OEF Summary, June 5, 2009: Troops in Afghanistan Seize Weapons, Drugs, Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2009 -- Afghan and coalition security forces seized weapons and drugs and captured seven suspected militants during two operations in southern Afghanistan yesterday.

Afghan forces, advised and assisted by coalition forces, uncovered a significant drug and weapons cache during operations in Oruzgan province’s Shahidi Hasas district.

A search yielded 200 pounds of black-tar heroin, 100 50-pound bags of ammonium nitrate, homemade explosives, numerous bomb-making materials, three machine guns and small arms, along with Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army uniforms. A number of women and children were discovered in the area and escorted to safety.

No civilian casualties have been reported. One Afghan policeman was wounded and was treated by medics before being evacuated to a nearby coalition medical facility for further treatment.

In another operation, Afghan and coalition forces raided a compound in Helmand province, detaining seven men with suspected ties to Taliban operations in Helmand and Farah provinces.

Two AK-47 rifles, one shotgun and a chest rack were confiscated. Afghan and coalition forces also discovered a large amount of explosive material inside one of the buildings of the compound. The explosives were destroyed in place.

No Afghan, coalition forces or noncombatant casualties were reported during this operation.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)

Tags: DOD, Military, War, United States, U.S., Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF, al Qaeda, al Qaida, GWOT, terrorism, Taliban, Open Thread, Wire, Headlines, Dispatches from the Front
Global Tags: Washington DC, News and Politics, News, Politics, Current Events, Current Affairs, Life, Culture, Buzz, Tension