President Joe Biden has approved additional military forces to go to Kabul as the situation in Afghanistan deteriorates.
The US is drawing down its embassy and is removing personnel from the central Asian country, but more help is needed as the Taliban tightens its grip.
Biden said: ‘Based on the recommendations of our diplomatic, military and intelligence teams, I have authorized the deployment of approximately 5,000 US troops to make sure we can have an orderly and safe drawdown of US personnel and other allied personnel.’
He said the US would also be to evacuate some Afghans going through a special visa program.
A defence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said of the 5,000 Biden announced, 4,000 were already previously announced but about 1,000 were newly approved and would be from the 82nd airborne division.
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