Afghan border police, International Security Assistance Forces detain two militants, seize weapons

KHOST, AFGHANISTAN

08.27.2009

Story by Staff Sgt. Marcus Butler 

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division Public Affairs

FOWARD OPERATING BASE SALERNO, Afghanistan — Afghanistan border policemen and International Security Assistance Forces Soldiers located in the Khost province of Eastern Afghanistan seized sizable weapons cache and detained two militants, Aug. 24, while conducting a joint operation in the area.

ABP and Paratroopers form 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division conduct a focused mission specifically targeting improvised explosive device makers and facilitators with in Khost.

"The mission went as well as you can ever hope. We were able to accomplish the mission without any escalation of force," said 2nd Lt. Travis Ward, a platoon leader with 2-377th PFAR. "We were able to surprise the enemy, so when one militant tried to run he didn't get far. Being able to surprise the enemy in this area is often difficult due to their system of early warning networks."

The combined forces searched the home of the detained militants and discovered several caches of weapons, some of which were stored inside the walls.

The collective contents of the munitions found included two AK-47s, two bolt-action rifles, 21 various types of grenades, two weapon chest racks, 11 full AK-47 magazines, 1600 loose round of 7.62 mm ammunition, eight blasting caps, clothespins modified as IED trip wires, two Motorola 2-way radios, copper wire, light switches, door bells and one 9mm pistol.

"This mission was an absolute success. The discovery of the cache obviously means the fewer weapons to be used against ISAF forces. The capture of these detainees and weapons means a significant disruption in this militant cell," said Ward. "Also this sends a message through our area of operation that combined forces of ANSF and ISAF are coming after militants and people involved with subversive activity."

"The bottom line is this mission gives the enemy of Afghanistan fewer weapons to endanger innocent Afghan civilians, fewer bad guys to try to intimidate the population and gives more confidence from the people of Afghanistan in its government and the Afghan national security forces charged with their security," said Ward.

• Date Taken: 08.27.2009
• Date Posted: 09.28.2009 07:56
• Story ID: 39350
• Location: KHOST, AF