The United States Army Special Forces, the Green Berets, has reportedly termed the Afghan National Army (ANA) inept and has narrated tales of its soldiers hiding behind trees, rocks and quitting the fight, during an investigation.
The criticisms contained in a U.S. Central Command "friendly fire" investigative file provided an insight into the shortcomings of a national army that has been in the making for more than a decade, reported The Washington Times.
The soldiers gave statements to the investigators after the Gaza Valley battle took place on June 8-9 in Zabul province, northeast of Kandahar.
The report said that Afghans soldiers lacked the ability to fight at night, a hallmark of American forces.
The Green Beret's A-Team leader said that the operation got off to a stuttering start when the ANA provided fewer soldiers than requested. He further said that at about midpoint in the village, the army became stagnant, went into hiding in areas that had forests in an otherwise dessert valley and then "simply quit."
The security force is expected to repulse the Taliban and keep Afghanistan's democratically elected governments in power on its own after all American troops leave post 2016.