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NATO Chief Says Troop Increase To Afghanistan On The Cards

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that the military alliance is close to making a decision on whether to increase its troop level in Afghanistan in order to help with the battle against insurgents, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported.

In view of the “challenging” security situation, NATO could increase the number of personnel in Afghanistan from the current 13,000, he told the newspaper but did not give a specific figure.

This however comes after Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of the U.S-led NATO forces in Afghanistan, told Congress he had a "shortfall of a few thousand" troops.

Stoltenberg however told Welt am Sonntag that the alliance would likely make a decision by June on a potential troop increase and on whether to lengthen the time of soldier deployments, which currently are for one year.

The NATO troops are in Afghanistan as part of the alliance’s Resolute Support mission to train, assist, and advise local forces.

However, since NATO's combat mission formally ended in 2014, Taliban attacks have intensified.

Stoltenberg’s comments come just days after reports emerged that the Pentagon is thinking about sending in between 3,000 and 5,000 conventional military personnel to advise Afghan military and police units, plus an unspecified number of additional special forces units to tackle counter-terror operations against al-Qaeda and Daesh.  

NATO Chief Says Troop Increase To Afghanistan On The Cards

The alliance’s secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said they could increase the number of troops but did not give details.

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that the military alliance is close to making a decision on whether to increase its troop level in Afghanistan in order to help with the battle against insurgents, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reported.

In view of the “challenging” security situation, NATO could increase the number of personnel in Afghanistan from the current 13,000, he told the newspaper but did not give a specific figure.

This however comes after Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of the U.S-led NATO forces in Afghanistan, told Congress he had a "shortfall of a few thousand" troops.

Stoltenberg however told Welt am Sonntag that the alliance would likely make a decision by June on a potential troop increase and on whether to lengthen the time of soldier deployments, which currently are for one year.

The NATO troops are in Afghanistan as part of the alliance’s Resolute Support mission to train, assist, and advise local forces.

However, since NATO's combat mission formally ended in 2014, Taliban attacks have intensified.

Stoltenberg’s comments come just days after reports emerged that the Pentagon is thinking about sending in between 3,000 and 5,000 conventional military personnel to advise Afghan military and police units, plus an unspecified number of additional special forces units to tackle counter-terror operations against al-Qaeda and Daesh.  

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