NEW DELHI - India has responded positively to a request by the Afghan authorities to equip the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDS), it has been reported.
The Afghan Ambassador to India, Dr. Shaida Mohammad Abdali, has said the request was made by the Afghan Army Chief of Staff General Qadam Shah Shaheem during his visit to New Delhi.
He told RFE that Gen. Shaheem met with his Indian counterpart and other officials of the Ministry of Defense of India on Tuesday to share the demands of the Afghan army.
According to Abdali, the government of India has accepted to deliver the last Mi-25 gunship to Afghanistan and help the Afghan government with the repair and maintenance of some helicopters in Afghanistan’s inventory.
Abdali further added that the Indian authorities agreed to send a technical team to Kabul in the near future to assess the requirements of the Afghan forces.
India has remained among the top contributors in rebuilding of Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban regime and has spent around $2 billion in various sectors in the country.
Afghanistan received three Mi-25 gunship helicopters from India late in December last year which was the first delivery of sophisticated military equipment to Afghanistan in a bid to help improve the capabilities of the Afghan forces.
In the meantime the top US General in Afghanistan General John Nicholson has welcomed the support by India and said New Delhi should further help with the equipment process of the Afghan forces.(KP)