KABUL – The US military officials have said the United States will send inat least 1,000 new combat advisers to Afghanistan as part of its efforts toboost US training commitment to the country.

Besides the combat advisers, the US Defense Department is planning toreallocate drones and other hardware, the Wall Street Journal quoted USmilitary officials in a report on Thursday.

The Pentagon announced last year in November that at least 3,000 additionalAmerican troops have been sent in to Afghanistan under US President DonaldTrump’s new strategy, bringing the number of US forces in the country to atleast 14,000.

Military officials quoted by the Wall Street Journal said the reason tobulk up the US military presence in Afghanistan is to intensify the waragainst terrorist groups particularly Daesh.

The new personnel who will be sent it to Afghanistan as soon as Februarywill work as combat advisers to Afghan National Security Forces, USofficials said as quoted in the report.

“We have Marines in Afghanistan. We’re talking in the central commandregion in that particular fight, hundreds, not thousands, but we havehundreds that are making an incredibly important difference on the outcomeof that fight,” said Lt. Gen. Maj. Gen. Brian D. Beaudreault, the deputycommandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations.

He said boosting India-United States relations is part of Washington’sefforts to ensure stability in Afghanistan.

“We’re excited about the opportunities for India to participate in theSouth Asia strategy, and how we secure that region. They’re an importantplayer and in 2018 we look forward to doing more with them. India hascontributed a great deal in terms of developmental aid in Afghanistan,”White said.

This comes after American media reported this week that the US Navy isplanning to hire drone-maker General Atomics to fly its own unarmed MQ-9Reapers in support of US Marines in Afghanistan.

The contractor-operated drones would provide a “surge” of intelligence,reconnaissance, and surveillance capabilities as the US military expandsits activities in the Central Asian country, which the US Air Force is notable to provide at present, The Drive reported Thursday.

The proposed deal was announced by the Naval Air System Command (NAVAIR) onJanuary 09.

The contract, which the Navy did not give an estimated value for, wouldcover up to a year of operations in Afghanistan running between the 2018Fiscal Year, when began on Oct. 1, 2017, and the 2019 fiscal cycle.

The announcement does not elaborate anything about the number of Reapers inthe mission.