Afghanistan prepares to deploy more than 14,000 Local Army forces

KABUL -- The Ministry of Defence has deployed over 8,000 Local Army forces to a number of districts and villages to help improve security in those areas and to deter Taliban attacks, and 6,000 more personnel will soon join them.

In March 2018, the ministry announced it would create a 30,000-member Local Army to deploy in remote areas across Afghanistan.

The recent deployments are making progress towards that goal.

"Currently, 8,568 Local Army forces are on active duty, and they have been deployed to all provinces -- except Helmand and Nimroz -- where they fight against terrorists and provide security for the local population," said ministry spokesperson Fawad Aman.

Another 1,232 troops are undergoing training, and 4,570 more are expected to join training soon after, he said.

The training lasts 12 weeks.

"Local Army forces have become stronger, more equipped and [better] trained," he added. "They are professional and very effective in providing security."

Recruits must be at least 18 years old, undergo a background check, be local to the area and vouched for by local elders.

In addition to new recruits, the Local Army forces will also comprise members of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) who are be transferred through a special programme, Aman said.

The ALP was established in 2010 to defend against the Taliban at the village level.

In the subsequent years, the ALP -- with support from NATO -- fought on the front lines against the Taliban, the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) and other enemies of Afghanistan alongside other branches of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF).

The government has since disbanded the ALP and is working to integrate them into the army forces and to find other security related jobs.

Local Army forces will be led and managed by Afghan National Army (ANA) officers, and will operate only in areas where they are recruited, Aman said.

"They are responsible to secure only the area where they live and will receive a salary that is equivalent to 75% the amount that ANA troops receive," he said.

A warning to the Taliban

Observers say Local Army forces will be efficient in maintaining security and fighting terrorists as long as they are well trained, equipped and managed.

"The Local Police have been successful in securing their areas, and now that they [will] become part of the Local Army, we hope they will be better trained and equipped so that they can be even more successful in their work," said Wazhma Safi, a representative of Kunar province in the Wolesi Jirga.

Local forces are familiar with their areas, which makes them more effective in establishing security and preventing acts of violence against people and public property, she said.

"Young people in Kunar and other provinces are interested in joining the National Police and army to fight our country's enemies," she said. "The creation of the Local Army is yet another warning to the Taliban that they must renounce violence."

Previously, whenever ANA forces conducted an operation and then returned to their bases, anti-government elements would resurge, said ANA Brig. (ret.) Yousuf Amin Zazai of Kabul.

However, if local troops operate in these areas, that would clip the insurgents' wings, he said.

"The Taliban should renounce violence and embrace peace as Afghan forces are becoming more professional by the day, and the Taliban soon will not be able to achieve anything on the battleground," he said.

Afghans welcome new Local Army forces

Dawlat Waziri, a former ANDSF officer, said Local Army troops will be even more effective at establishing security than the Local Police.

"The commanders of the Local Army are [ANA] officers, the Local Army forces are uniformed, and they undergo training before beginning their service," Waziri said.

Khush Muhammad, a member of the Kunduz provincial council, welcomed the deployment of Local Army forces in his province.

"If these forces are well-trained and equipped and do not harass locals, they will prove useful," he said.

"In the past, Local Police were deployed throughout the province, but some treated people well and some didn't," he said.

"Residents of areas where the Local Army has been deployed told us they were happy with the treatment of these forces," Muhammad said.

The presence of the Local Army in Kunduz province has a key role in fighting extremists, said Fathullah Habibi, a resident of the province.

"Because Kunduz didn't have enough army troops, the Taliban have become more active during the past few years, but now with the increase in their numbers, it will help clean the province from terrorists," he said.

"We had Local Police in Kunduz, most of whom had not received any military training, and they didn't treat people professionally," Habibi added. "But we are happy with the army and hope that the Local Army forces are as professional as those of the National Army."