NATO troops hand over security control in northern Afghan province

Jan 24, 2012, 12:06 GMT

Kunduz, Afghanistan - NATO-led troops on Tuesday handed over security control of part of a northern province of Afghanistan to local security forces, officials said.

A ceremony in Faizabad, capital of Badakhshan province, on the Tajik border, marked the handover of security control of the city and seven of the largely peaceful province's 28 districts from the NATO-led German troops to Afghan security forces.

The security transition began in July last year when control of seven relatively peaceful areas were handed over to local forces, despite speculation over the abilities of Afghan forces.

In November, President Hamid Karzai announced a second handover phase for six entire provinces, seven provincial cities and 43 districts from nine provinces, covering half the Afghan population.

Many Afghans and observers have expressed concern about the national forces' ability to take over security responsibility, as violence has increased in the south and east of the country.

'We should not be left alone,' said Shah Waliullah Adeeb, governor of Badakhshan. 'If they don't support our national security forces and if they leave us like this, we won't be able to secure this province,' he said.

German Ambassador Ruediger Koenig, who also attended the ceremony, said the handover was a success for the Afghan forces. He also said that 'the withdrawal of foreign soldiers from Afghanistan doesn't mean this country will be left alone.'

The 130,000 NATO-led international forces in Afghanistan have started a gradual withdrawal which is to be completed in 2014.

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