Afghan Forces Starting to Hold Their own Against Taliban

KABUL, Afghanistan - Canadian Sergeant Major Keith Jacquard, from ISAF’s Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team. who arrived at the Arghandab District Centre from Kandahar city, was planning to attend a weekly shura, or meeting, with local officials.
That wasn’t the case this morning.

Instead, an excited security chief took Jacquard into a private room to see a collection of machine guns, grenade launchers and IEDs confiscated by the local police.

During the evening, the Afghan National Police launched its routine patrols; that’s when the insurgents struck. After detonating two IEDs, the insurgents fired upon the police cars. The ANP officers dismounted, returned fire then advanced toward the insurgents.

The insurgents began retreating, and as the battle raged, the ANP killed one insurgent and captured and arrested another. The battle ended when the remaining insurgents ran away.

The ANP then launched a search operation finding the IEDs and weapons.

“The district leader and the police chief were so excited by their victory and the subsequent cache that they postponed the weekly shura,” Jacquard said. “That’s fine by us because the police were still conducting their investigation following the attacks.”

These events “illustrates to us that they’re taking ownership of their own security. But more importantly, this is a uniform act of defiance directed towards the insurgency,” Jacquard added. “It’s a signal that the people are standing up for themselves and letting the [insurgents] know they will not be coerced or intimidated.”

From ISAF