Afghan local police buy machinegun spending own money

Monitoring Desk

GHAZNI CITY: Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel in Muqur and Gilan districts of Ghazni province say they can recapture many areas from Taliban insurgents if they are given heavy and advanced weapons.

Wazi Mohammad, an ALP member in Muqur district, told Pajhwok Afghan News that they had recaptured many areas from Taliban control despite lacking modern weapons.

“When foreign forces were in the district, only a limited area was under the government control but the Taliban were driven from many areas after the ALP forces were deployed here,” he said.

He said the ALP men had only received Kalashnikovs from the government and nothing else. Mohammad said they had purchased a machinegun spending their own money.

Eid Mohammad, another ALP man, said militants carried ‘many times’ advanced and heavy weapons then the government backed militia forces. “We have many times demanded advanced and heavy weapons from the authorities, but no one paid heed.”

According to Mohammad, there are ALP members who sold their motorbikes and bought weapons in order to resist militant attacks.

He complained: “If we leave our jobs, the Taliban would chase and kill us, if we fight, we lack weapons.”

On the other hand, ALP members in Gilan district say also face the same problems.

Lal Mohammad told Pajhwok that militants possessed more advanced weapons. “Look here, a few days back, I was injured and many of our colleagues were killed and wounded after the Taliban attacked us firing 82mm artillery.”

Meanwhile, Abdul Mateen, ALP commander in Muqur district, said they faced several problems during clashes with militants due the lack of advanced weapons.

He said: “Whenever a latest weapon is released, it comes to insurgents and they use it against us.”

In response to these complaints, Ghazni police chief Brig. Gen. Mohammad Zaman said legally ALP personnel could not be given advanced weaponry rockets.

“I am currently in a security meeting in Gardez, I will share the problems of local police in the meeting to find solution,” he added. In response to a question, he said ALP should not have heavy weapons because their main duty was law enforcement.

Mohammad Arif Noori, the governor’s spokesman, said the issue had been shared with the central government and it had been promised to reduce ALP problems at the earliest possible.