Afghanistan — Forces Detain 3 Suspects, Find Cache

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2011 — Afghan and coali­tion forces detained three sus­pects and seized a weapons cache yes­ter­day dur­ing oper­a­tions in the Region­al Com­mand East region of Afghanistan, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.

The cache con­tained two assault rifles, 10 full mag­a­zines, one chest rack, one pis­tol hol­ster and one full pis­tol magazine. 

In Sept. 10 Afghanistan operations: 

— A com­bined Afghan and Inter­na­tion­al Secu­ri­ty Assis­tance Force patrol detained numer­ous sus­pect­ed insur­gents and found a cache con­tain­ing nar­cotics dur­ing an oper­a­tion in the Reg­is­tan dis­trict of Kan­da­har province. The cache con­tained 2,205 pounds of dry opi­um, 55 pounds of wet opi­um, and some small-arms and ammunition. 

— A com­bined patrol detained one sus­pect and seized a uni­ver­sal ser­i­al bus dri­ve con­tain­ing Tal­iban recruit­ing videos dur­ing an oper­a­tion in the Wash­er dis­trict of Hel­mand province. The tar­get of the oper­a­tion is a group of insur­gent fight­ers respon­si­ble for sup­port­ing attacks against Afghan and coali­tion forces. 

— In Hel­mand province’s Nahr‑e Saraj dis­trict, a coali­tion patrol seized and destroyed a weapons cache con­tain­ing 12 anti-per­son­nel mines. 

— In the Khas dis­trict of Uruz­gan province, a com­bined patrol killed sev­er­al insur­gents and detained mul­ti­ple sus­pects while search­ing for an insur­gent leader who is respon­si­ble for impro­vised explo­sive device attacks against Afghan and coali­tion forces. The patrol also seized one block of dyna­mite, one elec­tron­ic det­o­na­tor, one assault rifle, one radio, one sui­cide chest rig, sev­en pounds of opi­um, numer­ous cell phones and some small-arms ammunition. 

— In Uruz­gan province’s Shahid‑e Hasas dis­trict, a com­bined patrol detained sev­er­al sus­pects dur­ing an oper­a­tion to dis­rupt an insur­gent net­work. The net­work pro­vides lethal aid used in attacks against Afghan and coali­tion forces. 

— A com­bined force seized an explo­sives cache dur­ing a secu­ri­ty oper­a­tion in the Shinkai dis­trict of Zab­ul province. The cache con­tained 1,433 pounds of ammo­ni­um nitrate, a mate­r­i­al that can be used to make explosives. 

— A com­bined force detained two sus­pects, seized a nar­cotics lab­o­ra­to­ry and destroyed a pop­py field dur­ing a secu­ri­ty oper­a­tion in Zab­ul province’s Qalat district. 

— Coali­tion forces killed a Tal­iban insur­gent leader and his asso­ciate dur­ing a pre­ci­sion airstrike in the Shah Wali Kot dis­trict of Kan­da­har province. The deceased Tal­iban leader equipped insur­gents with road­side bombs and bomb-mak­ing mate­ri­als in the Arghandab, Khariz and Shah Wali Kot dis­tricts. Coali­tion forces have cap­tured more than 200 Tal­iban lead­ers and facil­i­ta­tors this year and killed more than 35 ene­my insur­gents in Kan­da­har province. 

— A com­bined force detained sev­er­al sus­pects dur­ing an oper­a­tion in the Kan­da­har dis­trict of Kan­da­har province. 

— In the Charkh dis­trict of Log­ar province, a com­bined force detained mul­ti­ple sus­pects dur­ing a search for a Tal­iban. The insur­gent is involved in attacks against coali­tion forces. 

— In the Pusht‑e Rod dis­trict of Farah province, a com­bined patrol seized a weapons cache con­tain­ing 13 rock­et-pro­pelled grenades, 16 mor­tar fins, 35 7.62 mm rounds, an assault rifle, one 120 mm mor­tar round, one mine, two radios and var­i­ous bomb-mak­ing materials. 

In Sept. 9 Afghanistan operations: 

— A com­bined force killed sev­er­al insur­gents while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader in the Muham­mad Aghah dis­trict of Log­ar province. The leader is respon­si­ble for road­side-bomb attacks against Afghan forces in the region. The force seized some grenades and weapons dur­ing the operation. 

— Com­bined forces detained mul­ti­ple sus­pects while search­ing for Tal­iban lead­ers in Hel­mand province’s Nawah-ye Barakzai and Nahr‑e Saraj dis­tricts. The insur­gent lead­ers are respon­si­ble for attacks against coali­tion forces. 

— A com­bined force detained one sus­pect while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader in the Shah Wali Kot dis­trict. The Tal­iban leader is respon­si­ble for the trans­port of weapons and rock­ets in the district. 

— A com­bined patrol seized a weapons cache in the Zharay dis­trict of Kan­da­har province. The cache con­tained one 5‑gallon jug of home­made explo­sives, 150 7.62 mm rounds, two mag­a­zines, two machine guns, one rock­et-pro­pelled grenade launch­er, one hand grenade, a mine and a bat­tery pack. 

— A com­bined force detained mul­ti­ple sus­pects while search­ing for a Haqqani net­work leader in the Gardez dis­trict of Pak­tia province. The leader plans ambush­es, road­side-bomb and rock­et attacks against coali­tion forces. 

— In the Sherzad dis­trict of Nan­garhar province, a coali­tion patrol seized a weapons cache con­tain­ing one .38-cal­iber pis­tol, 13 grenade bod­ies and about 200 7.62 mm rounds. 

— A com­bined patrol detained numer­ous sus­pects dur­ing an oper­a­tion tar­get­ing an insur­gent leader in the Khas dis­trict of Uruz­gan province. The leader coor­di­nates IED attacks against Afghan and coali­tion forces. 

— In the Shinkai dis­trict of Zab­ul province, a coali­tion patrol seized an IED cache con­tain­ing IED-mak­ing mate­r­i­al, includ­ing more than 300 pounds of home­made explosives. 

— A com­bined patrol detained sev­er­al sus­pects dur­ing two sep­a­rate oper­a­tions tar­get­ing insur­gent lead­ers in the Kab­ul dis­trict of Kab­ul province. The lead­ers con­duct IED attacks against Afghan and coali­tion forces. 

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