Afghan officials discover nine tonnes of explosives

Afghan personnel from Helmand’s National Department of Security and the Bost 170 counter-terrorism unit successfully captured nine tonnes of explosives in Khoshkaba area, Lahkar Gah, yesterday, 15 May 2012.

Sacks containing some of the nine tonnes of explosives captured by the Afghan National Department of Security, in Lashkar Gah, Helmand province. Picture: 2nd Lieutenant Scott Murdock, US Marine Corps/ISAF

As a result of the operation, a  total nine tonnes ammonium nitrate and TNT explosives, used by insurgents in car bombs and suicide jackets, were captured.

The explosives are thought to have been brought from Pakistan’s Gardijangle area to the Nahr-e Saraj and Lashkar Gah areas of Helmand province by an insurgent military commander.

A spokesman for the Helmand Governor’s Media Centre said:

“The insurgents wanted to distribute the explosives to other insurgent’s parties in several areas for the destructive acts in Helmand province, but before the reaching to the goal security forces bravely stopped the schemes of the insurgents.

“Neither fires were open nor casualties to any one as result of the operation, and also no one has been captured for the possession of the explosives, but searches are going on for capture.

“Also three insurgents wanted to lay IED (improvised explosives device) on the main road in Fatieh Mohammad area of Sangin district of Helmand on Tuesday.

“As a result the mine improviser’s insurgents were killed by ISAF air strike in the area while they were improvising the IEDs.

“The IEDs were also detonated as a result of the air strike and also two women were superficial injured in the nearby house.”

From dvidshub.net