German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday made an unannounced visit to northern Afghanistan, where her country's troops serve in the NATO-led force. The government in Berlin said that Merkel, her defense minister and the military's chief of staff arrived early Saturday in Kunduz, where Germany has a base. It declined to give further details of the visit. Germany currently has nearly 4,700 troops serving in the International Security Assistance Force. It plans to start gradually withdrawing in late 2011, according to a report of the Associated Press.
