Oz elite forces giving military training to Afghan warlord’s private army

SYDNEY - Six fighters loyal to a notorious Afghan warlord have been flown to Australia to train with elite special forces as part of a covert strategy to strengthen military operations against the Taliban.

“The Afghans invited to Australia will fight side by side with our special operations soldiers, which is an important part of our efforts to stabilize Uruzgan,” an Australian defence department spokesman said.

The fighters are allied to Matiullah Khan, who is accused of corruption and human rights abuse in Afghanistan.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Matiullah holds no formal government position, but is allied with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Though Afghan police and military troops receive training from a horde of international soldiers and private contractors in Afghanistan on a daily basis, such training is not openly provided to non-government militias.

Australia, a non-NATO member nation, maintains a strong presence in Uruzgan, a sparsely populated province that borders Kandahar. (ANI)