KABUL - Afghan army would by the end of this year be provided with armored personnel carriers that no other countries have except the United States, deputy commander of the NATO training mission in the country said on Monday.
Major General Michael Day, Deputy Commander of the NATO training mission, said NATO is on track to build a 195,000 Afghan national army before the full withdrawal of foreign combat forces by the end of 2014.

While desertion was an issue, it would not affect the plan to build a modern, well-equipped army capable of fighting the Taliban insurgency.

"It does not affect our ability to get to the number we want. We have been told to build a national army of 195,000 by the end of 2014. We are right on line," General Day told reporters at a joint press conference with ISAF spokesman in Kabul.

Pointing out to speedy recruiting process, he said that thousands of young Afghans lined up each month at recruitment centers across the country to enlist.

"It is a great challenge to train an army that can't read, that can't count," General Day said
Some 3,000 Afghan instructors have been hired to build up literacy level of army recruits.

ISAF Spokesman Gen. Carsten Jacobson said Taliban attack on an ISAF base in Wardak province was a sign of insurgents increasingly growing weak since foreign troops received no serious damage and casualty.

"Saturday's vehicle borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Wardak province was again an example of a failed insurgent complex attack," Gen. Carsten Jacobson said.

"The attempt was to kill ISAF personnel and to degrade the operational capability of our combat outpost. Two Afghan civilians were killed and about 25 wounded. Seventy-seven ISAF personnel were injured with non-life threatening injuries," Gen. Jacobson added.

Afghan security forces have taken over security responsibilities in some relatively peaceful regions with the next tranche of security transition expected to be started next month.