ZABUL, Afghanistan – Coalition representatives hosted the first Afghan Local Police basic training course in the village of Sayagez, Arghandab district, July 24.
The course, which is designed to teach students how to protect the region’s residents from criminal activity, helps to re-establish a governmental presence in the upper Arghandab river valley. The initial day of training included basic marksmanship classes and live-fire static range training.
“Since this ALP class is being conducted during Ramadan, facilitators have developed a curriculum that is respectful of the candidates’ religious traditions and culture,” said a coalition representative. “The ALP candidates and the village elders were enthusiastic about the training and were grateful for the special considerations during the Ramadan holiday.”
The coalition representative added that since coalition forces began partnering with Afghan National Security Forces in Sayagez, Taliban members are feeling increasingly powerless and are exiting the region.
Once the 30 candidates graduate from the ALP basic training, they will be assigned to security checkpoints in the Sayagez region.