US downsizes its troops in Afghanistan to 2,500

The US military has met its goal of reducing the number of soldiers in Afghanistan to about 2,500 by Friday, a withdrawal that appears to violate a last-minute congressional prohibition. President Donald Trump, who ordered the reduction in November last year, said on Thursday that troop levels in Afghanistan had reached a 19-year low, although he did not mention the number. Last February, his administration struck a deal with the Taliban to reduce US troops in phases and to go to zero by May 2021, although it is unclear how the new administration will proceed. Acting US Defense Secretary confirmed the withdrawal in a statement on Friday. “This force reduction is an indication of the United...