Afghanistan May Seek Military Assistance From India – Free PDF Download

What has happened?

• Afghan Army Chief General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai is scheduled to visit India from July 27 to July 29, as per sources.
• He will interact with top security officials including the Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane.
• He is also expected to meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Significance of the visit

• Ahmadzai’s visit to India comes against the backdrop of an ongoing conflict between the Taliban and Afghan forcesin Afghanistan.
• Afghanistan’s deputy minister of acquisition and technical planning was also scheduled to visit India from July 11 and 16.
• However, his trip was rescheduled. “The visit is likely to happen later but the dates have not been fixed yet,” said an official.

India’s military assistance

• The government of Afghanistan may, at some future point, seek India’s military assistance,
• If talks with the Taliban fail amid a withdrawal of US troops from there, the country’s Ambassador Farid Mamundzay to India has

Why talks may fail?

• Representatives of the Taliban and the Afghanistan government have been holding talks amid the insurgents’ increasing control over the country even as the US looks to wind up its almost two-decade war there by the end of August.
• However, the peace talks supposedly taking place in Doha have largely fizzled out, and the Taliban now appear set on acomplete military victory.

So, will send its troops?

• The Afghan ambassador however, made it clear that the aid sought would not involve sending troops but could bein areas like training and technical support.
• “We are not seeking India’s assistance with sending troops to Afghanistan. Their footprint in Afghanistan to fight our war would not be needed at this stage,” he clarified.

Then what kind of assistance?

• He explained how, for instance, how the Air Force is an area where his country would require assistance in and that more opportunities could be explored on this front.
• The envoy cited pilot training, for which India is “naturally a place“it would want involvement from.
• “India has also, again, helped us with two key components, one was to help with providing us military training (and) scholarships for our cadets,” Mr Mamundzay said.
• On the civilian front, he listed the 1,000 annual scholarships India provides, the 20,000-odd Afghan students studying here now, the building of the new Afghan parliament, and the construction of dams, besides other infrastructure projects.

Likely discussion with Mohammad Ahmadzai?

• A month ago, the previous army chief in Afghanistan was removed by the government after casualties from the Afghan forces’ side rose and the Taliban expanded its control over several provinces.
• General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai was appointed then.
• Apart from the army chief, the defence and interior ministers in Afghanistan were also replaced.
• The supply of military platforms and equipment to Afghanistan as part of military assistance from India is likely to be a point of discussion during Ahmadzai’s visit, an official said.
• Over the last few years, India has supplied seven helicopters to Afghanistan.
• While four of them are Mi24 attack helicopters, the other three are Cheetal helicopters.

• Earlier, Afghanistan had given a wishlist to India which consisted of- Offensive military hardware including artillery guns, tanks and armoured vehicles.

Q) Farkhor Air Base is India’s first military base outside its territory in which country?

1. Afghanistan
2. Tajikistan
3. Uzbekistan
4. Turkmenistan

Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF

Sharing is caring!