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16 arrested in plan to smuggle weapons into Kabul
Kabul, Apr 28: International peacekeepers and Afghan security forces arrested 16 men suspected of plotting to smuggle rockets and other weapons into Kabul, a spokesman for the NATO-led force said.
Kabul, Apr 28: International peacekeepers and Afghan security forces arrested 16 men suspected of plotting to smuggle rockets and other weapons into Kabul, a spokesman for the NATO-led force said.
Two rockets were found in a compound about 15 kilometers from the capital, Kabul, and the men were arrested in a raid on two homes at a second compound nearby, said Cdr. Chris Henderson, a spokesman for the peacekeepers.
"This operation was based on hard intelligence that indicated a transit route for munitions into Kabul, including the use of donkeys as a means of transporting rockets," Henderson said.
The arrests were the latest in a series of operations in the capital in recent weeks by Afghan security forces backed by the 6,500-strong peacekeeping unit. Fifty-eight people with suspected links to terrorist groups have been arrested in the capital since the start of April, Henderson said. Those arrested include at least two men suspected of being senior commanders of renegade warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who has teamed up with al-Qaida and the Taliban in frequent attacks.
A senior Afghan security official said information gleaned from the first arrest was instrumental in the second operation. Neither Afghan nor international officials would release the names of the commanders.
In other operations, a man was arrested with explosives outside the Finance Ministry April 21, and a cache of 48 Chinese-made 107mm rockets was found and destroyed in mountains southwest of the capital Sunday.
Henderson said security forces were receiving important intelligence from those arrested. "Such information frequently leads security agencies to other individuals or groups who threaten the city," he said. "One success breeds the next one." The arrests also point to a possible increase in attempts by armed groups to launch attacks ahead of historic elections scheduled for September. April has seen a marked increase in Taliban activity in the south and east of the country, though the capital has so far remained immune.
"While a week in which many potential acts of murder were averted is a positive thing, all organizations dedicated to the security of Afghanistan must remain vigilant and there is no room for complacency," Henderson said.
Bureau Report
"This operation was based on hard intelligence that indicated a transit route for munitions into Kabul, including the use of donkeys as a means of transporting rockets," Henderson said.
The arrests were the latest in a series of operations in the capital in recent weeks by Afghan security forces backed by the 6,500-strong peacekeeping unit. Fifty-eight people with suspected links to terrorist groups have been arrested in the capital since the start of April, Henderson said. Those arrested include at least two men suspected of being senior commanders of renegade warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who has teamed up with al-Qaida and the Taliban in frequent attacks.
A senior Afghan security official said information gleaned from the first arrest was instrumental in the second operation. Neither Afghan nor international officials would release the names of the commanders.
In other operations, a man was arrested with explosives outside the Finance Ministry April 21, and a cache of 48 Chinese-made 107mm rockets was found and destroyed in mountains southwest of the capital Sunday.
Henderson said security forces were receiving important intelligence from those arrested. "Such information frequently leads security agencies to other individuals or groups who threaten the city," he said. "One success breeds the next one." The arrests also point to a possible increase in attempts by armed groups to launch attacks ahead of historic elections scheduled for September. April has seen a marked increase in Taliban activity in the south and east of the country, though the capital has so far remained immune.
"While a week in which many potential acts of murder were averted is a positive thing, all organizations dedicated to the security of Afghanistan must remain vigilant and there is no room for complacency," Henderson said.
Bureau Report