The Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Sunday said it has decided to extend the basic military training period for members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) from ten weeks to 12 weeks in the hope of lowering the high death toll among soldiers.

This comes two days after President Ashraf Ghani told a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos that a staggering 45,000 security force members had been killed since he took office in September 2014.

This however comes after he said in November last year that 28,000 had been killed.

“Over 45,000 Afghan security personnel have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Ghani said last week.

He said: “The number of international casualties is less than 72.”

Meanwhile, senior military officials have said that currently Afghan military recruits now have access to more equipment.

“The training period has been increased from 10 weeks to 12 weeks. All plans have been reassessed. Old plans will be replaced with new ones; the plans which are needed in the battlefields,” said Mohammad Amin Wahidi, the commander of Kabul Military Training Center (KMTC).

Addressing a graduation ceremony on Sunday of 1,400 officers, Gen. Mohammad Sharif Yaftali, the Afghan Army Chief of Staff, said: “We are fighting for peace in our country. The war has been imposed on us.

“There are international terrorist groups here in Afghanistan such as Daesh and al-Qaeda network, they have come here to destroy our country under the cover of the Taliban. If today Taliban want to come to peace, we welcome them,” he said.

Meanwhile, newly graduated ANA officers have also called on the Taliban to end the war.

“Our message to the enemies of Afghanistan is to come and join the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and live peacefully together with us,” said Mohammad Ahmadi, ANA officer.

“We, the youths of this country, should not remain silent against the Taliban and not surrender to them, we should come and wear the military uniform and defend the pride, dignity and conscience of the nation,” said Mohammad Fareed Albashiri, an ANA officer.

So far this year, fighting has continued amid a surge in Taliban attacks – despite the harsh winter. Both sides have however sustained heavy casualties.