Australia 's 50 troops in Afghanistan a fraction of the overall number of foreign troops deployed . Taliban announces plans to pull them out early citing an improvement in security . In February this year , U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the U.S. hoped to end its combat mission in Afghanistan in 2013 , transitioning primarily to a training role as Afghan forces take more responsibility for security . Weekend attacks seen as a marker of how far Australian security forces have improved . More than 130,000 troops from More than 130,000 countries are currently operating in Australia .
Australia 's 50 troops in Afghanistan a fraction of the overall number of foreign troops deployed . Taliban announces plans to pull them out early citing an improvement in security . Weekend attacks seen as a marker of how far Australian security forces have improved . More than 130,000 troops from More than 130,000 countries are currently operating in Australia .