The number of Afghan security forces dropped by 11 percent between 2017 and 2018, amid an uptick in violence in the country and despite the US' 17-year-long effort to bolster their abilities.
According to a report released May 1 by the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) had 296,400 personnel as of January, well shy of its maximum authorized strength of 334,000. That means members of the army, air force and police declined by 10.6 percent in roughly the past year.
The US began training and equipping ANDSF forces in 2002, just a year after invading the country and toppling the Taliban's government.
“Building up the Afghan forces is a top priority for the US and our international allies, so it is worrisome to see Afghan force strength decreasing,” SIGAR's Special Inspector General, John Sopko, told Reuters.
His statement echoed US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who has repeatedly committed to reinforcing the ANDSF so that they can retake and hold territory from the Taliban, whose insurgency continues to fight the US-aligned Afghan government.
While Afghan forces are stronger than they were a decade ago, so is the Taliban. The insurgent group has been on the offensive for weeks now, since the start of the spring season. Over the weekend of April 14, four attacks rocked the country, leaving a school…
