US troop strength in Afghanistan is about 11,000 soldiers, exceeding the previous official level of 8,400 US forces, the Pentagon said Wednesday. The revelation was made in an effort by Defence Secretary James Mattis to promote transparency, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said. The air strike was conducted "by foreign forces" late Tuesday in Bari village near provincial capital Pul-e-Alam, he said. A spokesman for the provincial governor, Mohammad Salim Saleh, spoke of "civilian casualties in a foreign forces air strike," but provided no details. It is the second air strike this week against Taliban forces that also killed civilians.

Source: The China Post August 31, 2017 06:00 UTC