January 24, Coordinator of Afghanistan Ghor Province Illegal Armed Groups Disarmament Committee handed for disposal to the soldiers of Lithuanian-led Afghanistan Ghor Provice Reconstruction Team (PRT) the ammunition which was collected in the province by the local security forces.
Lithuanian soldiers took over 23 rockets (107 mm), about 50 mortar shells, several tens of ammunition of antitank grenade launcher and recoilless guns, around 600 rounds of heavy machine-gun, other ammunition.
The task of Afghanistan Ghor Province Illegal Armed Groups Disarmament Committee is to collect weapons and ammunition from the illegal groups and ensure their storage and disposal. As Ghor Province Security Forces have no capabilities to conduct ammunition and explosives disposal, local representatives of Ghor Province often ask for assistance of PRT Explosives Ordnance Disposal Team as it has required capabilities and skills to neutralize such explosives.
Afghanistan Defence Ministry assigns Coordinator of Illegal Armed Groups' Disarmament Process to every province of the country; responsibilities of such coordinator include management and control of this activity. The districts of province where appropriate amount of ammunitions and explosives is collected, get a possibility to receive support from the international community and Afghanistan Government for the cooperation projects.
The Lithuanian-led Province Reconstruction Team in Ghor is a joint civilian-military mission, a part of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, which was launched in Ghor in summer of 2005. The main task of the mission is to provide assistance for the Government of Afghanistan to expand authority in the province, ensure security and provide favourable conditions for the reconstruction of province. Prerequisite for the multinational forces deployed in Afghanistan to end the mission will be provided as soon as the country's National Security Forces are able to ensure security of the country and its population independently. In the present period major attention is paid to the projects of training and preparation of Afghanistan National Security Forces.
Currently the 12th rotation of the Lithuanian-led PRT serves in Ghor province, the shift is based on the personnel of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanized Infantry Battalion.
Together with Lithuanian military and civilian personnel the following countries contribute representatives to the Lithuanian-led PRT: Denmark, Georgia, Japan, US, and Ukraine. The EU Police Mission EUPOL (EUPOL) Team developing its activity in Afghanistan includes representatives of Poland ands Finland.
Article and pictures by PIO for PRT-12 Capt Ainaras Jonaitis.
In the pictures: Ammunition handover ceremony
