Border Security

ISAF has been working with Afghan and Pakistani militaries to improve security along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, an area which is crucial to providing a safe and secure environment in Afghanistan.

Insurgents have exploited instability in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region in order to set up and maintain safe havens away from the reach of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and ISAF. They regroup and launch attacks, particularly into Eastern Afghanistan.

To counter this cross-border activity, ISAF and the ANSF have increased their cooperation with the Pakistan Army. This includes coordinating joint operations to deny the free flow of insurgents across the border.

An enduring dialogue

The Tripartite Commission serves as a joint forum on military and security issues between representatives of the Afghan National Army, the Pakistan Army and ISAF. It is the top-level military group dedicated to enhancing border security through military cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Tripartite Commission meets regularly at various levels and is used to exchange views, to discuss security matters of mutual concern and as well as to coordinate operations. It is supported by four sub-committees: the Border Security Sub-committee Meeting (BSSM); the Military Intelligence Sharing Working Group (MISWG), the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Working Group (C-IEDWG), and the Executive Steering Committee (ESG). The latter has been formed to provide an operational context and cohesive guidance to the other sub-groups.

A joint Afghan, ISAF and Pakistani intelligence centre opened within the ISAF Headquarters in Kabul in January 2007, facilitates coordination between the Tripartite Commission members.

Coordination at the border

In addition to the Tripartite Commission meetings, the military forces from the two countries and ISAF coordinate on a regular basis along the border.

In particular, the Khyber Border Coordination Centre (BCC) has been set up in the Afghan Torkham area, on the border connecting Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province with the Khyber region on the Pakistan side. It was inaugurated by Afghanistan, Pakistan and ISAF forces on 29 March 2008.

The Khyber BCC acts as a hub of communication between the Afghan Border Police, the Afghan National Army and the equivalent forces in Pakistan. It is the first of six coordination centres to be built.

Two additional BCCs are currently being constructed in Lawara (Paktika) and Nawa Pass (Kunar) and should reach full operational capability in 2009.