A newly issued figure from the airforce has revealed that the US military carried out more airstrikes in Afghanistan last year compared to those conducted in 2012, reported Fox News.

In December 2012, there were approximately 100,000 US troops deployed in Afghanistan but only 200 airstrikes were conducted during the period.

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In December last year, the US and Afghan forces dropped 455 bombs compared to the 65 airstrikes performed in 2016, reported National Post.

Between August and December last year, 2,000 airstrikes were carried out, which is claimed to be almost as many as the total number of bombs dropped in 2015 and 2016 combined.

The airstrikes are reported to have increased significantly last year after the US President Donald Trump took office in late January.

“The airstrikes are reported to have increased significantly last year after the US President Donald Trump took office in late January.”

In a bid to strengthen the US military operations in Afghanistan, the US Air Force (USAF) has redeployed additional fighter jets, field advisers, and surveillance drones in the South Asian country.

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According to the USAF, more than 4,300 bombs were dropped in Afghanistan last year, which is far less than the approximately 40,000 bombs dropped against ISIS in Iraq and Syria during the same year.

With the launch of a new strategy in August last year, the US President approved the deployment of an additional 3,000 US troops to Afghanistan.

Another 800 soldiers are expected to be sent to the region from Fort Benning, Georgia, US, in April.

Besides providing training to the Afghan forces, the new US troops will also be used to conduct more airstrikes in order to support their Afghan partners.