The Afghan Defense Ministry welcomed the decision of NATO to send in more troops to Afghanistan, saying that next year the Afghan forces will be more skilled on the battlefields.

“The commander division will enhance to military corps and they will need more equipment. Border Police and Public Protection Units will join the Defense Ministry. Also we need more airplanes in Air Force,” Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told TOLOnews on Friday.  

NATO has committed to send in up to 3,000 additional forces to Afghanistan. Reports say the number is 10 percent less than the number that NATO commanders had requested.

At the NATO’s Ministers of Defense Meetings in Brussels, the member countries agreed to send in more troops to Afghanistan to train the Afghan forces.

“It is positive news that the 19 other nations are ready to uphold their commitments to security in northern Afghanistan, although they are of course relying on Germany as a framework nation to continue to take its responsibilities and duties seriously,” German Defense Minister Ursula Von Der Leyen said.

The new commitments were made while Afghan forces are passing through a tough year. Albeit the Ministry of Defense speaks out about progresses among Afghan forces, analysts and lawmakers said lack of equipment is still a big challenge for the country’s soldiers.

American soldiers however have asked Afghan forces to be more offensive against insurgents in the next year.

“The injustice, corruption and ethnic-oriented activities will continue unless government, US and NATO put an end to the war in Afghanistan,” said Nadir Baluch, member of Meshrano Jirga, the Upper House of Parliament.

The United States recently announced it will send in nearly 4,000 new troops to Afghanistan. After the arrival of the new US and NATO soldiers to Afghanistan, the total number of foreign troops in the country will likely reach to over 22,000.