News Report: Pakistan, Russia Begin 'Friendship 2017' Joint Anti-terror Drill

Ayaz Gul

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani and Russian military commandos have launched joint counterterrorism drills in the mountains and forests of Russia's North Caucasus republic of Karachaevo-Cherkessia.

The two-week-long exercise dubbed as "Friendship 2017" involves more than 200 mostly special forces from both countries who will conduct joint "hostage rescue" and "cordon-and-search" operations, according to the Pakistani military.

"The joint exercise will enhance and further strengthen military ties between the countries and share Pakistan army's experience in war against terrorism," it added.

Meanwhile, a nearly three-week-long joint air force exercises China is hosting with Pakistan are due to conclude this week. A spokesman for the Chinese air force described them as "routine" exercises.

Pakistan's deepening political, economic and defense ties with traditional ally China and its emerging new alliance with Russia come amid Islamabad's increasingly uneasy and strained relations with the United States.

News Story: Commando Training Intensifies, Numbers To Rise

By Sharif Amiri

Following the announcement of the US’s new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia, the training of Afghan commando forces has been intensified and numbers are expected to increase, said army officials Tuesday.

Commando trainers said these special forces are trained to defeat the enemy in any situation.

While the training of the forces has intensified, Afghan army officials said they also plan to increase the numbers from 16,000 to 23,000 by next year.

The commandos are selected from trained army , who excel in their duties, and are then given specialized training.

Most of the commando training takes place under the supervision of foreign training advisors.

“We train them professionally in the latest commando tactics to become ready to fight the enemy in any condition,” one commando trainer, Mohammad Nasir Ahmadi, said.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Report: India Reinforces Massive Assistance to Afghanistan’s Fight Against Terror

India’s increased assistance to Afghanistan comes close on the heels of Donald Trump’s “new Afghan strategy” to tackle “terrorist havens” in Pakistan.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India has announced a slew of assistance for better equipping Afghanistan in fighting terrorists along with new developmental assistance in the form of 116 high-impact community development projects to be implemented in 31 provinces of the war-torn country.

The assistance is in addition to those that are already being provided by India to the war-torn country. An agreement to this effect was reached during a meeting of the 2nd India-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Council in New Delhi. Sushma Swaraj, India's Minister of External Affairs reaffirmed that for India, strategic partnership and friendship with Afghanistan is an ‘article of faith'.

"It was agreed to strengthen security cooperation between the two countries. India agreed to extend further assistance for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in fighting the scourge of terrorism, organized crime, trafficking of narcotics and money laundering," joint statement issued after the meeting reads.

News Story: Support for Taliban Has To Stop - Nicholson

John Nicholson (Image: Wiki Commons)

In a special interview with TOLOnews, Gen. John Nicholson, the commander of US Forces and NATO in Afghanistan, said on Saturday that the US knows the Afghan Taliban leadership is in the Quetta and Peshawar areas.

He said the issue of outside sanctuaries has to be addressed but that it was “being addressed in private between the US government and the Pakistani government - but it does need to be addressed.”

“Support for terrorists and insurgents has to be reduced, has to be stopped,” said Nicholson.

On whether a diplomatic solution could be found, he said this was a possibility but that a significant military effort inside the country would be carried out and that together the US would work with the Afghan government to increase its military capabilities.  

“I am primarily focused on activities inside Afghanistan,” but other officials are looking into the issue of sanctuaries in Pakistan, he said.

According to him, the issue of sanctuaries was a serious one and one that needed to be addressed.

“The Quetta Shura, Peshawar Shura, these shuras are identified by cities inside Pakistan, we know Afghan Taliban leaders are in these areas,” he said.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: US military leaders await Trump decision on Afghan mission

By: Lolita C. Baldor and Robert Burns

CAMP MOREHEAD, Afghanistan — Signaling that the U.S. military expects its mission to continue, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan on Sunday hailed the launch of the Afghan Army’s new special operations corps, declaring that “we are with you and we will stay with you.”

Gen. John Nicholson’s exhortation of continued support for the Afghans suggested the Pentagon may have won its argument that America’s military must stay engaged in the conflict in order to insure terrorists don’t once again threaten the U.S. from safe havens in Afghanistan.

President Donald Trump’s defense secretary hinted Sunday that a new overall strategy for the war might be unveiled soon.

Nicholson said the commandos, and a plan to double the size of the Afghan’s special operations forces, are critical to winning the war.

