| A special force will be formed to boost security in areas hit by a Taliban-led insurgency, Afghan Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar said on Saturday. The paramilitary-style force, to be funded by the US government, would operate under the command of the Interior Ministry, the department responsible for the Afghan police force, Atmar told reporters. "Considering the special situation in the country, we've decided to... create public protection forces with a special security mission within the Interior Ministry frame," Atmar said. Their tasks would include protecting communities, schools, other government installations and highways that "are threatened by an ongoing Taliban-led insurgency", the minister added. |