Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Afghan Forces Ready For Night Raids: MoD

Afghan Forces Ready For Night Raids: MoD

KABUL - The Ministry of Defense on Saturday said the Afghan National Army (ANA) was ready to fully take control of night operations and an accord on the transfer was expected to be inked soon between Afghanistan and the US.
Brig. Gen. Dawlat Waziri, the ministry's deputy spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News that currently 75 percent of nighttime raids were conducted by Afghan forces and once the deal was concluded, ANA would take complete responsibility.

It has been a key recommendation of the government and the traditional Loya Jirga that Afghan forces take control of the hotly debated night raids from NATO-led troops by Afghan security forces take control of the night raids.

Waziri added that night operations by Afghan forces had been more effective than those conducted by foreign troops, as local soldiers were familiar with Afghani culture and traditions. However, he acknowledged they needed technical support from multinational troops.

Meanwhile, the US embassy spokesman in Kabul said they had no idea about the current talks on night raids. He added an agreement would be signed between Afghan and US officials to address Loya Jirga's demands.
Waziri said the ministry would have no problems training the commando unit and Special Forces, if they were equipped with modern weaponry and night vision scopes.

The commando unit, established in 2004 under the defense ministry, currently has 9,000 soldiers within a single brigade that would expand to several brigades by 2014.

The Special Force unit, created in 2010 with 1,200 soldiers, including police, ANA and intelligence staff, have conducted more than 2,500 independent and joint operations over the past year.

The ANA's current strength of 190,000 would grow to 196,000 by the end of 2012, but the deputy spokesman said the ministry faced problems equipping the security personnel. "We need help from the international community to facilitate us with night vision choppers and spy equipment that are key needs for night operations." (Pajhwok)