Afghan Border Police defeat insurgents, protect base

40th Public Affairs Detachment
Story by Pfc. Cody Thompson

Date: 05.11.2009
Posted: 05.29.2009 09:34
News ID: 34279

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — After a four hour battle with the insurgent forces on May 11, Afghanistan border police repelled the attack on ABP Combat Outpost Tera Wha, approximately two miles from the Pakistan/Afghanistan border, which resulted in three insurgents killed and no casualties sustained by the ABP.

"I had to leave my land because of the Taliban," said Hamdunlah Hamidi, a patrolman in a first sergeant position with the ABP. "The Taliban tells the people that they can't win and that they plan to attack again and will attack again."

The insurgents set-up in four separate locations and sprang an attack upon the ABP. After a few hours of fighting the ABP ran out of ammunition and had to call the Company A, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division for more supplies. Within minutes, the supplies arrived on an airlift and the ABP we're able to successfully stave off the insurgent forces.

"It was mostly ineffective fire from the Taliban, but the first time a bullet ricochets it becomes serious," said Capt. Stan Johnson IV, a Grand Forks, N.D., native, and Company A commander.

The ABP have defended Tera Wha for nine months with no coalition support, said Col. Mohammad Naim, the ABP battalion commander. "We destroyed 17 improvised explosive devices last year. Our forward operating base was attacked 14times and ambushed12 times by the Taliban. My Soldiers killed seven Taliban Soldiers during those attacks last year."

The ABP's mission in Tera Wha is to clear the route from the Pakistan/Afghanistan border to the villages of all enemy forces and to stop the flow of poppy from Pakistan.

"There is no poppy within 175 miles from Tera Wha and last year [ABP] conducted 337 border missions," said Naim.

"We appreciate coalition forces being here to help, but some of the missions are more personal to us," said Hamidi. "We have requested heavy weapons to [including the Dishka, a 50 caliber weapon and the ZU1, a single barrel anti-aircraft weapon] combat the Taliban threat. Our confidence grows with training."

The base near the border is filled with brave ABP Soldiers who will defend their base, land and people until their borders are secure.

"I've seen a lot of improvement in the soldiers and we will fight until our last breath," Hamidi.