Afghan Border Patrol Seizes Weapons, Explosives

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

May 3, 2010 - An Afghan border patrol unit confiscated 4 tons of a substance suspected of being ammonium nitrate -- the principle ingredient in roadside bombs in Afghanistan -- after stopping a truck at a random checkpoint today, military officials reported.

The seizure followed several days of coalition success in confiscating weapons. In other news from Afghanistan:

-- A combined Afghan-international patrol found more than 65 rockets in the Garm Ser district of Helmand province yesterday, after receiving a tip from an Afghan civilian.

-- A combined patrol in Uruzgan province's Chorah district found a weapons cache yesterday containing a homemade bomb, a 107 mm rocket, three rocket-propelled grenades, small-arms ammunition and a 107 mm round casing and motor.

-- In Paktika province's Yahya Khel district yesterday, an International Security Assistance Force patrol found a bomb made from five 82 mm mortar rounds.

-- In Herat province's Shindand district yesterday, a combined patrol found nine hand grenades, 600 rounds of small-arms ammunition, an anti-personnel mine, three boxes of launcher charges, 14 fuses and more than 20 pounds of ammonium nitrate.

-- A combined force in Kabul province's Mosahi district yesterday detained two suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban militant.

-- Afghan forces found 520 pounds of homemade explosives in Kandahar on May 1.

-- Also May 1, an Afghan-international patrol in Helmand's Nad-e Ali district found four rocket-propelled-grenade boosters, two hand grenades, three fuses, 10 radio antennas, a rifle, bomb-making materials and documents.

-- ISAF forces detained several suspected bomb-attack facilitators in Helmand's Garm Ser district May 1.

No shots were fired and no civilians were harmed during these operations, officials said.