Afghanistan: Massive arms haul unearthed in Uruzgan province

Kabul, July 27 (IANS) The Afghan security forces have discovered a mass weapon and ammunition cache in southern Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, seizing various types of arms along with a large quantity of ammunition, a statement from the Ministry of Interior said on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, the security personnel launched an operation based on intelligence reports in Tirin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province, and discovered weapons, including six AK-47 rifles, a heavy machine gun, PK machine guns, rocket launchers, and hundreds of hand grenades, said the statement.

Additionally, a substantial amount of ammunition and military equipment has been seized during the operations, it added.

Two individuals were arrested in connection with the case, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Afghan interim government has rounded up thousands of arms and a huge quantity of ammunition as part of efforts to stabilise the security situation across the war-ravaged country over the past three and a half years.

On July 24, police discovered some 200 pieces of light and heavy firearms in the eastern Afghanistan Paktia province, reported the state-run Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA).

The weaponry, according to the state-owned media outlet, includes 97 pieces of Kalashnikovs, seven pieces of the M16-type assault rifles, 86 stock pistols, seven rocket launchers, and many more types of arms and ammunition.

Without providing more details, the official media outlet citing police added that no one has the right to keep or carry arms illegally.

In similar operations, police reported the discovery of arms and ammunition, including an anti-aircraft gun, in Afghanistan's northern Samangan province.

On July 17, Afghanistan's security forces discovered a large amount of weapons and military equipment, including 885 hand grenades, in the past four months in eastern Ghazni province, a local official reported.

The contraband, which included 52 various types of arms, 21 AK-27 Kalashnikovs, 21 pistols, two PK machine guns, 885 hand grenades, 15 rocket launchers, 8 mortar shells, and a quantity of war equipment, such as cartridges and bullets, was seized during a series of operations, said Ezatullah Saeedi, provincial government spokesman.

Police have also taken into custody 58 individuals on charges of involvement in criminal activities such as theft, armed robbery, and murder, the official said, adding police won't allow anyone to create law and order problems in the province.

--IANS

int/bpd/dan