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NATO restrcits joint operations with Afghans: officials

Dunya News

Most joint patrols with Afghan troops will only be conducted at battalion level and above.

NATO-led forces are scaling back joint operations with Afghan forces after a spate of insider attacks in which Afghan recruits turned their weapons on Western allies, officers said Tuesday.Most joint patrols and advisory work with Afghan troops will only be conducted at the battalion level and above, while cooperation with smaller units will have to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and approved by RC (regional) commanders, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement.The move marked a setback for the coalitions war strategy, as the planned withdrawal of Western troops hinges on training and advising Afghan soldiers and police to take over security by the end of 2014.As the so-called green-on-blue attacks have grown, US commanders have gradually acknowledged the assaults pose a serious threat to the war effort and have struggled to stem the problem.The commander of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, General John Allen, has directed all operational commanders to review force protection and tactical activities in the light of the current circumstances, a US military officer in Washington said in an email.This guidance was given at the recommendation of, and in conjunction with, key Afghan leaders, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity.This will likely lead to adjustments in exactly how, when and where ISAF troops operate, especially during the current period of heightened tension.The decision came after six ISAF soldiers were shot dead by suspected Afgan police and after the Taliban destroyed six US fighter jets in an unprecedented assault on a major base in the south.