PAKTYA PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Afghan National Security Forces made signs of progress in the icy city of Gardez when an improvised explosive device was discovered by Afghan Uniformed Police and destroyed by members of the Afghan National Army’s explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit near wood market Feb. 18.

“I am really proud today, for all the Afghan people, because we showed that we can work together and defeat these threats,” said AUP Senior Capt. Abdul Kardur. 

Improvised explosive devices being found and disposed of by EOD units is not a rare occurrence in this volatile region of the country. What was special about this particular operation was that no coalition forces played a hand in it.

“We found the IED and decided to call in the ANA,” said Kardur. “They came in and blew it up and I felt really good about that, because it was a mission between two Afghan forces.”

The IED was planted on a street frequently patrolled by security forces, which conducted a patrol the day before.

Members of the local AUP had discovered a bag with wires coming out of it in a slushy culvert that morning. The police force did not call coalition forces, who were nearby to take care of the problem. Instead, they reached out to the newly graduated ANA EOD team stationed at Forward Operating Base Lightning, which is also nearby.

“When we heard there was an IED here we made ourselves ready in five minutes,” said ANA 1st Lt. Ali Ahmad, Platoon Commander for the 2nd Co., 2nd Kandak EOD team. “We came here and coordinated with the AUP commander, and then we blew it up.”

Dozens of neighborhood children watching from behind AUP cordons, the ANA’s 2nd Company, 2nd Kandak EOD squad confidently approached the suspect bag, determined it to be an IED, planted their own explosives around it, cleared the area and signalled a two-minute warning to all the spectators.

Then, with a sharp “BAM!” the new Afghan EOD squad destroyed the IED.

“Today we proved that we can take care of business,” said Ahmad.

The ANA EOD team estimated the bag contained approximately 15 to 20 pounds of explosives.

The mission was significant in that it required great cooperation between the ANA and AUP, two organizations that have just begun working well together.

That should be a common occurrence from now on, said Ahmad, “We train here, so whenever [the local AUP] have issues like this, we can help.”