Formation During the
United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the start of
Operation Enduring Freedom, the first phase of the
War in Afghanistan, the
U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) worked with Afghan local militias against the
Taliban. The war effort eventually transitioned from removing the Taliban from power to assisting the U.S.-backed
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, led by President
Hamid Karzai. The U.S. initially had no plans to establish a
special operations force for the
Afghan National Army, the military of the new government, but after the success of the U.S.-organized
Iraqi SOF, the decision was made to create a similar unit in Afghanistan. Known as the ANA Commandos or Afghan Commandos, their purpose would be to work with allied special operations units and conduct missions that were too complex for ANA regular forces. In late 2006 it was determined that instead of being organized like the Green Berets the new Afghan unit would become elite
light infantry similar to the
United States Army Rangers, due to the belief that the situation in Afghanistan was different and had different requirements. Afghan leaders were also consulted and made suggestions based on their experience with the previous
Afghan Commando Forces, which had been organized by the Soviet military during the
Soviet-Afghan War. The creation of the Commandos received critical support from the ANA chief of operations, Major General
Sher Mohammad Karimi, himself a graduate of the Special Forces
Qualification Course in the United States. In November 2006, a battalion of soldiers from the Afghan Army's
201st Corps, led by Lieutenant Colonel
Mohammad Farid Ahmadi, was selected to be the first to go through Commando training, because it had high morale compared to other units. The battalion graduated in July 2007 after three months of training at a base just outside of Kabul. and was on duty from August 2007. Its original structure consisted of three Commando companies and one headquarters and service company.
Operation Enduring Freedom The first operation of the 1st Commando Kandak was from 12–14 September 2007, capturing a Taliban explosive maker in
Sherzad District,
Nangarhar Province, while working with the Afghan police and being advised by coalition forces. From 10–14 November 2007, in a joint operation with the
Afghan National Police known as
Operation Commando Fury, the 1st Commando Kandak successfully raided a Taliban facility in the
Tagab District,
Kapisa Province. In February 2008, an operation by Commandos known as "Say Laab" in the
Helmand Province reportedly resulted in the death of an important Taliban commander,
Abdul Bari. While the original plan by the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was for one
brigade with six kandaks, the ANA wanted a full division with three brigades and 15 kandaks. Two battalions were operational from 2007, three from 2008, and one from 2009, finishing the original plan. As of 2010 there was a 1st Commando Brigade that consisted of one battalion in Kabul, and was also known as the National Commando Brigade, while the other five battalions were each assigned to a regional corps. However, this also had an impact on the Commando battalions, because some of their trained personnel were sent to the Special Forces, and they now had to compete with a higher-tier unit for recruits. In mid-2011 the
Afghan National Army Special Operations Command (ANASOC) was organized to oversee Commando, Special Forces, and other special operations-capable units. The staff of the ANA 1st Commando Brigade headquarters provided the cadre for the ANASOC headquarters. Commandos responded to the
January 2010 Kabul attack. On 25 July 2010, Commandos and U.S. forces conducted a night raid in
Arghandab District,
Kandahar Province, as part of Operation Hamkari, aimed at removing the Taliban presence around the city of
Kandahar. During 13–16 May 2011, the 5th Commando Kandak and U.S. forces raided Taliban fighters in the
Qaysar District,
Faryab Province, and reportedly killed a high-ranking leader. On 6 August 2011 a U.S.
Chinook helicopter transporting 38 personnel, including seven Afghan Commandos and their interpreter,
was shot down by insurgents in the
Wardak Province, killing all aboard. In March 2012 members of the 1st, 2nd, and 6th Commando Kandaks took part in clearing operations throughout eastern Afghanistan. On 8 April 2012, the U.S. and Afghan authorities signed a memorandum of understanding that Afghan forces would take the lead on special operations missions. As the U.S. began reducing its troops in Afghanistan, a significant portion of those who were left were special operators working with the Commandos and ANASOC. The Afghan Commandos started taking a larger role in planning and leading their operations. The 2nd Special Operations Brigade was established around this time and was responsible for western Afghanistan. It consisted of the 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 9th Commando Kandaks. The brigade created an extra layer of command between the kandaks and the division and corps commanders. In August 2013 soldiers of the 2nd brigade received a Presidential Valorous Combat Unit award for actions in the
Herat Province. In September 2013 the 5th Commando Kandak cleared several villages and insurgent bases in
Badakhshan Province with regular units from the ANA
209th Corps, which resulted in the death of a Taliban commander.
