KABUL, Dec. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- The goal of the US-backed Afghan transitional government to have a 70,000-new brand strong army would be achieved within the next three years, an commander of the US-led coalition troops said Saturday.

    "Per the Bonn agreement, the ultimate size of Afghanistan National Army (ANA) will be 70,000 and this goal will be achieved in September 2007," Chief of Staff of Office Military Cooperation in Afghanistan Bob Sharp told journalists here.

    Of these, he added, 18,000 soldiers have been already recruited by the new army.

    "There are almost 18,000 soldiers in the ANA. More than 15,000 trained soldiers in the field and about 3,000 in training," he asserted.

    "Of those 70,000 troops, 43,000 will be the ground combat forces and the rest will comprise the sustaining institutions such as the Recruiting Command, the Logistic Command, the Air Corps, etc," he added.

    The United States and its allies in the war on terrorism particularly Britain, France and Germany have been assisting the post-Taliban central Asian state to set up its own national army and police.

    "The sustaining institutions are required of modern army to allow it to stand on its own," noted the official.              Enditem