Ghani wants US to 're-examine' deadline for withdrawal of troops

Signaling that an extended U.S. engagement in Afghanistan may be on the cards, President Ashraf Ghani has said that United States' two-year deadline for withdrawing the last of its troops may need to be "re-examined."

Ghani remarked, "Deadlines should not be dogmas," reported the BBC.

U.S. President Barack Obama had earlier announced his decision to pull out all troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2016, as the nation looks after its own security.

The statement followed a dramatic rise in the number of Taliban attacks last year. The militant group had declared victory over the U.S. and its allies and had vowed to pursue a "pure Islamic system by expelling the remaining invading forces."

Nearly 13,000 American soldiers remain in training and supporting role in the nation ever since the coalition formally ended its peacekeeping mission last month.