Afghan Army Casualties Hit 10-Year High in 2016 - Presidential Adviser

The Afghan Army suffered more casualties in combat operations against insurgents last year than in any comparable period in the past decade, President Ashraf Ghani, said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Afghan Army and related security forces suffered more than 18,500 casualties during 2016 according to official figures from the Kabul government.

“The level of casualties in 2016 ended up far higher than in the previous decade,” Qayoumi stated on Friday.

Qayoumi also said the Afghan armed forces continue to fight more than 20 “global terrorist organizations” including recruits from many other countries that conduct massive illicit activity including the drug trade, human trafficking, terrorism and antiquities.

Afghanistan had been facing instability for many years with the government troops fighting against the Islamist terror organization Taliban seeking to establish a strict Sharia law in the country. The turmoil resulted in the rise of other terrorist groups such as the Islamic State, outlawed in Russia.

The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, as well as the Afghanistan-based US forces are currently conducting joint offensive operations to combat terrorism across the country.