Afghanistan welcomes US decision to keep troops till 2017

Afghanistan officials and activists have welcomed United States decision to keep 5,500 American troops in Afghanistan till 2017.

The deputy spokesperson for Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said that it shows commitment and honesty of our international partners to fight insurgency, reported News24

Bari Salman, an afghan activist said that continuing the presence of troops in Afghanistan is a very positive step for the country's security.

But he added his doubt that whether the number of troops would be enough for assisting the deteriorating situation in the country.

Though, Taliban has not officially reacted to US decision, but they had earlier said that presence of foreign troops was a major hurdle for peace talks.

US had yesterday announced plans to maintain the current force of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through most of next year, then draw down to 5,500 troops in 2017.

The decision has been taken due to the recent rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan.