By NNN-Xinhua,
Lashkar Gha (Afghanistan) : The NATO-led forces handed over the control of Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand province, 555 km south of capital city of Kabul, to Afghan forces on Wednesday.
“Afghan security forces formally took over the security responsibility from NATO-led troops in Lashkar Gha city this morning,” spokesman for provincial administration Daud Ahmadi told Xinhua.
He also stated that the handing over ceremony attended by Afghan and NATO officials. Lashkar Gah is the third Afghan city, whose security was handed over to Afghan security forces.
Afghan government has already taken over security responsibility of central Bamyan province and eastern Mehterlam city from NATO-led troops over the past couple of days.
British soldirs have been stationed in Lashkar Gah within the framework of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
In the first phase of transferring security to the Afghan side, seven areas including Bamyan, Panjshir and Kabul provinces and four cities of Herat, Lashkar Gah, Mazar-e-Sharif and Mehterlam are handed over to Afghan forces.
As per the schedule, the security transfer and withdrawal of over 140,000-storng NATO-led troops, which began this month, would be completed by the end of 2014.