KABUL - The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) on Wednesday said equipment worth $10 billion had been given to Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) by NATO and American troops over the past 10 years.

Addressing a news conference in Kabul, ISAF deputy head for operations and plans, Brig. Gen. Adam Findlay, said the equipment would help Afghan security personnel in areas of firefighting, movement and telecommunications.

He added Afghan security forces had been equipped 100 percent with light weapons and 90 percent in areas of transportations and telecommunications.

In response to a question about the inadequacies of the air force, heavy weapons, engineering corps and intelligence, he said the NATO training mission was working hard to meet these shortages. He said work on equipping the Afghan air force would continue after 2014.

Tools worth $3 billion had been allocated to Afghan National Police (ANP), Gen. Findlay said, insisting: "Afghan forces are now better equipped and can fight against the insurgency."

Without giving details, he said 80 percent of operations were led and conducted by Afghan security forces and 20 percent complex offensives by ISAF in coordination with their Afghan partners.

Findlay said 50 percent of insurgent operations took place in 17 districts, including Kabul. "The figures gathered by ISAF and Afghan forces show 3,500 civilians casualties, or 84 percent, were caused by the rebels in 2012.

Two percentages of the casualties were caused by Afghan forces and six percent by international troops, according to the brigadier-general, who said they were trying to bring down the collateral decrease to zero.

He called Pakistan a safe haven for the militants, accusing the Taliban of having no clear strategy. As a result, civilian casualties resulted from roadside bombings, the official concluded. (Pajhwok)