[Khaama Press] The United States Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has reported a drop of at least 11 percent in the numbers of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.The head of SIGAR John Sopko informed regarding the drop in the numbers while releasing the latest report regarding the ongoing efforts to rebuild the Afghan armed forces.
According to the latest SIGAR report, at least 296,400 security personnel are currently serving in the ranks of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
The report further adds that the personnel of the Afghan Air Force are also included in the estimated number of the armed forces.
SIGAR says the latest estimate shows that the numbers of the armed forces have dropped by 10.6 percent as compared to the previous year.
"Building up the Afghan forces is a top priority for the U.S. and our international allies, so it is worrisome to see Afghan force strength decreasing," Sopko was quoted as saying in a report by Rooters.
The Afghan government and security institutions have not commented regarding the latest report of SIGAR so far.
The latest report by SIGAR regarding the reduction of the armed forces numbers came as the security situation has sharply deteriorated across the country during the recent months.
The Afghan forces face growing insurgency from the Taliban
...the Pashtun equivalent of men...
-led insurgency as well as the loyalists of the ISIS terrorist groups.
| An Nahar adds: |
US forces used to provide SIGAR with the number of Afghan troops being killed -- the figures were more than 5,000 each year -- but that information is now classified at the request of the Afghan government.
At the same time, the Taliban and other insurgent groups now control or influence 14.5 percent of Afghanistan's 407 districts -- the highest level since SIGAR started recording such data in late 2015.
The government, meanwhile, controls 56.3 percent of the districts, with the remainder considered "contested."
The varying population sizes of each district means that since August 2016, Afghan government control over its people has decreased.
"The overall trend for the insurgency is rising control over the population (from nine percent in August 2016 to 12 percent in January 2018)," the SIGAR report states.
The document also found increasing numbers of civilian deaths as the Afghan air force has stepped up its operations while NATO has reduced its air strikes.
The facts on the ground paint a different narrative than the one pushed by the Pentagon, which insists the Taliban are weary and now have elements willing to negotiate for peace.
Hundreds of Afghan Commandos to join the Afghan offensive
[KhaamaPress] As part of the ongoing efforts to bolster the capabilities of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), Afghan National Army Special Operations Corps (ANASOC) graduated 619 Commandos from the 23rd Commando Qualification Course (CDOQC) at Camp Commando April 25.
According to a report by the NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the cut of the American pants...
Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, the Commandos are the building blocks for the Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF) growth plan that began in Aug. 2017 with the announcement of the Afghan 2020 Roadmap.
Over 3,000 Commandos have completed the course since the August announcement of Afghanistan’s intention to double the Afghan Special Security Force, the report states, adding that the remaining 1,000 Commandos will graduate in May.
The report further adds that two-thirds of the graduating class will be assigned to the 1st, 7th, 9th and 10th Special Operations Kandaks (SOKs) to form a fourth company in each of the battalions. The remaining Commandos will strengthen select Special Operations Kandaks, regionally aligned with Afghan Corps.
According to the NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, the Commando Qualification Course is a 14-week course designed to assess and train Afghan soldiers for assignment in one of the 10 Special Operations Kandaks. Approximately 20 percent of the graduating class will attend job-specific specialty skill training before departing for their next assignment as part of the Commando force.