Taliban fighters (file photo)

Afghanistan International: Led by Amrullah Saleh, former Vice-President of Afghanistan, Afghanistan’s Green Trend (AGT) has disclosed substantial discrepancies in the Taliban’s military roster, highlighting the prevalence of “ghost soldiers” within their ranks. AGT’s recent publication reveals that out of the reported 173,000 personnel in the Taliban’s military forces, approximately 100,000 are classified as ghost soldiers. These ghost members are fictitious entities whose names appear in official records to illicitly claim additional benefits like salaries and food supplies, a practice rooted in systemic corruption. Additionally, AGT’s intelligence unit has accessed employment records for over 50,000 staff members of the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence, revealing that approximately 93 percent belong to the Pashtun ethnic group. Click here to read more (external link).