Pentagon officials say they have stepped up airstrikes against ISIL in Afghanistan, launching about 20 airstrikes in the eastern region of Afghanistan over the last three weeks. This comes after President Obama expanded the Pentagon’s authority to conduct airstrikes against ISIL in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is sending 500 U.S. soldiers to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan to fight the Taliban. It’s the largest single deployment to Helmand province since President Obama declared an end to the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014. The deployment does not increase the overall troop level in Afghanistan, which remains at just under 10,000 soldiers.