By Xinhua,
Kabul : The strength of Afghan new armed forces has risen to more than 76,000, spokesman of Afghan defense ministry said Sunday.
“Today the strength of Afghanistan National Army (ANA) is 76,665 soldiers and officers,” Zahir Azimi told a press conference.
Under the historic Bonn agreement signed in Germany following the collapse of Taliban regime in late 2001, Afghanistan was designed to have 70,000-strong armed forces.
However, Afghan defense ministry stressed last year that 70,000troops is not enough to protect the country’s security.
In the wake of insistence by Kabul, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and America’s western allies agreed at a summit last month in Bucharest to help Afghanistan to have 86,000-strong armed forces.
Afghanistan would have 86,000 army by the middle of 2009, according to Azimi.
However, Afghan government emphasizes that the war-torn country needs 150,000 to 200,000 armed forces to ensure security and defend its geographical boundaries.
The new Afghan Army which has been gradually equipped with the U.S. and its western allies made weapons, Azimi added, had killed 141 insurgents in different operations since March 21 this year in the restive provinces, mostly in the southern region.