Washington began reducing the number of US troops in Afghanistan on 9 March as part of a conditions-based agreement signed between the United States and the Taliban militant group on 29 February, aimed at paving the way for intra-Afghan talks to reach a political settlement and end the 18-year-old conflict in the country. In a statement issued that same day US Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) spokesperson Colonel Sonny Leggett announced that, "in accordance with the US-Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Joint Declaration and the US-Taliban Agreement", the US has begun its conditions-based reduction of forces to 8,600 - from about 12,000 -over the next 135 days.
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