US withdrawal from Afghanistan delayed

President Barack Obama has confirmed plans to extend the US military presence in Afghanistan to beyond 2016, according to international reports.

The decision marks a shift in Obama’s policy, who had previously planned to reduce the number of troops left in Afghanistan to about 1,000 by the time he left office in January 2017.

Speaking at the White House, he said the US would keep 5,500 troops in the country when he leaves office in 2017, as the US military says more troops will be needed to help Afghan forces stall a growing Taliban threat.

Currently, there are 9,800 US troops stationed in Afghanistan and last week, the top US military commander in Afghanistan, Gen John Campbell, said the US must consider extending its military presence there beyond 2016.

According to the BBC, the US forces will be stationed in four locations - Kabul, Bagram, Jalalabad and Kandahar.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is expected to publicly welcome the move, as he had been pushing for a slower withdrawal of US troops to allow Afghan forces to be better trained and equipped.

After the Taliban's surprise attack on Kunduz, Afghan government forces managed to retake control of key areas of the city with the aid of Nato special forces and US air strikes, however, the city's brief capture was seen as a setback for the Afghan authorities, who are under pressure to show they can keep the country secure without the backing of international forces.

Militant violence has increased across Afghanistan since Nato ended its combat mission there in December 2014, leaving a residual force - mainly US troops - used for training and counter-terrorism operations.