Forces Detain Militants, Find Weapons in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2011 — Afghan and coali­tion troops detained three insur­gents, includ­ing a Tal­iban weapons traf­fick­er, yes­ter­day in Afghanistan, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.
Secu­ri­ty forces detained two mil­i­tants in Pak­tiya province’s Zur­mat dis­trict after they were found with five anti-per­son­nel mines, six hand grenades and auto­mat­ic machine gun ammu­ni­tion.

In Kan­da­har province’s Kan­da­har dis­trict, troops cap­tured the Tal­iban leader, who is respon­si­ble for coor­di­nat­ing attacks on secu­ri­ty forces and facil­i­tat­ing sui­cide bombers with explo­sive devices. 

Forces also found sev­er­al weapons stock­piles through­out Afghanistan. The oper­a­tions result­ed in seizure of 14 rock­et-pro­pelled grenades, eight home­made explo­sive devices, five hand grenades, three rock­et-pro­pelled grenade launch­ers, three mor­tar rounds, one assault rifle, one machine gun and a 10 liter propane tank filled with explosives. 

In oper­a­tions Feb. 26 through­out Afghanistan: 

— Afghan and coali­tion forces killed armed fight­ers in a gun bat­tle in Hel­mand province’s Nad’Ali dis­trict. Troops killed the armed mil­i­tants after their patrol was ambushed by the group. 

— Secu­ri­ty forces killed two ene­my fight­ers, includ­ing a Tal­iban mem­ber respon­si­ble for traf­fick­ing weapons and fund­ing mil­i­tants’ oper­a­tions, in a shootout in Zab­ul province’s Tarnek wa Jal­dak district. 

— Forces cap­tured 12 sus­pect­ed insur­gents in Kan­da­har province’s Zharay dis­trict after troops found the sus­pects with 1,000 pounds of ammo­ni­um nitrate –- a banned fer­til­iz­er often used in home­made bombs. 

— In Zab­ul province’s Qalat dis­trict, secu­ri­ty forces detained sev­er­al sus­pect­ed insur­gents, includ­ing a Tal­iban weapons traf­fick­er, respon­si­ble for sell­ing and buy­ing weapons for attacks on local secu­ri­ty forces. 

— Afghan and coali­tion forces detained sev­er­al sus­pect­ed insur­gents while search­ing for a Tal­iban weapons smug­gler in Hel­mand province’s Nahr‑e Saraj dis­trict. The smug­gler alleged­ly also has con­nec­tions to nar­cotics traf­fick­ers in the area. 

— In Log­ar province’s Pul‑e ‘Alam dis­trict, forces detained sev­er­al sus­pect­ed insur­gents, includ­ing a Tal­iban bomb-mak­er with alleged ties to sev­er­al recent attacks on local secu­ri­ty forces. 

— Act­ing on tips from local res­i­dents, secu­ri­ty forces detained four sus­pect­ed insur­gents with ties to Tal­iban bomb-mak­ers in Kan­da­har province’s Kan­da­har City. 

— Secu­ri­ty forces found sev­er­al weapons stock­piles through­out Afghanistan. Oper­a­tions result­ed in seizure of 200 auto­mat­ic machine gun rounds, 43 var­i­ous rock­ets and mor­tars, 30 rock­et-pro­pelled grenades, 26 hand grenades, two rock­et-pro­pelled grenade launch­ers, two anti-tank mines. Troops also found 2,200 pounds of hashish and 1,000 pounds of ammo­ni­um nitrate, a banned fer­til­iz­er used in home­made bombs. 

In oper­a­tions Feb. 25: 

— Afghan and coali­tion forces cap­tured the top Tal­iban leader for Kan­da­har province’s Zharay dis­trict along with numer­ous oth­er sus­pect­ed insur­gents there. The Tal­iban leader is respon­si­ble for plan­ning and launch­ing attacks on local secu­ri­ty forces and recruit­ing ene­my fighters. 

— Forces also found sev­er­al weapons stock­piles through­out the coun­try. Oper­a­tions result­ed in 200 assault rifle rounds, 11 hand grenades, three rock­et-pro­pelled grenade war­heads, five gal­lons of ammo­ni­um nitrate. Secu­ri­ty forces also found sev­er­al explo­sive devices caches, includ­ing near­ly 2,000 pounds of home­made liq­uid explo­sives, two 40-pound jugs filled with large-cal­iber machine gun rounds and sev­er­al anti-tank mines and artillery rounds. 

Source:
Com­piled from Inter­na­tion­al Secu­ri­ty Assis­tance Force Joint Com­mand News Releases 

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