US President Barack Obama has announced that more American troops than planned will stay in Afghanistan by the end of this year, when his presidency comes to an end.
During a press briefing at the White House on Wednesday, Obama said that he would leave behind 8,400 American forces by the year-end, nearly 3,000 more than what he had promised last year.
Currently around 9,800 US troops are in Afghanistan, reportedly training Afghan forces to battle militant groups such Daesh and the Taliban.
“The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious,” Obama said a day before heading to Poland to attend a NATO summit and meet with leaders of other nations engaged in Afghanistan.
“We have to deal with the realities of the world as it is. We can’t forget what’s at stake in Afghanistan. This is where al-Qaeda is trying to regroup, this is where ISIL continues to try to expand its presence,” said the president, who was flanked by Secretary of Defense…