U.S., NATO close Afghan combat HQ

KABUL, Afghanistan, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The United States and NATO formally closed their combat headquarters in Afghanistan Monday in anticipation of the end combat missions on Dec. 31.

A ceremony marked the end of 13 years of military involvement in Afghanistan.

The end comes as a refreshed Taliban conducts new attacks on government and foreign targets in Kabul, the capital, and remarks Saturday by outgoing U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel indicating a larger force of U.S. troops than initially announced would remain in the country. At a joint press conference in Kabul with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Hagel said up to 10,800 troops would remain at Ghani's request. A previous announcement indicated 1,000 fewer U.S. troops.

He added the upsurge in Taliban violence was no surprise, saying, "It's predictable that they would do everything they could and continue to do to try to disrupt and discourage the new government of President Ghani."

A plan is in place for a gradual drawdown to put the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan at 5,500 by the end of 2016, and by 2017 coalition troops expect to remain in Kabul.