DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 6265 1545
MSPA 330/09
Wednesday, 07 October 2009
JOINT AFGHAN-AUSTRALIAN OPERATION SUPPORTS SECURITY
IN ORUZGAN
A joint Afghan National Army, Australian Defence Force, Dutch and US operation
has responded to a call from Afghan locals to remove the threat posed by
Taliban
insurgents from the Mirabad area, located east of Tarin Kowt.
A combined force was successfully air-lifted by helicopter into the region in a major
air mobile operation on the 25th
of September with ground operations commencing
immediately. The operation is progressing well with the discovery of several
improvised explosive devices and weapons caches.
Called Operation ‘Baz Panje’, meaning ‘Falcon’s Talon’, the operation is seen as a
critical step in spreading the coalition’s influence into the area by building a new
patrol base.
The Commanding Officer of the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force-2,
Lieutenant Colonel Peter Connolly, said the Mirabad area has had a limited security
presence over the last few years.
“This is a method of expanding the Afghan Development Zone from Tarin Kowt out
to the east. This is how ISAF works its counter insurgency operation by expanding
this bubble of security to the east so that we can expand development and
reconstruction efforts also in the east,” said Lieutenant Colonel Connolly.
The launch of Operation Baz Panje has been greatly assisted through the work of the
Australian Special Operations Task Group and its partner forces, including the
Afghan National Security Forces, through the conduct of a series of coordinated
operations in the area.
“The Mirabad Valley is a place that has been dominated by the Taliban insurgency for
the past seven years and in fact the young people in the valley have become used to
having no legitimate governance structure over them instead being dominated by the
insurgency,” he said.
Alongside their Afghan Army colleagues, the Australian soldiers and other coalition
forces have spent weeks planning the operation before carrying out detailed air
insertion rehearsals in the days leading up to the operation.
DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 6265 1545
Lieutenant Colonel Connolly said the ongoing operation also marked the growing
capability of the Afghan National Army’s 4th Brigade.
“It’s extremely important because it allows us to expand the area of operations of the
4th Brigade of the Afghan National Army and in doing so, it will allow the new
infantry battalion, the 3rd Kandak, to establish itself in a new area, spreading security
out to the east of Tarin Kowt through the Mirabad Valley,” said Lieutenant Colonel
Connolly.
“They’ve seen a lot of fleeting visits by the coalition forces and what they need to see
now is a persistent presence, particularly from the Afghan National Security Forces.”
After the forces were air-lifted in, a series of meetings with key local leaders were
held to understand local issues and help build stronger relationships. At the same
time, soldiers began securing the area from insurgent influence.
“What we’ll see during the operation is clearance of the Mirabad Valley, the
establishment of a
secure position by Australian and Afghan forces and then the
building of a significant patrol base which will allow the 3rd Kandak to establish itself
in that area,” said Lieutenant Colonel Connolly.
“In the future, the Afghan Kandak that is established
in the Mirabad Valley will be
mentored by Australian Forces, so from our perspective we have a lot of interest in
making sure the valley is properly cleared, that it’s properly secured and that the best
standard of facility is established there for Australians and Afghans to work together
side by side in the future,” he said.
Media note
Imagery is available at:
Vision will be fed to Parliament House this afternoon.
Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
