Major Abdul Aziz

Taliban terrorists killed 30 members of the Afghan security forces in an ambush in the western province of Badghis on Wednesday, the provincial governor said, their first major attack since a ceasefire for the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

The challenge of forging a modern, technically proficient air force in a country at war is immense, but a fully operational Afghan Air Force is an essential element in the West's exit strategy. The target date for having an Afghan Air Force able to stand on its own feet, with about 8,000 trained personnel and 145 aircraft, is 2016.

Taliban terrorists killed 30 members of the Afghan security forces in an ambush in the western province of Badghis on Wednesday, the provincial governor said, their first major attack since a ceasefire for the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

The challenge of forging a modern, technically proficient air force in a country at war is immense, but a fully operational Afghan Air Force is an essential element in the West's exit strategy. The target date for having an Afghan Air Force able to stand on its own feet, with about 8,000 trained personnel and 145 aircraft, is 2016.