Taliban to create Afghanistan ‘grand army’ with old regime troops

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The Taliban created a “Grand Army” for Afghanistan which will include officers and troops serving the old regime, the official said the official overseeing military transformation.

Latifullah Judge, Head of the Taliban rank permit commission, also told a press conference on Monday that they had fixed half of 81 helicopters and aircraft which should be considered cannot be carried out by the United States led forces during last year’s chaotic withdrawal.

He said Taliban troops took control of more than 300,000 minor weapons, 26,000 heavy weapons and around 61,000 military vehicles during their lightning takeover.

The Afghan armed forces were destroyed in the face of the Taliban attack ahead of US August forced withdrawals, often leaving their bases and leaving all their weapons and vehicles.

The Taliban has promised general amnesty for all who are related to the old regime, but almost all senior government and military officials are among more than 120,000 people evacuated by air in the last days.

Many ranks and files remain, melting back to civil life and maintaining a low profile for fear of retaliation.

The United Nations said in January that more than 100 people related to the old armed forces were killed since August.

But Judii insisted that Amnesty Taliban worked well. “If it hasn’t been removed, we will witness a very bad situation,” he said.

The suicide bomber who pursues someone to target it now is the same suicide bomber protecting him,” he added.

There was a little evidence, the Taliban had absorbed the former troops to their rank, but, for the weekend, it appointed two Afghan National Army Army officers to the Ministry of Defense.

Both are specialist surgeons attached to the country’s main military hospital.

Our work about the formation of troops is taking place,” Judge said. “Professionals including pilots and engineers, service people, logistics and administrative staff (from the previous regime) are in their place in the security sector.”