India To Train 600 Afghan Soldiers Each Year

India will train about 600 Afghan soldier each year, according to local media reports. India and Afghanistan are expected to sign a pack next week during President Hamid Karzai’s visit to New Delhi. In 2011, Kabul and New Delhi signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement for military-to-military cooperation under which India agreed to train, equip and build the capacity of the Afghan forces. According to reports, three areas of focus have been identified -- increasing the intake of officers in India's premier training institutes; providing specialized training to middle and higher level officers already operating in the Afghan National Army (ANA); and training soldiers in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations. Each year, the National Defence Academy, the Officers' Training Academies and the Indian Military Academy will train over 200 Afghan cadets. And 600 Afghan National Army officers who will undergo a variety of other courses including four weeks at the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS).