Force Detains Suspected Militants, Seizes Weapons

American Forces Press Service

March 23, 2010 - Afghan and international forces detained several suspected militants, including a Taliban commander, and seized weapons in operations around Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported.

-- An Afghan and international security force captured a Taliban commander in Helmand province's Reg-e Khan Meshin district, near Marja. He is believed to be responsible for placing improvised explosive devices and for the movement of militant personnel and weapons to various insurgent networks. The team also found a large amount of cash on the Taliban facilitator.

-- Also in Helmand, a combined security force detained a few suspected insurgents for further questioning in Nad-e Ali district, near Marja.

-- An Afghan and international security force detained several suspected militants for further questioning in Khost's Sabari district.

-- An International Security Assistance Force patrol found a weapons cache in Nad-e Ali district containing two grenades, an AK-47 assault rifle and small-arms ammunition.

-- Also in Nad-e Ali district, an Afghan and international patrol found a cache containing nearly 100 pounds of raw opium, an AK-47 rifle and ammunition, four 30 mm rounds and a bag of electronic components. The drugs were destroyed.

-- In Reg-e Khan Neshin district, an ISAF patrol found three unexpended rockets in an open area. The rockets will be destroyed.

-- In Uruzgan province's Tarin Kot district, an ISAF patrol found several ammunition caches in close proximity to each other. The caches contained a mortar round, 1,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition and a 1 kg bag of homemade explosive. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the caches.

No Afghan civilians were harmed during these operations.

(From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news release.)