More than 1,000 Afghan soldiers died in action this year, the highest since the Taliban insurgency began, as the army assumes more responsibility before Nato forces withdraw in 2014, officials said Sunday.

“In the past nine months, 906 Afghan army soldiers were killed. A total of 1,056 soldiers were killed in 2012,” defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told reporters in Kabul.

“The toll has increased compared to the previous years.”

The ability of the rapidly-expanding army to thwart the insurgency is key to Afghanistan avoiding civil war as about 100,000 international troops head home.