The top commander of U.S. forces deployed in war zones told Congress Thursday he wants to send more troops to Afghanistan to break a stalemate with the Taliban. Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, was speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Gen. Joseph Votel: “I do believe it will involve additional forces to ensure that we can make the advise and assist mission more effective.”

The U.S. currently has 8,400 troops deployed in Afghanistan, alongside roughly three times as many contractors. General Votel said he believes “a few thousand” more troops were needed, but did not commit to an exact number. The testimony came as the Pentagon began deploying 400 additional marines to Syria.