Combined Forces Net Drugs, Weapons in Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

March 1, 2010 - Combined Afghan-international operations in Afghanistan have killed several insurgents in recent days and led to drug and weapons confiscations, military officials reported. A combined patrol operating in the Koti village of Kapisa province Feb. 27 used intelligence information to conduct an operation against an insurgent leader responsible for supplying weapons and equipment used in attacks against Afghan forces and members of the International Security Assistance Force.

During the operation, several armed men were observed near the compound. When the men displayed hostile intent, the patrol took defensive measures, killing several of the men.

Throughout the operation, Afghan National Police protected two women and two children in an adjacent compound. No civilians were injured.

Also on Feb. 27, a combined force operating in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province discovered a large amount of drugs. Led by Afghan National Police, the patrol discovered about 1,700 pounds of hashish on the trailer of a broken tractor. The drugs were confiscated and moved to a nearby police compound.

In another operation, Afghan forces turned a large weapons cache over to an ISAF explosive ordnance disposal team in the Bala Boluk district of Farah province yesterday. The cache consisted of three rockets, three mortar rounds, 30 hand grenades, 24 rocket-propelled grenade warheads, more than 700 large-caliber machine gun rounds, a pistol and a radio.

Another combined force captured two militants in a compound while pursuing a Taliban commander in Kandahar city last night. The force also found assault rifles, pistols, grenades and 200 blank identification cards.

A combined patrol destroyed four 107 mm rockets found in the Gelan district of Ghazni province yesterday.

No shots were fired and no Afghan civilians were harmed during the operations.

On Feb. 24, Afghan National Police, assisted by international forces, recovered two weapons caches after insurgents attacked a police checkpoint in Daykundi province. The caches, discovered in two locations, were found after insurgents engaged a checkpoint with machine-gun fire. The police returned fire and cleared a compound from which insurgents were seen firing.

The police discovered two assault rifles, two machine guns, a shotgun and about 5,000 rounds of ammunition. After searching the immediate area, the police also found 1,100 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which the Afghan government banned in January because it can be used to make explosives. The ammonium nitrate was destroyed on site with no injury to civilians or damage to property.

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)