In response to recent attacks on its assets in Afghanistan, the Indian government has decided to bring in reinforcements of its elite Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) commandos. The ITBP will be sending 79 additional commandos to join the 219 already deployed in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Ministry of Interior (MoI) assured that Indian government's decision was not against international law and was met with approval. However, experts said that the decision was a clear result of a lack of faith in the capabilities of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and as well as the suspected increase in the number of covert Pakistani intelligence (ISI) operatives in Afghanistan.
India's announcement claimed the deployment was an attempt to provide better security for its citizens in Afghanistan. The decision was justified by the increasing number of attacks and threats against employees of the Indian Embassy and Consulates in Afghanistan, including the high-profile car bomb attack on the Consulate office in Jalalabad that claimed 12 lived at the beginning of August.
"Due to the deteriorating security situation in Kunar, Khost, and Kandahar, Indian citizens are facing increased threat to their lives," elaborated Amrullah Aman, an Afghan military expert. "India does not trust the Afghan security forces enough."
Janan Mosazai, the Spokesman for MoFA, said that the Afghan government was fully aware of the deployment and supported the right India, a ever closer ally of Kabul, to do what was necessary to protect its citizens and property in Afghanistan.
"In accordance with a memorandum, we are aware that Indian commandos would be deployed in Afghanistan," said Mr. Mosazai. "Every country has the right to protect their Embassy and political representatives."
Regarding arrangement that would be set between the ITBP commandos and the Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF), which is normally in charge of foreign Embassy security, Najeebullah Danish, the Deputy Spokesman of the MoFA, said that the Embassy property itself would be handled by the Indian forces while exterior security would be left to the APPF.
"The Afghan Public Protection Force will protect the embassy from the outside, but for their satisfaction, India can station its soldiers within the premises of the embassy," said Mr. Danish.
The decision to increase the number of ITBP personnel in Afghanistan was made, in part, in light of growing concerns with the presence of ISI agents in Afghanistan. India and Pakistan have long held animosities toward each other, more than once erupting into full combat. Most recently, tensions between the two countries have flared over their respective attempts to influence affairs in Afghanistan, a mutual South Asian neighbour.