EDITORIAL: US troops to stay in the mountains over the winter

As part of a change of tactics designed to exert more pressure on Taleban-led militants, the US military has decided to maintain a presence in remote mountainous areas throughout the winter. The presence of Afghan and US troops in these areas is expected to curb the insurgents' ability to mount operations. The decision comes amid increasing insurgent activity and suicide attacks, including three in Kabul which claimed the lives of two soldiers of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and injured four others last week. The US military believes that mounting pressure on the Taleban has forced the group to change its tactics and resort to suicide attacks. Kunar, Nuristan, and Uruzgan provinces have been the focus of increasing insurgency activities in recent several months.