MAZAR-I-SHARIF: While better known for their reputation as warriors than peacekeepers, a group of British army Gurkhas is working to reduce tensions in northern Afghanistan amid factional fighting last week which left up to 40 injured and killed.

Some 82 British military — Gurkhas and British officers — are based in a two-storey house in Mazar-i-Sharif as the backbone of a civil-military provincial reconstruction team (PRT) aiming to help extend the reach of President Hamid Karzai’s government in the troubled north.

Besides military prowess, the Gurkhas brought Hindi language skills which eased the team’s job of communicating with the Afghans, for whom Hindi is almost a second language due to their love of Indian films, said Captain Tom Barker.

PRT commander Colonel Dickie Davies defines the team’s role as supporting reform of Afghanistan’s security forces, institution building to extend the reach of the central government and economic development in an area troubled by factional tensions.

Operating under the US-led military coalition, there are two other PRTs under US command and one run by New Zealand troops, each facing unique challenges in the different regions.

While Taliban fighters are a problem in the south, the north is plagued by militias who support Karzai, even though their armed rivalries hamper efforts to extend his authority.

While there were claims of up to 60 killed in clashes sparked by the alleged kidnapping of two commanders belonging to Dostam’s Junbish faction by Mohammad’s Jamiat men, Davies said his investigations revealed a lower casualty rate.—AFP