'Guardian angel' need for advisers in Afghanistan drives call for more troops

A soldier with the British army's Royal Irish Regiment provides security for a meeting between international military advisers and Afghan officials at a base in Kabul, Afghanistan July 12, 2017. REUTERS/Josh Smith

KABUL (Reuters) - Navigating a chaotic maze of cars and people, the convoy of British army armoured vehicles weaves slowly through Kabul. The job of about a dozen soldiers is to protect just two international advisers on their way to meet Afghan soldiers.

While every mission varies, for every adviser deployed in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led multinational force, many more soldiers are tasked with providing security and support.