in Afghanistan.
"I do believe it will involve additional forces to ensure that we can make the advise-and-assist mission more effective," he said.
Votel noted that the subject of American troops’ reinforcement in Afghanistan is being discussed "right now" between the US military and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
Last month, US General John Nicholson, who commands NATO forces in Afghanistan, underlined the need for thousands more troops to be deployed to Afghanistan.
The US and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001, triggering a war that has killed thousands and cost tens of billions of dollars. The offensive removed Taliban from power, but the country is still grappling with insecurity.
Former US president, Barack Obama, had pledged to pull American troops out of Afghanistan, but failed to fulfill his promise. The US has 8,400 military personnel out of a total of 13,300 NATO forces in the Asian state.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has yet to set out a strategy for Afghanistan.
Recently, the country has seen a surge in terrorist attacks despite the presence of foreign boots on the ground.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Taliban militants are regaining ground in Afghanistan while the Daesh terror outfit is also attempting to expand its presence there as well.
Daesh, which is mainly active in Syria and Iraq, has lately managed to take recruits from Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda defectors. It has further carried out several deadly attacks across the country.
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