“I assure you we are with you in this fight. We are with you and we will stay with you,” he said during a ceremony at Camp Morehead, a training base for Afghan commandos southeast of Kabul.

The Pentagon was awaiting a final announcement by Trump on a proposal to send nearly 4,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. The added forces would increase training and advising of the Afghan forces and bolster counterterrorism operations against the Taliban and an Islamic State group affiliate trying to gain a foothold in the country.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Military Commander Says 80 Soldiers Under Siege In Faryab

By Aref Musavi

A military commander in Faryab province – in Afghanistan’s north – on Friday said that at least 80 Afghan National Army soldiers were under siege by insurgents during the past 20 days.

Captain Farid, commander of the 3rd Battalion of 3rd Company of 209 Shaheen Military Corps in Faryab, said the soldiers’ location is in Chinaee Camp in Ghormach district.

Two of the soldiers were injured 10 days ago, but their injuries have not been treated well, he said.

He said they have not received ammunition so far and if they do not receive support, they will be arrested by the Taliban.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Operation Launched To Re-Take Janikhail District

Afghan special forces and commando units have launched a military operation to re-take Janikhail district in Paktia province after it fell to the Taliban four days ago, local officials said Monday. 

This is the second time in two weeks that the district collapsed. 

Two weeks ago it fell to the Taliban but was retaken by security forces - however it collapsed again on Thursday. 

Local officials said the special forces, including the commandos, are advancing and have so far retaken Reshpakai Kotal in the district but are still three kilometers from the the district center. 

Local officials said that one of the biggest challenges for security forces was the number of IEDs that were planted by the Taliban. 

Provincial police chief Toryalai Abdiyani said he requested airstrikes on a number of occasions but nothing was forthcoming. 

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: 235 Mirza Olang Hostages Released After Four Days

At least 235 residents of Mirza Olang village in Sar-e-Pul province, who were taken hostage following a coordinated attack by a group of militants, were released after mediation by local elders, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement on Tuesday.

“235 trapped residents in Mirza Olang village were released from Daesh and Taliban custody after four days following efforts by tribal elders under the leadership of the governor’s office,” the statement said.

The statement said the residents were taken to the provincial capital Sar-e-Pul city on Tuesday evening.

According to the statement, the Commando troops have arrived in Sar-e-Pul from air and ground and will soon clear the insecure parts of the province in Afghanistan’s north.

This comes few days after Taliban and Daesh fighters reportedly launched an attack on the village of Mirza Olang in the Sayyad district of northern Sar-e-Pul province killing over 50 villagers and taking hostage hundreds more.

The incident in Mirza Olang sparked strong reactions among Afghans over the brutality of the attack against the innocent villagers.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Taliban Attacks Pushed Back In Gereshk

The Afghan Security and Defense Forces have repelled multiple attacks by the Taliban in Gereshk district in the southern Helmand province in the past 12 hours, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement on Friday. 

The first attack was carried out Thursday evening in Yakhchal area in Gereshk, the statement said, adding that the Taliban fighters had Humvees and car bombs with them.

The militants wanted to destroy a bridge in the district and create a hurdle to the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline (TAPI) pipeline project which would pass through Gereshk but their attack was repelled before reaching their target, the statement said.

A number of weapons were recovered from the militants and their Humvee was destroyed in the clash, the statement read.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Security Forces Retake Paktia’s Janikhail District

The Afghan security and defense forces have retaken the control of Janikhail district in Paktia province in the country’s east, military official confirmed on Friday. 

The Afghan Army’s Commando Unit also took part in the military operation which kicked off early on Friday morning, the Thunder Corps Commander Major Gen. Abdul Wase Milad told TOLOnews. 

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: MoD Assures To Retake Paktia’s Janikhail District Soon

By Karim Amini

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Friday that the Afghan forces are advancing in Janikhail district in Paktia province and that the district will be retaken from the Taliban in the near future.

The district was captured by the Taliban on Tuesday.

MoD deputy spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said security forces have cleared many roads leading to Janikhail during their military operation.

“About Janikhail, I can tell you that we have good achievements and we will clear the area of the enemy in the near future,” Radmanesh said.

An Afghan Commando spokesman Abdul Qayum Nuristani, said at least 59 Taliban fighters including four commanders of the group were killed and 45 others have been wounded in military operations in Ghor’s Taywara district in the country’s west.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Taliban Seize Two Key Districts in Ghor and Faryab Provinces

By Sayed Sharif Amiri

Local officials in Faryab and Ghor provinces confirmed Taliban insurgents seized control of Kohistan district in Faryab and Taywara district in Ghor after engaging in fierce gunfights with security forces in the past 24 hours. 

