U.S. extends troops' Afghanistan tour

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Some 3,200 U.S. Army soldiers from Fort Drum, N.Y., had their tour in Afghanistan extended for up to three months Thursday by the Department of Defense.

The announcement came a week after commanders in Afghanistan told Defense Secretary Robert Gates they needed more troops.

The order affects soldiers of the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, operating as part of the NATO-International Security Assistance Force.

There are 31,000 NATO troops battling the Taliban in Afghanistan, more than 10,000 of which are from the United States, which has an additional 12,000 troops operating under Pentagon command.