Europa newswire.
Photo by 1st Lt. Kurt Stahl .
KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan national police and ISAF forces seized
500,000 lbs. of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, 5,000 IED components and
detained 15 people after a raid in Kandahar, Nov. 8.
Based on reliable information, the patrol discovered 1,000 100-lb. bags
of fertilizer, which is often used by insurgents to make explosives,
and detained 15 people in a warehouse. After the initial find another
4,000 100-lb. bags of fertilizer were found in a nearby compound.
Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is a key ingredient of homemade explosives
and used in the majority of main charges for IEDs. This type of
fertilizer is illegal in Afghanistan.
"This was a tremendous success for the Afghan national police who led
this operation," said Lt. Col. Todd Vician, an ISAF spokesman. "This
find will undoubtedly save many lives and points to the increasing
capability of the Afghan national security forces."
Afghan-International Security Force Detains Taliban Militants in Logar and Interdicts Taliban Facilitator in Helmand.
An Afghan-international security force detained several suspected
militants in Logar province while pursuing a Taliban commander
operating in the area and linked to several local Taliban shadow
government leaders.
The joint security force targeted compounds near the village of Yusof
Kheyl in Baraki Barak district after intelligence indicated militant
activity. The joint force searched the compounds without incident and
detained the suspected militants. No shots were fired, and no Afghan
civilians were injured during this operation.
In a separate operation, an Afghan-international security force
detained a group of suspected militants in Helmand province, including
a sought-after Taliban facilitator responsible for weapon shipments to
other militant elements and heavily linked to narcotics traffic in the
area.
The joint security force targeted a compound in the rural section of
Garmsir District where intelligence sources reported the Taliban
facilitator to be located.
The joint force searched the compound without incident, recovered
IED-making materials, bomb-making manuals and detained the group of
suspected militants. One of the suspects surrendered and identified
himself as the Taliban facilitator. No shots were fired, and no Afghan
civilians were injured during this operation.
ISAF Casualty
An ISAF service member died as a result of an IED strike in Southern
Afghanistan today. The service member was from the United States.
