More than 36,000 Afghan forces left the row in 2015: WSJ

Wall Street Journal WSJ published a report indicating that more than 36,000 Afghan security forces have left the police row in 2015, a report which was called false by the Officials in Afghanistan’s Ministry of interior Affairs.

The Afghan police lost nearly a quarter of its members last year after most foreign troops left the country, according to interior ministry data, as thousands deserted in the face of increasing Taliban attacks and poor leadership.

More than 36,000 left the force in 2015, the interior ministry said in a confidential report to aid donors that was seen by The Wall Street Journal. These donors provide the police with most of its funding, with the U.S., the largest contributor, having invested more than $18 billion.

The Afghan government took responsibility for the war against the insurgency after most foreign troops left by the end of 2014, but has struggled with leadership and reforms since President Ashraf Ghani took office in late 2014. The country has no defense minister and has yet to replace the intelligence chief who quit late last year.

Ministry of Interior Affairs Deputy Spokesman Najeebullah Danish has rejected the following report published by the US news paper Wall Street Journal, saying based on our survey more than 4,000 Afghan security forces either they were martyred, sickness or ended their contracts have left the police queue.”

The police, often on the front line against the Taliban and other militant groups, are especially vulnerable to attacks because they are deployed to secure important roads and cities.

The interior ministry figures showed that some 200 police were killed in January, a high casualty rate that is raising concerns among donors, who expect this year to be the toughest yet for Afghan security forces.

Reported by Fahim Noori