Kabul, November 29: The US military will soon send up to 9,000 marines to southern Afghanistan doubling the number of US troops present in the area, a report says.
A Saturday report by The Washington Post said the deployment of the forces to the Helmand province will take place just days after US President Barack Obama is scheduled to announce his new war strategy in Afghanistan.
The Post also cites senior US officials as saying that some 1,000 army trainers will follow the Marine’s deployment as early as February.
Obama is scheduled to deliver his Afghan strategy from the West Point military academy in New York State on Tuesday.
His plan is expected to call for as many as 40,000 more troops, as requested by war commander General Stanley McChrystal, to join 68,000 US troops already in Afghanistan.
——Agencies