June 29, 2011 —
KABUL, Afghanistan (June 29, 2011) — Many insurgent activities are being thwarted by increased security presence in Afghan villages and increased weapon caches found by Afghan National Security Forces.
“Taking weapons and communication equipment out of the hands of the enemy is one way to disrupt its network – and one many Afghan civilians are helping with,” said German Army Brig. Gen. Josef Blotz, International Security Forces Afghanistan spokesman, during a press conference held June 27.
In the past two weeks, Afghan and coalition forces seized more than 100 weapons caches used to carry out insurgent attacks. For example, one cache contained more than 35 rockets, 24 mortars and 22 rocket propelled grenades.
Tips from Afghan citizens have aided forces in finding the caches, which is a sign of their trust in ANSF and their local police forces – the Afghan Local Police, said Blotz. The ALP forces are selected by their community to provide local defense against insurgents and are trained by the Afghan Ministry of Interior. They are legitimate, enrolled members of the MOI. “They are not militia. They are vetted, trained, and enrolled by the MOI, and, where available, wear a distinctive brown uniform,” said BlotzThe ALP has been instrumental in protecting the local populace. Today, there are 41 validated sites with more than 6,500 members, said Blotz.
The ALP was highlighted at the press conference as one more example of the strength of ANSF.
“Afghan National Security Forces grow stronger every day,” said Dominic Medley, NATO senior civilian representative’s spokesman. “The transition is on track. In 2014, Afghanistan’s security will rest with the ANSF and that’s exactly where it should be.”
“The ANSF are showing more and more resolve,” stated Blotz. “We salute them for their resilience and commitment to their country.”