Thousands take advantage of safer Lashkar Gah as Afghan forces take on security 04.08.11
6It is two weeks since the Afghan government formally took control of security in the capital of Helmand province. The violence has not gone away in Lashkar Gah - on Sunday 11 Afghan policemen were killed in a suicide attack - but British military commanders in the city believe despite setbacks real progress has been made. In six years Lashkar Gah has gone from being Afghanistan's most violent city to its second wealthiest and thousands are flocking in from the countryside. The real change is Afghans now run Lashkar Gah's security and international forces have not been called in for a year. Police corruption is still a concern but not as widespread. The public are now said to be doing what was once unthinkable and reporting crime to the police, a sign that the city may be getting more stable.