Afghan National Security Forces

The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), also known as the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), were the military and internal security forces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.^[1]^[2]

As of 30 June 2020, the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) or Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) were composed of the Afghan National Army (including the Afghan Border Force, Afghan Air Force, Afghan Territorial Army, Afghan National Civil Order Force), Afghan National Police (including Afghan Local Police), and the National Directorate of Security (including the Afghan Special Force).^[2]

In August 2021, after the Taliban captured the Afghan capital Kabul and other major cities, US President Joe Biden said that the forces collapsed, sometimes without trying to fight and that they were not willing to fight for themselves, with the exception of very brave and capable Afghan special forces units and soldiers.^[3]^[4] In an Al Jazeera editorial Abdul Basit wrote that the forces "preferred to save their lives by surrendering to the Taliban under its amnesty offers".^[5]

Structure

The Afghan National Security Forces consisted of

Ministry of Defence^[6]
- Afghan National Army (ANA):^[7] In December 2020 the U.S. Department of Defense wrote that the ANA General Staff commanded and controlled all of Afghanistan’s ground and air forces, including "the ANA conventional forces, the Afghan Air Force (AAF), the Special Mission Wing (SMW), the ANA Special Operations Command (ANASOC), the Afghan National Civil Order Force (ANCOF), and the Afghan Border Force (ABF). In total, the ANA consisted of 27 combat brigades, three combat air wings, four branch and basic training schools, seven ANCOF brigades, seven ABF brigades, and additional support facilities such as depots and hospitals."^[8]
Ministry of Interior Affairs^[9]
- Afghan National Police (ANP)^[10]
  - Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP)^[10]
  - Public Security Police (PSP)^[10]
  - Afghan Border Police (ABP)^[10]
  - General Directorate for Intelligence and Counter Crime (GDICC) (formerly Afghan Anti-Crime Police (AACP))^[11]
  - Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF)^[11]
  - Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan (CNPA)^[11]
  - Afghan Local Police (ALP)^[12]^[13]
- General Command of Police Special Units (GCPSU)^[14]^[15]
  - Afghan Territorial Force (ATF) 444^[14]^[15]
  - Crisis Response Unit (CRU) 222^[14]^[16]^[15]
  - Commando Force (CF) 333^[14]^[16]^[15] (formerly Afghan Special Narcotics Force)^[17]

NATO special operations forces trained, advised and assisted the ANASOC, SMW and GCPSU who were collectively known as the Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF).^[18]^[19]^[20] The ASSF was described as the "ANDSF’s primary offensive forces".^[20]

The National Directorate of Security (NDS) was the state intelligence and security service and was part of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.^[21] The NDS reported directly to the Office of President.^[22]

References

^ United States. Department of Defense 2020b, p. 18.
^ ^a ^b European Asylum Support Office 2020, p. 26.
^ US President Joe Biden (16 August 2021). Remarks by President Biden on Afghanistan (Speech). The White House. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
^ Bennett, John T. (2021-08-16). "Biden defends Afghan withdrawal, says country's military 'refused to fight'". rollcall.com. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
^ Basit, Abdul (17 August 2021). "Why did the Afghan army disintegrate so quickly?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
^ United States. Department of Defense 2020b, pp. 18, 35.
^ European Asylum Support Office 2020, p. 27.
^ United States. Department of Defense 2020b, pp. 38.
^ United States. Department of Defense 2020b, pp. 18, 54.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d United States. Department of Defense 2020b, p. 58.
^ ^a ^b ^c United States. Department of Defense 2020b, pp. 58–59.
^ United States. Department of Defense 2020b, p. 59.
^ Helmus 2015, p. 3.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Helmus 2015, p. 2.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction 2022, p. 212.
^ ^a ^b United States. Department of Defense 2020b, p. 60.
^ Willasey-Wilsey, Tim (30 August 2023). "Afghanistan: A Final British Betrayal?". Royal United Services Institute. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^ United States. Department of Defense 2020b, p. 4.
^ Helmus 2015, p. 1.
^ ^a ^b Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction 2021, p. 75.
^ "Afghanistan (2017)". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 24 April 2018. Archived from the original on 29 April 2018.
^ European Asylum Support Office 2020, pp. 35–36.

Bibliography

European Asylum Support Office (August 2020). Afghanistan - State Structure and Security Forces - Country of Origin Information Report. Publications Office of the European Union. ISBN 9789294856500. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
Helmus, Todd C. (2015). Advising the Command : Best Practices from the Special Operation's Advisory Experience in Afghanistan (PDF). Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. ISBN 9780833088918. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (June 2013). Afghan Special Mission Wing : DOD moving forward with $771.8 million purchase of aircraft that Afghans cannot operate or maintain (PDF) (Report). Arlington, Va. OCLC 851498021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2013.
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (June 2022). Police in conflict: lessons from the U.S. experience in Afghanistan (PDF) (Report). Arlington, Va. OCLC 1408444974. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (30 July 2021). Quarterly report to the United States Congress (PDF) (Report). Arlington, Va. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
United States. Department of Defense (December 2020b). Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan (PDF) (Report). 7-653B15D. Retrieved 18 August 2021.

