The Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that 3,000 new National Army soldiers have been trained and assigned to providing security for the upcoming presidential runoff election on June 14.
General Baz Muhammad Jawaheri, the Deputy of Training and Personnel at the Ministry, said that the new soldiers would be primarily deployed to the most restive areas of the country in hopes that they might prevent a major disturbance to the election process.
“During the second round of the election new soldiers have been trained,” Jawaheri said. “ f the enemy has trained new soldiers, we are sending our newly trained soldiers to fight them.”
The Afghan security forces were praised back in April for their performance during the first round of the elections. Despite a wave of Taliban ahead of Election Day, police and military personnel were able to keep millions of voters safe when the time came.
“Our soliders are committed, god willing, we will ensure the security of the second round of the election,” Jawaheri said.
A week ago, operations were started around the country in order to put insurgents on their heels right before the election and during the traditionally volatile spring fighting season.
A number of soldiers who graduated from academy on Sunday, likely to be included in the 3,000 assigned to election security, told TOLOnews they were determined to put their training to use.
“We were trained really well, and now I can defend my country and my countrymen” National Army soldier Ahmad Jawed said.
Many have voiced concerns about security during the runoff round, predicting a tougher challenge than the first round. However, with one election already under their belt and fresh reinforcements announced, security officials appear confident about their ability to protect the process.
Source/Fuente: http://www.tolonews.com/elections2014/three-thousand-new-soldiers-assign...
