Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) who have been partnered with the Australian Special Operations Task Group (SOTG), last month paraded as fully qualified Afghan National Police (ANP) officers for the first time.
Commander of Australian forces in the Middle East Major General John Cantwell said all ANSF personnel who were partnered with the SOTG now held the complete suite of qualifications required as officers of the ANP.
“The ANP organisation partnered with the SOTG is one of the few units of its kind in Afghanistan that can boast that all of its members are 100 per cent qualified as Afghan police. A qualified and trained local police force reinforces the rule of law, which is a key element for a credible and stable government,” Major General Cantwell said.
The partnered ANP force is the
“The local knowledge and community connections of the Uruzgan PRC provide invaluable support to Australian Special Forces,” Major General Cantwell said.
PRC members are trained in combat first aid, Humvee driving, counter-improvised explosive device (IED) techniques and Pashto literacy, and a number have attended the ISAF counter-insurgency training course in Kabul.
Partnered operations have successfully captured insurgent commanders and IED facilitators. A recent operation by PRC and SOTG in northern Kandahar resulted in the deaths of an insurgent commander and two Taliban high commissioners.
The Ministry of Interior (MOI) has also endorsed the development of the Special Response Team (SRT) capability to ensure that the Uruzgan Provincial Chief of Police has a responsive, deployable capability that could be used province-wide for high-threat resolution.
SRT missions have allowed Afghan civilians to witness the increased capability of the ANP officers who are able to enforce the laws of the Afghan Government and, as a result, have maintained pressure on insurgent networks in its areas of operation.
Shuras (meetings) with local elders have allowed villagers to air grievances and have strengthened the relationship between local nationals and SRT personnel.
“These operations were vital for the growth of the SRT as part of the Afghan National Security Forces,” Major General Cantwell said.
Support from SOTG will enable the PRC to plan and lead all their operations in the future, which will be a key milestone in the transfer of lead security responsibility in Uruzgan Province.
Media contact: Defence Media Operations: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664
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