Over 50 Afghan Law Enforcement Officers Die Fighting Daesh, Taliban Daily

Over 50 Afghan security and military personnel die every day in operations against Taliban insurgency and the encroachment of the Islamic State (Daesh in Arabic), an acting Afghan Charge d’Affairs to Russia told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — "Fifty people die daily in the fight with Taliban and Daesh, and over 50 of our people are injured. There are over 100 wounded and killed every day," Ahadzada Abdul Ghayour said.

The diplomat echoed previous assertions that both Taliban and Daesh fighters are arriving through the porous Afghan-Pakistani border from camps in the South Asian state.

Political, social and security instability has been exacerbated in Afghanistan as the Taliban and Daesh continue to stage attacks against civilian and state targets.

Russia has repeatedly raised concerns about Daesh, a terrorist group outlawed in Russia as well as in many other countries, strengthening its positions in Afghanistan.

Afghan Deputy FM Hopes to Meet Russian Counterpart in Moscow in Mid-January

Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai will arrive in Moscow for a two-day visit on January 18, where he is due to meet Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the diplomat told Sputnik.

Afghanistan is seeking a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during the upcoming visit to Russia, Ahadzada Abdul Ghayour added.

"We have written a letter/note in order to arrange a few minutes' meeting with Mr. Lavrov, if possible. So far, we have not received a response," the diplomat said.

Lavrov met Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani on June 4, where the two addressed issues on the bilateral agenda and mutual cooperation to achieve stability in the country.

On July 10, President Vladimir Putin met with Afghan leader Ashraf Ghani to discuss trade development, boosting economic, cultural and educational ties, as well as joint anti-terrorist and drug trafficking efforts.

Afghanistan to Receive 10,000 AK-47s in January-February

"Russian assistance to the Afghan Defense Ministry of around 10,000 Kalashnikov rifles and over 2 million pieces of ammunition was intended to arrive in November and December," Ahadzada Abdul Ghayour said, citing difficulties with flights via Uzbekistan that have hampered the supply route.

Earlier in December, Russian Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said Moscow was reviewing Afghan requests for weapons deliveries with "thought and reason."

"They will definitely arrive in January and February," Ghayour underscored.

In October, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani asked Russia to supply artillery, small arms and helicopters to the central Asian country to aid it in its fight against Islamist insurgencies.