NATO troops may need to stay in Afghanistan for a longer period and any decision should be based on the situation on the ground, Germany defense minister said on Thursday, in an implicit criticism of the U.S. time line.
"We need to look at whether we need to stay longer," Ursula von der Leyen said as she arrived for a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.
NATO said its special forces joined Afghan troops in Kunduz to try to push back Taliban insurgents who seized the city, repelled a counter-offensive and advanced on the airport to shore up their biggest victory in 14 years.
Heavy fighting was underway near the northern city's airport, where government forces are holed up, highlighting the potent challenge the militants pose after their lightning capture of Kunduz.