KABUL - British Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to announce a major draw-down of UK troops in Afghanistan this week, British media reported Monday.

According to reports, the prime minister will announce the withdrawal of as many as 4,500 troops, more than of half of it by the next year's summer, while around 500 troops will leave the country by the end this year.
This comes as France withdrew the last of its combat forces last Saturday and handed all security responsibilities to Afghan forces.

As the security transition is underway, the readiness of Afghan forces to handle the responsibility remains uncertain. A Pentagon report last week said only one of the 23 Afghan army units was capable of operating independently, without air or logistics support from Isaf forces.

US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta visited Kabul last week to discuss security issues with the US commander on the ground and announce the presence of the non-combat US troops in the country after 2014.
He said the US could leave up to 10,000 soldiers in Afghanistan post-2014 to help the Afghan security forces in advisory and training missions. The exact figure of US troops in Afghanistan past the transition is not determined yet.

Britain started its combat mission in Afghanistan after the ouster of the Taliban by deploying more than 9,000 troops, most of them stationed in the hostile southern Helmand province.
The country has lost more than 400 soldiers since 2001. (Tolo News)