Policewoman dares to keep Taliban at bay in Helmand

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): An Afghan local policewoman in the Marja district of southern Helmand province said she was better protecting the Sistani locality from militants after the Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers withdrew from the area.

Ferozi, the policewoman, popularly known as Hajjani, is the commander Afghan local police in Sistani locality of Marja district. She told Pajhwok Afghan News that militants launched group attacks in the area some three days back, which forced ANA soldiers to leave the check post unmanned.

She along with her 13 personnel and family members offered stout resistance to rebels and locked in intense gun battle with militants the whole night. She got reinforcement from the Sangin district to repulse militants’ attack.

Hajjani said: “I approached ANA and told them that militants had arrived in the area and how could we counter them. The soldiers told me that anti-militants operation would be launched soon. But after a while I came to know that ANA had deserted the check post.”

She said that her 13 personnel were protecting three security check posts at a time when she lost her son and 25 border police personnel during the last couple of years.

She challenged rebels could not dare to enter the area in her command and the government should provide them with fuel, vehicles and other needed facilities.

Maj. Gen. Nabi Jan Malakhel, Helmand police chief, praised the role and valor of Hajjani and said the policewoman offered stout resistance to militants and protected the restive Sistani locality from falling into the hands of militants.

The militants, Hajjani recalled took advantage of the situation and mounted series of attacks on Sistani when ANA left the check posts. “I fight back militants with renewed zeal and took control of the area fell into the hands of insurgents,” she added.

Twenty-four rebels were killed and as many militants and three police personnel were wounded in the Sistani fire fight, she said, adding that the area had now been completely purged of anti-state elements.

Malakhel pledged that all facilities would be provided to the policewoman to further stabilize their position against rebels.

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