Washington, Oct 15 (EFE).– U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday announced a new plan to keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan beyond the end of his term in January 2017 so that they can continue training Afghan forces and tracking terrorist groups.

“Afghan forces are still not as strong as they need to be,” Obama acknowledged during an appearance at the White House, where he also said that the security situation in that country continues to be “very fragile.”

The plan includes keeping the current U.S. force of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan until the end of 2016.

“I do not support the idea of endless war,” emphasized the president in defending his decision, but he said he believes keeping a larger force contingent in Afghanistan than had been previously planned is “the right thing to do” given the situation on the ground, and this adjustment of the troop drawdown plan will help consolidate the progress made there so far.

Along those lines, he also reiterated his commitment to prevent Afghanistan from becoming “a safe haven for terrorists.”

He also emphasized that the nature of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan has not changed and that the troops have not been involved in a “combat role” there for some time.

According to Obama, it will be necessary to continue evaluating the situation in the wartorn country and the possibility of further adjustments, which he said will be his task up until he leaves office.

Some of the U.S. troops will continue training Afghan soldiers, while others will be tasked with tracking elements of al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and other armed groups operating in the region, the sources said.

Gen. John Campbell, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told a congressional hearing last week that he would be presenting Obama with various options to extend the presence of American troops in the country.

Other NATO countries have approximately 4,000 military trainers and advisers deployed in Afghanistan, but they are barred from taking part in combat operations.

The new U.S. approach follows an increase in violence in Afghanistan.

Taliban fighters stormed the key northern city of Kunduz early this month and held it for three days, their greatest military success since the U.S. invasion of October 2001.

The Taliban announced their withdrawal from the city on Oct. 11 following a battle that left at least 500 of their fighters dead and roughly 600 wounded.

Eight civilians were also killed and some 100,000 people fled Kunduz. EFE