WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Army announced in a statement on Thursday it will send about 1,500 soldiers to Afghanistan during the summer months in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.
"The Department of the Army announced today the summer 2017 deployment of approximately 1,500 soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Afghanistan, in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel," the statement said.
The division’s commander Col. Toby Magsig stated the 1st Brigade Combat Team is "well-trained, well-equipped and ready to assist our Afghan partners as part of the Resolute Support mission."
The United States and its allies launched a military operation in Afghanistan in 2001 following 9/11 terror attacks. The mission in Afghanistan ended on December 28, 2014. On January 1, 2015, NATO announced its new mission in the country, called Resolute Support, to train and assist the Afghan security forces.
Afghanistan has been experiencing significant political, social and security-related instability for decades, as terrorist organizations, including the Taliban and Daesh, both outlawed in Russia, continue to stage attacks against civilian and military targets.
