US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter is on a surprise trip to Afghanistan. Officials say that he will meet with members of the US military and Afghan officials.
Western forces and their allies have been suffering a number of difficulties lately, including more attacks from the Taliban and an increased rate of casualties.
Congress released a report earlier this week that showed there have been 27 percent more high-profile attacks in Kabul this year when compared with last year. Furthermore, Afghan forces suffered 27 percent more casualties during the same periods.