US General Vows to Annihilate IS

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- The top U.S. general in Afghanistan is vowing to annihilate the Islamic State group affiliate in the country, crush remnants of al-Qaida and urge the Taliban to pursue diplomacy, telling them they cannot win on the battlefield.

Gen. John Nicholson, in a tough-talking address to reporters in the Afghan capital, said Thursday that additional troops will further train Afghan troops. He also promised more air support and praised Afghan commandos and special forces as undefeatable.

He told reporters that President Donald Trump's announced policy for Afghanistan and South Asia was proof of the commitment of the international community as well as its determination to see a stable and peaceful Afghanistan.

"We will not fail in Afghanistan," Nicholson says.

(KA)