KANDAHAR CITY (SW): Officials at the Afghan National Army Recruiting Command (ANAREC) have reported a significant rise in number of people joining the ranks in southern Kandahar province.
Col. Noor Ahmad, head of ANAREC in Kandahar has said a 12 % surge in the youth opting to join ANA has been noticed this year. The official said priority would be given to those with higher education and skills. “We used to encourage and urge people to join the ANA ranks but now they are joining voluntarily”, he noted.
Expressing pleasure over the mounting spirit of patriotism, Col. Ahmad considered the trend a positive omen for the stability of the country. “This interest among the youth has made us all happy and proud”, he said.
Jamil Ahmad, a resident of Kandahar city told SW he and many of his friends have applied to join ANA following completion high-school. “We are ready to serve at the most restive parts of the country, Afghanistan need us youngsters”, he said.
According to the Library of Congress, Afghanistan's army traces its roots to the early 18th-century when the Hotaki dynasty was established in Kandahar followed by Ahmad Shah Durrani's rise to power. It was reorganized in 1880 during Emir Abdur Rahman Khan's reign.
The modern Afghan National Army is heavily assisted by the United States and NATO. The ANA is divided into six regional Corps, with the 201st in Kabul followed by the 203rd in Gardez (Paktia), 205th in Kandahar, 207th in Herat, 209th in Mazar-i-Sharif (Balkh) and the 215th in Lashkar Gah (Helamand).
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