Afghanistan to examine Russia's claim over loan

    KABUL, Dec. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The Afghan government on Tuesday hinted at demanding war compensation from Russia for the former Soviet Union's invasion of the country in 1979.

    "The government of Afghanistan is mulling over the issue," Presidential spokesman Mohammad Karim Rahimi told a questionnaire while his opinion was sought with regard to demanding war compensation from Moscow.

    He made the comment on the 26th anniversary of the ex-Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.

    Over 100,000 troops of the former Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan on December 27, 1979 and occupied the country till Feb.15, 1989.

    The poor central Asian state plunged into civil war following the withdrawal of the Red Army and experienced brutal factional fighting as well as Taliban's hard-line rule till the regime's removal by the U.S.-led war in 2001.

    He also said millions of Afghans had been killed and handicapped during the 10-year Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

    "The destruction of Afghanistan began with the invasion of the Soviet Union as the country's all political, economic and social infrastructures had been destroyed," Rahimi noted.

    Afghan officials in the past have also proposed unofficially to demand war compensation from Russia, but the government is yet to forward it formally. Enditem