The United States Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has reported a drop of at least 11 percent in the numbers of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.

The head of SIGAR John Sopko informed regarding the drop in the numbers while releasing the latest report regarding the ongoing efforts to rebuild the Afghan armed forces.
According to the latest SIGAR report, at least 296,400 security personnel are currently serving in the ranks of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
The report further adds that the personnel of the Afghan Air Force are also included in the estimated number of the armed forces.
SIGAR says the latest estimate shows that the numbers of the armed forces have dropped by 10.6 percent as compared to the previous year.
“Building up the Afghan forces is a top priority for the U.S. and our international allies, so it is worrisome to see Afghan force strength decreasing,” Sopko was quoted as saying in a report by Reuters.
The Afghan government and security institutions have not commented regarding the latest report of SIGAR so far.
The latest report by SIGAR regarding the reduction of the armed forces numbers came as the security situation has sharply deteriorated across the country during the recent months.
The Afghan forces face growing insurgency from the Taliban-led insurgency as well as the loyalists of the ISIS terrorist groups.