Taliban Reveals 500,000 Soldiers and Foreign Procurement of Helicopter Spares
In a recent interview with ToloNews, Fasihuddin Fetrat, the chief of Staff of the Taliban army, made significant claims about the armed forces of the group, stating that they amount to 500,000 personnel, encompassing army, police, and intelligence units. Fetrat disclosed that the current Taliban army forces under the Ministry of Defense stand at 172,000 individuals, with plans to increase to 200,000 by next year.
The Taliban army reportedly possesses 142 military aircraft, including 62 operational aircraft such as the MI-17 & MI- 35 fighters, along with the American Black Hawk multi-purpose helicopter. Fetrat also mentioned ongoing repairs to eighty aircraft wings damaged during the departure of American forces. Notably, these statistics can not be independently verified.
While Fetrat did not specify the country, he acknowledged that the group procures helicopter repair equipment from abroad. This revelation comes on the heels of a visit by Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, the Taliban’s Acting Minister of Defense, and Fetrat to Doha, Qatar, where they attended the “DIMDEX” defense industries exhibition alongside Qatar’s Defense Minister.
Recent reports from American media outlets highlighted the value of military equipment left behind by the US in Afghanistan, estimated at over seven billion dollars in a Pentagon report to Congress. Former President Donald Trump claimed the value exceeded $85 billion and accused the Taliban of profiting from selling this equipment. Fetrat emphasized that the actual value of the military equipment is significantly higher than reported figures.
Additionally, he clarified that there are no official suicide units within the Taliban Army currently, with forces previously associated with suicide operations now operating in Special Forces units. Fetrat warned that if necessary, all armed forces in the country would be ready to conduct suicide operations.
Throughout Afghanistan’s two-decade-long war, Taliban forces have carried out multiple attacks using suicide bombers, particularly in Kabul, resulting in civilian casualties. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister, disclosed sending over 1,050 attackers for suicide operations during a meeting in Kandahar.
