KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Afghan commandos conducted a mission readiness exercise to better respond against insurgent attacks in Kandahar on April 2 ahead of the upcoming provincial and presidential elections.
“I want the people in our area of responsibility to know that the 3rd Special Operations Kandak is capable and ready in case there is an attack on any voting site,” said Afghan National Army Maj. Abdul Manan, 3rd SOK commander.
The 3rd SOK is able to respond quickly in the Kandahar, Zabul, and Uruzgan provinces, where the commandos regularly conduct operations and are respected by the populace, added the commander.
The commandos are a specialized light infantry unit capable of providing a strategic response for the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
During the exercise, the commandos rehearsed scenarios where they responded to insurgent attacks, specifically at a polling site. The commandos quickly eliminated the attackers and evacuated any of the wounded after receiving a call for help.
“This exercise proves that we are prepared to respond quickly and safeguard the people that are voting for the future of our country,” said Manan. “All of the [Afghan National Security Forces] are ready to provide security to voting sites before, during, and after the elections.”