Afghanistan to have regular army soon: Taliban official

Afghanistan would soon have a regular army to defend the country, Taliban's army chief of staff Qari Fasihuddin has said.

"Afghanistan would have a regular, disciplined and strong army in near future to defend and protect the country and consultations in this field continue," Xinhua news agency quoted Fasihuddin as saying to the Afghan radio service Salam Watandar.

Fasihuddin, in his address to a gathering in Kabul on Wednesday, said the members of the proposed army would be well-trained and disciplined to defend and protect Afghanistan, according to the radio service.

The Taliban captured the capital Kabul on August 15 and announced the formation of a caretaker government on September 7 to rule Afghanistan but without regular police and army.