400 personnel trained in countering improvised explosive devices

Islamabad: Under a UK and Denmark funded capacity-building programme, more than 400 Pakistan Army and civilian law enforcement agency personnel have been trained in countering Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) in last 12 months.
“Pakistan is a key player in this region and in the global fight against terrorism. We will never forget the terrible losses terrorism has inflicted on Pakistan. Denmark supports the people of Pakistan in our common fight against terrorism,” said Ambassador of Denmark Jesper Moller Sorensen during his visit to the Military College of Engineering in Risalpur, where a training session was being held for Army and civilian law enforcement agency personnel on countering C-IEDs as part of the overall capacity building programme.
In 2014 alone, IED’s constituted 43 per cent of all terrorist attacks in Pakistan. “Our support goes to building up and sustaining Pakistan’s capacity to counter IEDs, as IEDs have taken far too many lives — most were innocent people who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We fully recognise the hardship that the people of Pakistan have gone through over the last decade,” said Ambassador Sorensen.
The UK has been building Pakistani capacity in this area since 2006. Denmark entered the project in June 2013. The Danish contribution is of US$1.5 million for two years, while the training schedule continues to be UK-led. The purpose is to assist Pakistan in developing a unique nationwide Centre of Excellence in support of the C-IED efforts done by the civil protection agency, the police and the Pakistani military services.
Denmark’s Defence Attaché, Colonel Thor Hilton, highlighted that the programme has been well received by the Pakistan military. “The trained C-IED specialists have played an important role in preventing IED attacks on soldiers and in achieving successful results in their operations against militants. The training will not only focus on the handlers of the IED’s but also personnel, who is able to investigate evidence that can be used in intelligence analysis and presented in court cases,” said Colonel Hilton.
Denmark has also contributed US$750,000 to a sustainability project for C-IED equipment. The purpose of the project is to create a robust and effective mechanism by which routine servicing, maintenance and repair of CIED equipment can be achieved for Pakistan Police and Civil Defence bomb disposal teams and thus increasing their operational effectiveness.
In its upcoming Stabilisation Programme for 2015-2017, Denmark will continue to support the counter-IED project. The Danish Stabilisation Programme addresses the challenges important to peace, security, and prosperity in the region.