Covert forces of Afghans have been trained by CIA to keep the war against the Taliban on the track as US troops are leaving the country. But a senior official in Karzai's Office expressed unawareness about the forces. According to an Afghan based TV, the members of one shadowy group of some 400 men in southern Kandahar province have given The Independent insight into their training and secret operations against militants. A senior member of the 400-man shadowy force has said that they were taught hand-to-hand combat by foreign military advisors, were delivered to targets by US Black Hawk helicopters and have received a thank-you note from President Hamid Karzai for their work. "These forces are the most shadowy and the most unaccountable in the country and it's a serious problem that nobody's taking responsibility for," Rachel Reid, a senior policy advisor to the Open Society Foundation, said. Deputy Spokesperson for President Karzai, Seyamak Herawi, said: ''President Hamid Karzai has sought clearance about the units for several times." The paramilitary groups are stationed in eastern and southern Afghanistan where they gather intelligence, secure the border with Pakistan, and launch raids on militants of al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the host of other militant groups.