1,400 newly graduated soldiers join Afghan National Army

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1, 400 graduated soldiers on Sunday joined Afghan National Army (ANA) in Mazar-i-Sharif city, the provincial capital of Balkh province, some 305km north of capital city of Kabul, an army commander said.

"As many as 1,400 soldiers after completion of two-month training commissioned to ANA 209 'Shaheen Corps' on Sunday in Mazar-i Sharif city," commander of Shaheen Corps Amanullah Mobin said at the graduation ceremony.

"The newly graduated soldiers are ready to be deployed to any part of the country to provide security for their people," he further said.

The Afghan government and NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan have stepped up efforts to train and equip Afghan police and army as the country's security forces took the responsibility for securing seven areas of the nation in July this year.

In the second phase of security transition, Afghan army and police will take full control of security of six Afghan provinces including Balkh province, seven provincial capitals as well as more than 40 districts in near future, part of a process which will run to 2014 when Afghanistan will take over the full leadership of its own security duties from the U.S. and NATO forces.