The statement comes as a spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve said that several US servicemen had been killed in a suicide bombing in the northern Syrian town of Manbij. The ISIS terrorist group reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
During a meeting with a group of Republican senators on Wednesday, President Donald Trump signalled his readiness to adhere to his plan to withdraw US troops from Syria and Afghanistan, according to Senator Rand Paul.
In a separate development, The Washington Post quoted two senior White House officials as saying that President Trump has yet to make a final decision on the possible withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
The developments come after The Wall Street Journal reported on 20 December, citing unnamed US officials, that a pullout of American troops in Afghanistan could begin in several weeks.
The US and NATO initially launched military operations in Afghanistan in 2001 after the 9/11 terror attack. While most of the US troops had left the country by the end of 2014, NATO launched a new mission in 2015, called Resolute Support, to provide training and assistance to Afghan security forces.
Over 16,000 soldiers from 39 NATO countries are currently serving in Afghanistan as part of the mission, with the majority of the contingent from the US.