NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR NOVEMBER 15, 2012

Photo:  Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. DOD

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Taliban Bomb Facilitator
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 15, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force in Afghanistan's Kandahar province today arrested a Taliban leader suspected of distributing bomb components to insurgents and facilitating ambushes and attacks, military officials reported.

The security force also detained several other suspected insurgents, officials said.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Nangarhar province arrested a Taliban weapons, ammunition and suicide-attack facilitator suspected of resourcing and delivering lethal aid to insurgents. The security force also detained several other suspected insurgents and seized grenades and firearms.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed two insurgents engaged in threatening activity in Ghazni province.

-- In Farah province, an Afghan provincial response company, enabled by coalition forces, detained several suspected insurgents and seized and destroyed more than 100 pounds of opium, two assault rifles, ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades.

In operations yesterday:

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand province arrested a Taliban explosives expert believed to have acquired, built and distributed dozens of improvised explosive devices to insurgents. The security force also detained several other suspected insurgents.

-- A combined force, acting on a tip, found and removed eight IEDs in Kandahar province.

-- In Kandahar province, combined forces seized and destroyed two opium presses and chemicals and equipment used in making explosives.

COMBINED FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN SEIZE 200 LBS OF OPIUM

Picture:  The Sea Witch, 19th Century Opium Ship.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Combined Force Seizes Opium Cache
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan , May 18, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force discovered a drug cache of opium during a patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan's Helmand province yesterday, military officials reported.

The cache contained approximately 200 pounds of opium, officials said. Security forces confiscated the drugs without incident.

In May 15 Afghanistan operations:
-- A combined force discovered a weapons cache containing 30 mortar rounds, 30 mortar fuses, one grenade and several rocket-propelled grenades in the Burkah district of Baghlan province. The confiscated material was destroyed.

-- A combined force discovered a weapons and explosives cache containing two 107 mm rockets, multiple anti-tank mines, an improvised rocket launcher, one machine-gun tripod, one 12.7 mm machine gun, some 82 mm mortar ammunition and 66 gallons of liquid explosives in the Zurmat district of Paktiya province.