50-man ALP squad deployed to Deh Yek

GHAZNI CITY (PAN): A 50-member Afghan Local Police (ALP) squad has been deployed to another volatile district of southern Ghazni province, Deh Yak. Another 150 personnel would join the force soon, officials said on Saturday.

Governor Musa Khan Akbarzada, who oversaw the deployment on Friday, told a gathering of tribal elders and local officials that residents had been recruited to the ALP contingent that had the ability to maintain security for villages.

Deh Yek administrative chief Fazl Ahmad Tolwak told Pajhwok Afghan News another 150 ALP members were undergoing training and they would be deployed to various parts of the district in near future.

“A total of 200 ALP members have been approved for the district. More than a dozen check-posts are being established for the force,” said Tolwak, who viewed the number of LPF members as small.

An ALP official, Mohammad Khan, who is resident of Rabat village, said: “Our duty is to protect civilians, but it is possible only when we are in a great number.”

Residents welcomed the deployment, but feared the recruits could create problems for them. “Most of them have previously worked for private security firms, which had a bad reputation in the communities they were supposed to serve,” said Abdul Rahman, a resident.

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