KABUL - In the wake of recent remarks by Human Rights Watch (HRW) that Afghan armed forces are violating rules of war, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday said they were fully committed to abide by the norms and regulations set by the international conventions.

Earlier, the HRW in a report urged President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani to immediately direct Afghan forces to implement war rules during battles.

“President Ghani should state clearly that abiding by the laws of war is a legal requirement, not a policy option,” said Phelim Kine, HRW deputy Asia director.

Ghani, who is commander-in-chief of the Afghan armed forces, should remind the country’s security forces to respect the laws of war and put commanders on notice that suggesting otherwise would subject them to disciplinary measures, the HRW report maintained.

Kine asked countries that support Afghan National Army (ANA) to connect the provision of funds with respect to implementation of rules of war.

“Respect for human rights was a core principle of Afghan Army and therefore the chief of armed forces has issued special directives to include arms dispute resolution and international war rules in the training curriculum of armed forces,” the statement concluded. (Pajhwok)