Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has signed a contract with the US Department of Defense to deploy troops to Afghanistan, marking a milestone in the US troop withdrawal from the war-torn country.
Zuckerberg’s announcement of his support for the US-led withdrawal comes a week after the US announced it would leave the country.
The announcement comes as more than 1,100 people have died in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001.
The United States has been seeking to withdraw more troops from the country in recent years, with the Pentagon and US allies saying they want to avoid civilian casualties in the conflict.
Zuckerberg will take part in US military exercises in the region, including exercises in Tajikistan and the Afghan provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, on May 3.
He will also work with US forces to assist the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in their fight against the Taliban.
The US-backed Afghan government and the Taliban have been battling for control of key parts of the country since the US military began withdrawing forces in 2014.
More than 1.5 million US troops are currently in Afghanistan.
More: Here’s what’s happening in Afghanistan
