File photo of Afghan commandos sitting on the top of their vehicle. PHOTO: AFP
Nearly 60 members of the Afghan special forces began training with the Indian army’s 10 Para brigade early this month at their hub in Jodhpur, in Rajasthan state.
“The focus of the training is on counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations, with special emphasis on operations in rural areas,” Colonel S D Goswami, a defence spokesperson said.
The training in Rajasthan is focused on carrying out operations with minimum civilian casualties, another Indian army officer said.
“Civilian casualties in anti-Taliban operations in Afghanistan have deepened resentment of US forces, and in turn, fuelled the insurgency,” he said.
Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch, a former commander of Indian special forces, said joint commando training is to be expected as military ties with Afghanistan deepened.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2013.
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@Someone: We don't care for your indebtedness.
India should expand its re building activities in afgan. Long live india afgan frienship
@Someone: Pakistan is using them to extract aid money from UN..no one is stopping from sending them back to Afghanistan
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: You talk about sovereignty but clearly do not understand meaning of sovereignty. Both Afghanistan and Inia are sovereign oountries. They o not need Pskistan's approval or their mutual foreign policy.
@Stranger- Are you sure you understood the news item? Afghanistan wants its army to be. Trained I so hat when US withdraws it's forces they can manage internal security in their own country. It is unclear what greater interaction and cultural exchange between India and Pakistan has to do with this.
@Bakhtiyar Ghazi Khan: As if now the only people killing pakistanis are pakistanis, not just in cities but in mosques too. So i hope the govt takes note of that first.
India training terrorists to murder Pukhtoons in Afghanistan and bomb Pakistani cities. I hope my government will take notice to stop this denial of our sovereignty and security.
Afghan Commandos are trained by a Victorious Army --- not by a Defeated and Surrendered Army.
Thank you India for taking care of Afghan problems. I hope India solves all other Afghan problems, it would be doing further service to Pakistan. India should take all the Afghan refugees to. All Pakistanis would be greatly indebted to India.
I think we should all loosen up a bit . The need of the hour is not more training / more guns ./ more fighting capacity . The need of the house is more talks / more interaction / more cultural exchange etc.,
Lol