KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan and ISAF forces conducted an operation Wednesday in the Zeerko Valley region of the Shindand district, Herat province, capturing a prominent Taliban leader and discovering a weapons cache.
The cache contained five units of TNT, five 60mm mortars, two heavy anti-aircraft artillery rounds, an explosive vest, four rocket-propelled grenades, an anti-tank mine, 11 hand grenades, two pressure-plate triggering devices, 31 fuses and more than 3,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition.
The cache was destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal team.
No Afghan civilians were harmed during the operation.
Later, the commander of Task Force Center, Col. Francesco Maria Ceravolo, conducted a meeting with key representatives of the surrounding villages to involve local communities, show them the success of the operation and build consensus against hostile elements.