Saturday, April 12, 2008, Rabi-ul-Sani 5,1429    

India to train Afghan army in counter-insurgency

Jammu—The Indian Army would soon be sharing its experience with their Afghan counterparts as it has agreed to provide counter-insurgency training to the Afghan army.

According to highly-placed sources in the Ministry of Defence, decision to this effect was taken during the ongoing official visit of the Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak to India. Wardak who is currently on a weeklong visit to India discussed military cooperation with his Indian counterparts in New Delhi.

Wardak who was on a daylong visit to Srinagar- based 15 Corps of the the Army that has been tasked with the counter-insurgency operations in the valley was given a presentation on the way the Army conducts its anti-militancy operations in the valley.

“During his daylong visit to 15 Corps, he was given a presentation on the counter-insurgency operations going on in the valley. He was very much impressed by the professionalism of the the Army in tackling the menace of terrorism.” Lt-Col A.K. Mathur, PRO of the ministry of defence in Srinagar told The Tribune from New Delhi.

“As Afghanistan had no big training institute there, their officers and jawans used to come to India to undergo special training here,” Mathur said. “Terrorism is a common threat to both the countries. Cooperation between us is important against fundamentalism and terrorism,” Wardak had been quoted as saying.—SANA