Afghanistan's Defence Ministry has averted various efforts by Taliban guerrillas trying to infiltrate into army ranks, a ministry spokesman said on Thursday, but he conceded some failures, according to Reuters. A series of deadly attacks against NATO-led troops stationed in joint bases with Afghan forces has been carried out either by Taliban sympathisers or their infiltrators in Afghan army and police ranks in recent years. Afghan authorities have said several high-profile attacks by the Taliban, including an abortive strike against President Hamid Karzai nearly two years ago, were facilitated with the help of some security force members. The attacks have raised concerns and questions among some in the West about the degree of Taliban infiltration in Afghan forces being trained and funded by the NATO as part of its fight against the resurgent militants. Zahir Azimy, spokesman for Afghanistan's Defence Dinistry, said the militants have tried frequently to make their way into the U.S.-trained Afghan army's ranks. But he told reporters procedures and filters put in place by the ministry's intelligence and reconnaissance department have averted a number of such attempts.
