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.
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.
