US President Donald Trump on Thursday said US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq would soon be reduced to about 4,000 and 2,000, respectively.
Washington:
"A lot of progress has been made in Afghanistan, but we will be down to 4,000 soldiers in a very short period of time. Likewise Iraq, we will be down to about 2,000 soldiers in a very short period of time," Trump said during the White House briefing, Xinhua reported.
The troop reduction plan that Trump revealed was a step further than the plan the US military announced a day before.
Commander of US Central Command Kenneth McKenzie said Wednesday that US troop presence in Iraq is scheduled to be reduced to 3,000 by the end of September, and that in Afghanistan will be decreased to about 4,500 by early November.