The US military has begun withdrawing soldiers from Afghanistan as part of a pullout agreed in the February 29 peace agreement with the Taliban, a Pentagon official said Monday.
The US has committed to reducing its troop level from more than 12,000 at the moment to 8,600 within 135 days of the agreement, said Colonel Sonny Leggett, spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan.
Even with the drawdown, US forces retain "all the military means and authorities to accomplish our objectives -- including conducting counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda and ISIS-K and providing support to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces," Leggett said in a statement.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
In Pics: Taliban Celebrates 1st Anniversary Of US Troops Withdrawal US Chose Calendar-Base Approach For Afghanistan Withdrawal: Ex-Envoy Fewer Than 250 Americans Remain To Evacuate From Afghanistan: Official How Extreme Weather Is Leading To Rise In Child Marriages In Pakistan "Probably First Time Since '87/88...": Omar Abdullah On J&K Poll Dates Who Is Jasveen Sangha, "Ketamine Queen" Charged With Matthew Perry's Death Nigerian Man Visits 150 Fast Food Restaurants In 24 Hours To Set World Record Man Bites Off Part Of Father's Thumb During Argument Over Property: Cops Sikh Woman, Minor Son Kidnapped By 2 In Pakistan Rescued: Cops Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.