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Troops counter insurgency threat in Afghan village

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10- 0802 Shura in Afghanistan

MCpl Ian Tait
Hello and welcome to this edition of Army News, I’m MCpl Ian Tait.

MCpl Ian Tait
Our first story comes from our deployed team on Op ATHENA.

MCpl Ian Tait
Sgt Sébastien Fréchette tells us how our soldiers communicate with the local population after taking over a new area of responsibility.

Sgt Sébastien Fréchette
When the 1st Battalion Royal 22e Régiment Battle Group arrived on Afghan soil, their mandate was to install a new forward operating base. I had the opportunity to accompany their command team on a quick visit as they met with the inhabitants of Zangabad.

LCol Michel-Henri St-Louis
In October, coalition soldiers entered the point-shaped strip of Panjwayi District known as the “horn of Panjwayi”. When we arrived in late November, early December, the members of Task Force Kandahar, with the battle group leading the way, took on part of this responsibility in the horn of Panjwayi. This was significant because the insurgents had until quite recently enjoyed a certain freedom of movement in the sector, due to the absence of Afghan soldiers, Afghan police, and coalition members.

Maj Pierre Leroux
The majority of the insurgents either left or put down their weapons. When the population realised that we were there to stay they came on board, and they saw a big difference between the first two or three weeks and the last two or three weeks. And I must say that the people there know the Canadians because we were in that sector before, so they are very happy. That was the starting point for us to say to the people, “This is what’s happening, we are here to stay and the ISAF, ANA and ANP will be here too”. All under the supervision, and with the legitimacy, of the Afghan government.

BGen Dean Milner
We’re here with our soldiers to do everything in our power to help you have better security here in Zangabad.


LCol Michel-Henri St-Louis
It is important that for the past year or two, neither the Afghan security forces or the coalition had had any presence here; we capitalized on the successes of October-November, and a few days ago we took over responsibility for the Zangabad sector.

Sgt Sébastien Fréchette
From Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, this is Sgt Sébastien Fréchette reporting for Army News.

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