Harrowing tales from Afghan National Army officers trained in India

Afghan National Army officers trained in India told Times of India that they face grave risks from Taliban due to the distrust of Army perssonels and their association with India.

“When the Taliban attacked, they had our (army’s) biometric pads. They were forcing people to put their fingers on the pad and all information would come up instantly. It was scary,” the Times of India report quoted Lieutenant Amir (name changed), 26, who graduated from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun in 2018, as saying.

Another Afghan Army Officer who spoke to Times of India said,"When the Taliban entered Kabul, we got orders that no one should fight them… The Taliban searched military officers’ houses and seized their weapons and vehicles. They killed randomly. I tried to get to the airport one day but they beat me up and kicked me, along with others. I went back to hiding at home."


An officer whose wife worked with Indian embassy sought help from the Indian government. “We haven’t got a response. Families of our liaison officers in all Indian academies are stuck in Kabul. So they can't come to our aid in any way right now. I request the Indian government to help us,” he said.

Defence expert Maroof Raza told ToI that Afghan officers who graduated from India “must have patience”. “The Indian government is yet to clarify its stand on the Taliban. So, the road ahead doesn’t appear smooth.”