Afghan security forces shrink sharply

The number of security forces personnel has fallen by about 10 percent over the past 12 months, a U.S. government watchdog has said, amid reports of desertions and high casualty rates

NUMBER OF AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES
Afghan National Army 
Afghan National Police

Jan 2018: Total of 296,409, drop of 10.6% compared to Jan 2017

338,108  328,805  325,815  331,708 
153,269  154,685  146,304  153,997  130,787
184,839  174,120  179,511  177,711  165,622
Feb 2014 Feb 2015 Jan 2016 Jan 2017 Jan 2018


DISTRICT CONTROL (Jan 2018)
Government: 56.3% 
Insurgents: 14.5% 
Contested: 29.2%

Herat
Mazar-i- Sharif
Kunduz
Kabul
Kandahar
AFGHANISTAN

200km 125 miles


POPULATION CONTROL (Jan 2018)
Government: 65% of population  (21.2m people)

Contested: 23%  (7.4m)
Insurgents: 12% (3.9m)

Taliban and other militants now control or influence 14.5% of all 407 districts – highest since 2015


Source: Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR)   © GRAPHIC NEWS
Picture: Getty Images