Operation Freedom's Sentinel in
Helmand Province, 15 April 2012. During 2014 and 2015, President
Barack Obama reduced troop levels in Afghanistan as the international coalition shifted from Operation Enduring Freedom to
Operation Freedom's Sentinel. This signified the coalition's change in focus from combat to strengthening Afghan institutions. The ISAF was replaced by NATO's
Resolute Support Mission for providing training and guidance. The
Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) became entirely responsible for military operations from 1 January 2015, and from this point the Taliban were able to consistently expand their territory. With the exception of a few, most Commando units struggled to transition to independent operations and remained heavily reliant on U.S. assistance. Because of the logistical problems and corruption in the Afghan military, and the country's lack of infrastructure, Commando battalions were not capable of sustaining operations for more than 72 hours. The Commandos were still regarded as the most capable units in the Afghan military. In the first six months of 2015, 82% of ANSF operations were carried out by Commandos and other ANASOC units. By 2016 the Afghan security forces were becoming over-reliant on the Commandos, as they had to make up for the shortfalls of the regular army and police, Even though the Commandos comprised 7% of the Afghan National Security Forces, they conducted 70% to 80% of the fighting. During the Taliban's 2015 summer offensive only the Commandos and their U.S. advisors prevented the total defeat of several thousand ANA regular troops. On 28 September 2015, the Taliban captured the city of
Kunduz from a much larger force of regular troops and police, many of whom did not fight. As the first provincial capital to fall, it represented a major Taliban victory and became a crisis for the recently elected president
Ashraf Ghani. Commandos were able to get into the city with U.S. air support on 1 October and retook control of Kunduz after four days of street fighting. They also had a pivotal role during the 2016 campaign season, with fighting in the provinces of Kunduz, Helmand, and Nangarhar. The Commandos and the ANSF succeeded in denying the Taliban their stated objective for the year 2017, which was to capture a provincial capital. A night raid by the 7th Commando Kandak on 1 January 2018 in the
Nahr-e Saraj District, Helmand Province, killed seven members of the Taliban's elite
Red Unit and destroyed over 1,000 kilograms of drugs. In August 2017 President Ashraf Ghani announced the Afghan 2020 Roadmap, which ordered the Commandos to be doubled in size, During the early stages of the
2021 Taliban offensive that began on 1 May 2021, the Commandos, who were already heavily relied on, saw a 30% increase in their operations by the end of June as the regular Afghan forces were being overrun. This was in part because Afghan military logistics were disrupted by the Taliban taking control of some of the road networks, and the Afghan Air Force having no ability to maintain most of its aircraft after U.S. contractors withdrew (with the exception of
Mil Mi-17s). Commandos and the AAF were the main elements responding to Taliban advances. In the first two weeks of May, Commandos were deployed to retake parts of
Baghlan Province from the Taliban. After a ceasefire for the holiday
Eid al-Fitr in mid-May, the Taliban began attacks on areas around provincial capitals across 18 provinces. On 17 June, about 50 Commandos were ambushed in
Faryab Province, and 24 were killed, including the well-known Major Sohrab Azimi, which had an impact on ANSF morale. The Taliban made major advances despite some ANSF counterattacks, such as Commandos retaking
Puli Khumri in Baghlan in late June. In late July
The New York Times reported that the Commandos and the Afghan Air Force were "exhausted". They continued to fight despite this, along with some other ANSF units, as the Taliban expanded its control. Some Commando units continued to conduct nighttime raids against specific targets, though they were increasingly used as regular infantry. Commandos defended provincial capitals in Kandahar and Herat.
Dissolution and legacy Several provincial capitals fell in the first weeks of August 2021, and during 14–15 August, the government lost control of the military, with six of the seven ANA corps having surrendered or been overrun. With no logistical or air support, the Afghan National Security Forces that continued to fight were left with no choice but to flee, negotiate a withdrawal, or fight to the death. Commandos repeatedly fought to the point of exhausting their supplies. As part of the evacuation over 1,000 Afghan Commandos and their families were able to get to the United States, with the involvement of the CIA and other agencies. According to the former commander of ANASOC, Lt. Gen. Mohammad Farid Ahmadi, after the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban the majority of the Commandos continued to live in the country in hiding, and some had been detained and tortured before being released by the Taliban. There were some reports in 2022 that Iran and Russia have tried to recruit some Commandos that fled to Iran, and Ahmadi claimed that they have participated in the conflicts in
Nagorno-Karabakh,
Yemen,
Ukraine, and
Syria. The
Taliban-led
Islamic Emirate Army has its own
Commando forces, with a new flag and sleeve insignia. The tradition of wearing a
maroon beret has still been retained, previously worn by the Afghan Commando Forces and similar formations since 1970. ==Organization==