3,500 more US troops for Afghanistan

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis authorised the new deployment which is in line with President Donald Trump’s Afghan policy, which did not set a timeline for the withdrawal US troops from the country, defence department official said. Trump last month ruled out a hasty withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan to end America’s longest war. 

Mattis has authorised about 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan, the official said on condition of anonymity. Last week, the Pentagon had revised its earlier figure of 8,400 troops to about 11,000 troops. Mattis did not reveal the exact figures.