Afghan Army to 'spy' on own troops to stop 'insider' attacks on US troops

Kabul, Aug. 21 (ANI): Afghanistan army officials have said that it has launched an expanded effort to spy on its own police and army recruits amid a spate of insider attacks by Afghans on American troops in the country.

'Insider' attacks on U.S. troops have shaken the U.S.-Afghan military partnership during a stage of the war that centers on close partnership between the two forces.

According to the Washington Post, nine American troops have been killed by their Afghan counterparts in the past 12 days. They are among 40 coalition service members who have died in insider attacks this year.

According to the report, Afghan officials said that they will deploy dozens of undercover intelligence officers to Afghan security units nationwide, increase surveillance of phone calls between Afghan troops and their families, and ban cell phone use among new recruits to give them fewer opportunities to contact members of the insurgency.

The initiatives appeared to be aimed at addressing U.S. criticism that the Afghan security forces are not doing enough to ferret out insurgents within their ranks, the report added.

"Soldiers must feel that they are under the full surveillance of their leadership at all levels," the Afghan army chief, General Sher Mohammad Karimi, said.

"Initially, it will have a negative impact on morale, but we have to do something. We have to look seriously at every individual," the report quoted Karimi, as saying.

According to the report, NATO has taken steps in recent days to try and limit the attacks.

Across Afghanistan, service members have been asked to keep their weapons loaded at all times, according to coalition officials, the report said.

NATO has also activated an existing program, called 'Guardian Angels,' in which coalition troops only job is to watch their fellow troops attend meetings with Afghan officials prepared to quell an insider attack if one should occur, the report added.

Afghan officials said that 176 intelligence officers were assigned to army battalions last week and that most will remain undercover.

According to the report, they join hundreds of others who are tasked with spotting wayward troops before they carry out "green-on-blue" attacks. (ANI)