U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan Ahead Of Schedule

US officials say they will reduce their forces to 8,600 troops by July 15 and abandon five bases [Omar Sobhani/Reuters]

Reuters: Exclusive: U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan down to close to 8,600 ahead of schedule - sources

WASHINGTON/MUMBAI (Reuters) - U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan is down to nearly 8,600, well ahead of a schedule agreed with Taliban militants in late February, in part because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, U.S. and NATO officials said.

A key provision of the Feb. 29 agreement between the Taliban and the United States, to which the Afghan government was not a party, involved a U.S. commitment to reduce its military footprint in Afghanistan from about 13,000 to 8,600 by mid-July and, conditions permitting, to zero by May 2021.

Two senior sources in Kabul said the 8,600 target was likely to be achieved by early June.

Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the United States was close to 8,600 troops and could reach that number in coming days.

“Due to COVID-19 concerns, we are moving towards that planned drawdown faster than anticipated,” one of the officials said.

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