Afghan National Army & Police worked together during combat operations in eastern Afghanistan 12008156

In addition to clearing the districts of enemy forces, the ANDSF goal is to provide continued security for the area, which in turn will allow for better governance to the people.

The operation, termed “Iron Triangle,” demonstrated the capability of the Afghan forces when conducting offensive cross-pillar operations, to find and clear areas known to be occupied by Taliban forces.

“There’s been great cooperation between the army and the police. They’ve come together for decisions about what to do, and then they employ the right tool to have the best possible effect, whether it’s an army tool or a police tool,” said Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, Resolute Support’s deputy chief of staff for operations. “This is probably the best we’ve seen this level of cooperation of any operation to date this year.”

Afghan Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior leadership planned and executed the operation together, with the coalition in the back seat acting in a train, advise and assist role.

“The advisers play a critical role in the success in this operation, but it’s not to make things happen, what we want to do is ask leading questions, help the Afghans think about the best way to synchronize their efforts to achieve the best possible effect,” said Buchanan.

The units participating in the operation along with Afghan National Police were the 111th Capital Division, the 201st Corps, and the 203rd Corps.

While the corps had initially planned for the operation to take nearly three weeks, the quick movements of the ANDSF allowed them to reach the Hisarak district center more than three days earlier than expected.

“The plan is once the area of Hisarak is cleared we’ll organize another tribal leader meeting, and talk about the peace for the future in the area,” said Maj. Gen. Mohammad Zaman Waziri, the 201st Corps commander. “In the last 14 years, there have been no operations in this area ... this is the first time for joint operations here. Our main objective is Hisarak, it is a strategic district. The enemies in the area come from Pakistan into Hisarak, from here they deploy into Kabul.”

Therefore, the clearing of this area will not only provide security for the local population in the districts, but also additional security for the capital city of Kabul. With the recent up-tick of attacks in the city, this operation plays a major strategic role in securing the city and preventing high-profile attacks.

Near the close of the operation, Gen. M. Ayoub Salangi, the deputy minister for security for the Ministry of Interior, and Lt. Gen. Qadim Shah, the chief of General Staff for the ANA, traveled with Resolute Support’s deputy chief of staff for operations, Buchanan, as well as the deputy chief of staff for intelligence, Maj. Gen. Mark Quantock, to the different corps participating in the operation. During their battlefield circulation, they were able to meet with the different corps leadership to receive operational updates and assess the accomplishments made thus far in the operation.

At each location, both Salangi and Qadim Shah praised the efforts of their troops and acknowledged the sacrifices of those lost or wounded in battle. Salangi, when speaking with the leadership and elders at the 111th Division, commended the men for their dedication, stating, “Your beards have turned gray serving your country.”

Qadim Shah noted their key to success was coordination, command and control and rapid response, but also encouraged them to continue their operations, and ensure a security perimeter would be established around the districts. Both leaders made it clear that while the initial goal is security for the area, the overall goal is to establish good governance for the people.