Ghor governor said that the Taliban killed a number of doctors and employees of Taywara district after seizing control of the area. 

But the Taliban issued a statement dismissing the allegations by the Ghor governor as baseless. 

Taliban launched an offensive on Kohistan district on Saturday night at about 10 pm local time. Officials said the district collapsed after heavy fighting at about 2am. But this was not end - 220 kilometer away, the Taliban also managed to seize control of Ghor’s Taywara district early Sunday. 

“The reason is that we were grappling with a shortage of fresh forces, we needed the commandos, but they did not come,” said head of Faryab provincial council Mohammad Sami Khaikhaw. 

“We requested more ground troops and air forces; hopefully our demands have been accepted,” said Abdul Karim Yurish, spokesman for Faryab police headquarters.

But the Defense Ministry says sufficient troops have been deployed. 

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: NATO’s Support Crucial For MoD’s Four-Year Plan - Waziri

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) has commended the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for their commitment to support Afghanistan and to train the Afghan security and defense forces, saying that the organization’s help is vital for the future of the country. 

“NATO’s commitment to continue its support to Afghanistan and to our security forces is crucial for implementing the Defense Ministry’s four-year security plan,” the MoD's spokesman Major General Dawlat Waziri said at a press conference on Saturday. 

Based on the plan, Waziri said the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANDCOP) and the Border Police would be merged with the Ministry of Defense. 

He went on to say that according to the plan, the size of the Afghan Commando Unit would be doubled and upgraded to Corps level.  

The Afghan Air Force would be equipped and reinforced, Waziri said when giving details about the four-year security plan.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: US-Afghan Officials Claim Insider Attacks Will Not Damage Ties

Afghan National Army (ANA) Commandos

By Sharif Amiri

General John Nicholson, the commander of U.S and NATO forces in Afghanistan has said that insider attacks against foreign forces will not damage relations between Afghan security forces and foreign troops in the country. 

He said that efforts are ongoing to identify infiltrators within the ranks of the Commandos within the Afghan National Army (ANA). 

“We will not allow the actions of a few confused individuals to break the strong bounds and relationship we have with you,” said Nicholson. 

Meanwhile, general Tariq Shah Bahrami, the acting minister of defense said that recent attacks by two Afghan Commandos against their foreign counterparts in Nangarhar and Balkh provinces had been plotted by some neighboring countries and intelligence services. 

“The attack was plotted by the neighboring countries and the terrorist organizations; they wanted to harm our strategic partnership; but we want to say that this partnership is strong and it will remain sustainable,” added Bahrami.

However, it appears the existence of infiltrators within the ranks of the Afghan Commandos - the most trusted soldiers within the army - has become a major headache for the Afghan government and the foreign forces.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Five Policemen Killed, Nine Wounded In Paktia Attack

By Abdulhaq Omeri

At least five policemen were killed and nine others wounded when Taliban insurgents stormed police headquarters in Gardez city in Paktia early Sunday morning, local officials confirmed. 

At least one of the attackers was a suicide bomber and detonated his explosives near the parking area at the police headquarters.

The attack was launched at about 6:30 am local time in the provincial capital and by 10am it was still ongoing.

“One of the attackers detonated his explosives close to the parking area so as to open the way for the others. Two were killed when they entered (the compound),” an official said.

“Two other attackers are still clashing with security forces,” the official added. 

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Report: India Plans Purchasing Weapons to Protect Air Force Bases Across Country

India's Defense Ministry issued a request for information (RFI) from arms manufacturers, aiming to beef up the Garud Commando Force, a special unit of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

New Delhi (Sputnik) — Suppliers will have to respond to the IAF by July 8. The RFIs suggest the IAF will recruit 8,000-10,000 more people for the Garud force to protect 54 IAF base stations. The terror attack on Pathankot air base last year forced India to provide advanced weapons and equipment to the IAF commandos.

The request points to likely acquisition of 50-60 armored vehicles along with military equipment to protect its personnel during operations. The IAF needs a 5-meter-long vehicle with a crew capacity of six for its special forces. Among other specifications, the IAF has demanded a minimum 350-kilometer operating range with a speed of 100 kmph on a level highway. The vehicles will be designed in such a way that the Garud forces would be able to mount and fire a 5.56mm light machine gun.