External links

Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), Media Backgrounder, NATO, October 2013

v t e Afghan National Security Forces (c. 2002–2021)
Office of the President	National Directorate of Security (NDS)
Ministry of Defense	Afghan Armed Forces Afghan Army Border Force National Civil Order Force Air Force National Defense University National Military Academy
Ministry of the Interior	Law enforcement in Afghanistan National Police Public Security Police Public Protection Force Special Narcotics Force Counter Narcotics Police Border Police Local Police
Other	NATO Training Mission Combined Security Transition Command List of Afghan Air Force aircraft List of Afghan security forces fatality reports

War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)

Overview

Prelude
History
Timeline
Operations
Logistics
Impact
International Security Assistance Force
Taliban insurgency
Drone strikes in Pakistan
Withdrawal of U.S. troops
- 2011–2016
- 2020–2021
Resolute Support Mission
Evacuation

Casualties
and losses

Afghan forces
Civilian
- 2001–2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2011
- 2012
Coalition
Aviation incidents

Timeline

2001	Bombing of Kandahar Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif Siege of Kunduz Herat uprising Fall of Kabul Battle of Tarinkot Fall of Kandahar Battle of Qala-i-Jangi Dasht-i-Leili massacre Battle of Shawali Kowt Battle of Sayyd Alma Kalay Battle of Tora Bora
2002 –2006	2002 Guantanamo Bay Uruzgan bombing Kabul bombing 2003 Pakistan Embassy in Kabul attack 2004 2005 2006 Taliban offensive
2007	Shinwar shooting Hyderabad airstrike Nangar Khel incident Helmand airstrikes Baghlan bombing Bagram bombing South Korean hostage crisis
2008	Haska Meyna airstrike Azizabad airstrike Wech Bagtu airstrike Kabul Indian embassy bombing Kabul S Hotel attack Kidnapping of David Rohde Sarposa attack Kandahar bombing Spin Boldak bombing
2009	Granai airstrike Kunduz airstrike Narang raid February Kabul raids Kabul Indian embassy bombing Kandahar bombing NATO HQ bombing Camp Chapman attack Battle of Sabzak
2010	January Kabul attack Raid on Khataba February Kabul attack Uruzgan attack Sangin airstrike Maywand murders Tarok Kolache Nadahan bombing May Kabul bombing Badakhshan massacre Operation Halmazag
2011	Mano Gai airstrike Sarposa prison escape Bin Laden raid Logar bombing I-C Hotel Kabul attack Nimruz bombing Zabul bombing Chinook shootdown Helmand killing Pakistani border attack Ashura bombings
2012	Order of battle Urination video Kapisa airstrike Quran burning protests April attacks Forward Operating Base Delhi massacre Kandahar massacre September Camp Bastion raid Shesh Aba raid Body pictures
2013	Farah attack June Kabul bombings Presidential palace attack Herat U.S. consulate attack Jalalabad Indian consulate bombing
2014	Kabul S Hotel attack Herat Indian consulate attack Bagram bombing Paktika bombing Yahyakhel bombing December Kabul bombings Atiqullah Raufi assassination
2015	Park Palace attack Kabul Parliament attack Khost bombing April Jalalabad bombing 7 August Kabul attacks 10 August Kabul bombing 22 August Kabul bombing Ghazni prison escape Battle of Kunduz Hospital airstrike Kandahar Airport bombing Kabul Spanish Embassy attack Bagram bombing
2016	Nangarhar offensive Operation Omari April Kabul attack Kunduz-Takhar highway hostage crisis Kabul Canadian Embassy convoy bombing 30 June bombings July Kabul bombing Janikhel offensive AUoA attack September Kabul attacks Battle of Tarinkot Battle of Kunduz Battle of Boz Qandahari Mazar-i-Sharif German consulate bombing Bagram bombing
2017	January bombings Sangin airstrike March Kabul attack Nangarhar airstrike Camp Shaheen attack May Kabul bombing June Herat bombing Battle of Bora Bora June Lashkargar bombing August Herat attack 17 October attacks 20 October attacks 28 December Kabul bombing
2018	I-C Hotel Kabul attack STC Jalalabad attack Kabul ambulance bombing March Kabul bombing Kunduz madrassa attack 22 April Kabul bombing 30 April Kabul bombings Battle of Farah July Jalalabad bombing Battle of Darzab Ghazni offensive September Jalalabad bombing
2019	Maidan Shar attack Camp Shorabak attack 2019 Kabul mosque bombing 1 July Kabul attack Ghazni bombing 28 July Kabul bombing July Farah bombing 7 August Kabul bombing 17 August Kabul bombing 2 & 5 September Kabul bombings 17 September bombings Qalat bombing Jalalabad suicide bombing Haska Meyna mosque bombing Bagram attack
2020	6 March Kabul shooting Kabul gurdwara attack May attacks June attacks July attacks August attacks Jalalabad prison September attacks October attacks November attacks Kabul University attack December attacks
2021	Attacks Taliban offensive Kabul school bombing Battle of Kandahar Fall of Herat Battle of Lashkargah Capture of Zaranj Fall of Kabul Kunduz mosque bombing Kandahar bombing 2021 Kabul Airlift Operation Allies Refuge Operation Pitting Operation Devi Shakti Kabul airport attack August 29 drone strike