Future uncertain for Afghan Army soldiers training in India
Aug 17, 2021
New Delhi [India], August 17 : Due to the change in power in Afghanistan, the future of around 130 soldiers training in different academies of Indian defense forces is uncertain at the moment, informed the sources in the Army on Tuesday.
As part of the capacity building program, The Indian defense forces have been training Afghan cadets and soldiers for more than a decade now in different military skills at its academies and thousands of Afghan National Army soldiers have received training here in India, sources in the Army said.
"The future of these soldiers and cadets is uncertain. It is not yet clear whether they would be allowed to return to their country or what they would do when they return as the power is now in the hands of the Taliban Army against whom they were supposed to fight after joining their organization," sources further said.
The highest number of Afghan students are in the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun with 80 cadets while the remaining 50 are in the Officers' Training Academy in Chennai and National Defense Academy Khadakwasla, according to the sources.
Sources said one of the possibilities can be that they get accommodated into the Taliban Army as has been the case with a number of Afghan military officials but that is still uncertain and a lot will depend upon the outcome of the talks between different Afghan factions.
The soldiers are part of Indian capability-building efforts under which thousands of Afghan soldiers have been.
Getting training at different academies for fighting against the Taliban under the American alliance. However, when the war broke out, it emerged that the Afghan Army meekly surrendered before the numerically inferior Taliban Army and all their weapons and equipment have fallen in the hands of the Taliban terrorists.
The speed at which the Taliban moved and captured city after city even took the American forces by surprise who were on their way out of Afghanistan after spending 20 years there trying to end terrorism there.
