Afghan, Allied Forces Destroy Weapons Cache; Taliban Lose 11 Members

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 28, 2008 - Afghan commandos and coalition forces teamed up to seize enemy weapons and supplies, while the Taliban lost 11 members during separate operations conducted in Afghanistan yesterday, military officials said. An Afghan-coalition air-assault team searched a village in Kandahar province's Ghorak district and found a weapons cache containing an anti-personnel mine, anti-tank mines and a bowl of explosive. All materials were destroyed on site.

"Finding and destroying this weapons cache is another step towards safeguarding Afghanistan's future," said Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, chief spokesperson for the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense. "We are actively reducing the insurgency's ability to harm innocent Afghans along the roads of Kandahar."

Also yesterday, coalition forces killed five militants and detained six suspects during operations targeting Taliban activities in Kabul and Paktika provinces. Multiple AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades and other military equipment were seized during the operations.

In other news, coalition forces detained five suspected Taliban militants during a Dec. 26 operation conducted to dismantle a roadside-bomb network in Zabul province.

And, on Dec. 25, Afghan and coalition forces killed six militants during a firefight in Helmand province's Nahr Surkh district. An enemy weapons cache was destroyed during the operation.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)