LONDON — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance is considering sending several thousand more troops to Afghanistan, but not in a direct combat role.
Stoltenberg said Wednesday that "we have received a request from our military authorities to increase our military presence in Afghanistan with a few thousand troops." He said NATO would decide "on the scale and the scope of the mission within weeks."
After meeting British Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing St., Stoltenberg said NATO was not considering returning to combat operations in Afghanistan, where security forces are battling attacks from Taliban and Islamic State group militants.
Stoltenberg said NATO troops would "train, assist and advise" Afghan forces.
NATO currently has about 13,000 troops in Afghanistan, more than half of them American.
