Washington, February 15 (RHC)-- Pentagon officials say they have stepped up airstrikes against ISIL in Afghanistan, launching about 20 airstrikes in the eastern region of Afghanistan over the last three weeks.
This comes after U.S. President Barack Obama expanded the Pentagon's authority to conduct airstrikes against ISIL in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is sending 500 U.S. soldiers to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. It's the largest single deployment to Helmand province since President Obama declared an end to the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014.