KABUL – Signs of steady progress in development and governance are evident in the central part of Helmand prov., said ISAF Joint Command officials, Feb. 23.
In a daily update on Op Moshtarak, which began in the region Feb. 13, officials said bridges, roads and culverts are being repaired, bazaars are re-opening and attracting customers, and a variety of initiatives are being planned or implemented.
Officials said 6 projects are ongoing, and 18 are planned in northern Nad-e Ali, under the Afghanistan Vouchers for Increased Production in Agriculture Plus program. Meanwhile, educators and school officials are discussing a training program that will promote reading, writing and arithmetic skills among young people, who are addicted to drugs or have previous affiliations with the insurgency, officials added.
Afghan and combined forces continue to encounter “small, but determined pockets of resistance,” often from bunkers or other fortified positions, officials said. Though roadside bombs remain the greatest threat to SECFOR, they added, the combined force continues to make headway in clearing ops to enable improved governance and development.
New patrol bases are being established, as Afghan forces assert greater authority in Marjah and Nad-e Ali. A new patrol base is operational at 5 Ways Junction, and a new police base is being built in SE Marjah, officials said.
Clearing ops are on track and enabling greater freedom of movement for civilians and SECFOR alike, officials said. TF Helmand's engrs continue to upgrade roads in their area of ops, enabling more effective delivery of stabilization supplies.
