1,100 Afghan Security Force Members Were Killed By The Taliban In The Past 6 Months

Taliban Kill 1,100 Members Of Afghan Security Forces In Six Months -- The Guardian

Casualties have doubled and desertion rates spiked over past year as Nato steps back, figures reveal.

The Taliban have killed 1,100 members of the Afghan security forces in the past six months as Nato troops have stepped back and left the local army and police to fight the insurgency, it has emerged.

Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, admitted there had been a doubling of casualties among Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) over the past year, as well as spikes in desertion rates from the army.

The previously classified figures were given to the Ministry of Defence by commanders at Nato's International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) to help Hammond and Lieutenant General Richard Barrons prepare for questions from MPs.

Asked about Afghan casualties, Hammond said the evidence pointed to a sharp increase.

Read more ....

My Comment: While this total includes all security personnel, it is still an appalling attrition rate that is not sustainable over the medium to long term. If the Afghan security forces do not crumble a year or two after the U.S. and NATO forces have left .... I will be surprised.

Update: Within the Afghan Army itself there were 1056 Afghan soldiers killed in 2012, and among coalition forces .... 405 killed and 3252 injured.