Latest figures show that Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are dying at five times rate of NATO soldiers. A total of 853 Afghan soldiers and police were killed in the past four months, government figures show, compared with 165 Nato troops, according to a tally kept by the website icasualties.org. At the same time, Both NATO'S International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghanistan's interior ministry have noted a surge in attacks in recent months since the start of the Taliban's annual summer offensive.

With the start of transition of security responsibilities to ANSF, it was expected that their death rate would increase. Security tasks of more than half of Afghanistan is being handled by Afghan army and police and they lead most of the operations against militants. Therefore, they have to lose more lives.

Keeping in view the increase in death toll of Afghan soldiers and police, it is feared that their causalities will go on increasing as the NATO will move nearer to its plan for complete withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The insurgent claim to have infiltrated the ANSF ranks and there have been scores of incidents where Afghans soldier have killed their foreign counterparts.

There are reports saying that a number of Afghan police has defected to Taliban. At the same time, US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction – US government watchdog agency - has discovered that several American-funded border police bases in Afghanistan have been largely abandoned or left unoccupied, raising questions about the coming hand-over of security duties to local forces.

Given the scenario, the rising death toll of Afghan forces will result in their further discouragement and demoralization. And once the Afghan army and police – that are pillars of Afghans' hope - fall into such troubles, it will definitely prove to be catastrophic for Afghanistan and beneficial for the Taliban.

As we move ahead, the insurgents are expected to intensify their attacks and there will be more clashes between them and ANSF. More fighting will result in more deaths. This might cause the Afghan soldiers and police to even abandon their services. If that happens, insurgents will get more power and Afghanistan will fall into further chaos. And the ten-year sacrifices of international community in blood and treasure will go futile.