Two years after winding down its military operation in Afghanistan, NATO has agreed to send more troops to help train and work alongside Afghan security forces who are battling against Taliban and Islamic State militants.
Defence ministers from NATO member states agreed on Thursday to send additional non-combat soldiers as the growing insurgency in Afghanistan has overwhelmed local forces and left the government in control of just 60 per cent of the territory.
“I can confirm that we will increase our presence in Afghanistan,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “Fifteen nations have already pledged additional contributions.”
But Canadian trainers won’t be among them, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Charlottetown on Thursday.
“There are absolutely no plans to send any troops back to Afghanistan,” he said. “We have served there with distinction, with valour, over 10 years and made a significant impact.”
More than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in the Afghanistan theatre of operations between 2001 and 2014, and 258 soldiers died in the fighting.
NATO’s deployment in Afghanistan was its biggest-ever military operation, lasting 11 years and involving 130,000 troops at its height before ending in December 2014. About 12,000 NATO troops have continued to train, assist and advise Afghan forces since then.
NATO commanders say they need as many as 3,000 additional troops from among the allies. That number does not include an expected contribution of roughly 4,000 U.S. forces.
With files from CBC News and Associated Press
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