Members of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network still hide out on the Pakistan side of the Durand Line separating it from Afghanistan, the general said. General John Nicholson, who commands US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said “well over 1,000” advisors would be out conducting combat operations on the front lines during next year’s fighting season. Smaller numbers of US troops have already been conducting such work this year, but their ranks would “increase dramatically,” Nicholson said. Absolutely,” he said, noting that they will be backed by a full array of air support and surveillance capabilities. The strategy includes relations with Pakistan, which Trump has angrily accused Islamabad of harboring “agents of chaos.” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also has said too many extremists are finding sanctuary there.

Source: Pakistan Today November 28, 2017 19:52 UTC