The IAF will also equip its commandos with 600 7.62mm rifles with sights and accessories and 200 40mm under-barrel grenade launcher compatible with it.

Garud Commando Force will also receive approximate 1,800 sub-machine guns and 2,000 9mm pistols, according to the RFI issued by the Indian Air Force.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: ANA Planning To Increase Night Raids On Taliban Strongholds

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Sunday said the Afghan National Army’s Commando Forces and the Afghan Air Force are preparing to broaden their military campaign against Taliban insurgents in a number of volatile regions of the country where insurgents have been trying to make footholds and gain grounds as part of their summer offensive. 

“We are planning plan to increase night raids including operations by the commando units and air attacks,” Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said. 

Meanwhile, a number of provincial officials have confirmed that the Afghan security forces backed by commandos and Air Force have surged their attacks against militants’ hideouts. 

This new development takes place at a time that over the recent months, the Taliban operatives have tried to infiltrate key towns in the east and north.

In Ghazni, the Afghan army managed to foil several offensives by the Taliban insurgents, said local officials. 

“In Waghaz district (in Ghazni), 36 militants were killed and 20 others were wounded,” said Ghazni governor Abdul Karim Mateen. 

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Story: Gen. Nicholson Assures Kunduz Will Not Fall To Militants

By Karim Amini

As heavy battles continue in parts of Kunduz province in the country’s north, the commander of NATO’s Resolute Support mission and U.S forces in Afghanistan, Gen. John Nicholson, on Thursday said in an address to Afghan troops that foreign soldiers have been sent to Kunduz to defend the province and to suppress militants in coordination with the Afghan Security and Defense Forces. 

“American forces that are here are committed to the defense of Kunduz to the people of Kunduz as they are to all of the people in Afghanistan. As we are here today, American Special Forces are with Afghan commandos helping in the defense of Kunduz and taking the fight to the enemy,” he said. 

He assured that Kunduz will not fall to insurgents this year.

“Last year, each of these attempts failed and they (militants) failed because of the brave Afghan soldiers especially the commandos and Special Forces who fought very hard to defend Kunduz and our commitment is that this year the same will be the case; Kunduz will not fall and because of the improvements of the Afghan security forces, we expect to see better performance,” he stated.

At the same event, acting Defense Minister Tariq Shah Bahrami said they have new plans on hand which will help improve security in Kunduz.

Read the full story at TOLOnews

News Report: Afghan Security Forces Destroy Huge Taliban Command Center in Country's South

A huge Taliban command and control center has been destroyed in the southern Afghanistan by the government security forces, local media reported citing military sources.

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) — Afghanistan's security forces have destroyed a huge command and control center of the Taliban radical movement (outlawed in Russia) in southern Helmand province, local media reported Tuesday, citing Lt. Col. Mohammad Rassoul Zazai, spokesman for the 215th Maiwand Military Corps.

Zazai told Pajhwok news agency that Afghan National Army (ANA) commandos raided the center on Monday and destroyed ten bombs, ammunition, a Fielder model car, a motorcycle, 800 BM1 shells and two walkie-talkies.

He added that militants had left the center in the Nad Ali district before the raid.

Afghanistan has long been suffering from unstable political, social and security situation due to the activity of the Taliban and Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, also banned in Russia. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces are currently conducting joint offensive operations to combat terrorism across the country.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: MoD Outlines 4-Year Strategy To Boost Army’s War Capacity

By Tamim Hamid

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) Wednesday said that it has outlined a four-year war strategy and with the implementation of this approach, the Afghan National Army (ANA) will only improve.  

Changing the commando units into a corps and bringing the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) and border forces under the umbrella of the ministry of defense were key plans under the new strategy.

According to the MoD, currently the Afghan National Army (ANA) has no control of the country’s air space, but a radar system for the Afghan Air Force would help control air space.

“Currently we do not have the technology and radar systems to monitor our air space. We need to have a radar system, anti-aircraft guns, anti-aircraft rockets, surveillance aircraft, bombers, strategic and operative aircrafts,” said MoD spokesman Dawlat Waziri.

He said that U.S officials have also announced their backing of the four-year strategy.

“Combat operations need to be tackled by commando units and ground forces must protect the areas or conduct operations around their areas when needed,” said Waziri.

This comes amid the Afghan National Security Forces’ (ANSF) ongoing anti-insurgency campaign in at least 17 provinces. At the same time, the commando units are also conducting fifteen operations in several areas.

Afghan Special Forces are also taking part in night raids.

Read the full story at TOLOnews