Sharp rise in casualties of Afghan troops

PESHAWAR: Following a sharp rise in casualties of Afghan troops, President Ashraf Ghani-led government has ordered the Afghan National Army to intensify their military offensives against Taliban insurgent across the country.

A spokesman for Afghan National Security Council (NSC) said in a recorded video message that the decision was taken to ensure the safety of the people and reduce casualties among government forces. The move is an attempt by Kabul to boost morale of its security forces.

The Taliban insurgents have been on a killing spree of the Afghan troops in most parts of the country and seizing control of government facilities. At least 15 civilians and 10 members of Afghanistan’s elite special forces were killed in Jaghori district of southeastern Ghazni province this week, officials said. However, Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, claimed in a WhatsApp message that 22 Afghan commandoes had been killed and “a large number” wounded. Taliban militants have seized control of four government facilities.

In an assault launched against a well-equipped military base in the western Farah province, insurgents killed 20 security officials and captured 30 others. A day earlier, the interior ministry in Kabul had confirmed the deaths of at least thirty policemen in a separate attack in Farah. In the same week, at least 14 Afghan army soldiers were killed by Taliban in Takhar while seven soldiers were shot dead in the neighbouring Kunduz province. Media reports suggest that heavy fights are currently going on between government forces and Taliban in 11 provinces of the country.

Two days ago, President Ghani said that casualties of his troops have risen sharply in the past four years while death toll of the US-led coalition troops have declined after the Afghan forces took charge for combat operations in the country.

“Since 2o15, 28,529 of our security forces have lost their lives. In the same period, 58 American troops have died in Afghanistan,” Ghani told an audience at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington through a video conference.

According to former Afghan military officers, poor management, lack of equipment and on-time backup are the reasons for increase in casualties of Afghan forces.