NATO launches training of Afghan soldiers in Turkey

Ankara [Turkey] July 30 (ANI): North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Thursday launched a training programme in Turkey for Afghan military personnel.

This is the first time when Afghan soldiers are being trained outside their country after the end of the NATO training mission in Afghanistan, Pajhwok News reported. “NATO’s continued support to Afghanistan includes out-of-country training for Afghan Special Forces. This training has now begun. For security reasons, we will not go into the details of our out-of-country training for Afghan special forces,” NATO informed.

These soldiers were flown to Turkey on Wednesday for military training and it is supposed to be the prelude to regular training. Earlier, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated NATO’s continued support for Afghanistan, noting that this will include funding, civilian presence, and out-of-country training, Pajhwok News reported. Meanwhile, human rights violations have been increasing in Afghanistan at a time when the withdrawal of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces from the war-torn country are about to be completed.

Over the past few weeks, Afghanistan has witnessed a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away. The UN has also reiterated that both the parties in Afghanistan are obliged to respect the human rights and dignity of all Afghans, especially those of women and girls who have in the past been subjected to particularly acute forms of discrimination.

The Taliban now control about half of the 419 district centres in Afghanistan, and while they have yet to capture any of the country’s 34 provincial capitals, said General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As the Taliban seize more territory, the Afghan security forces are consolidating their positions to protect key population centres, including Kabul, he said. (ANI)