AFGHANISTAN: UNITED STATES SPECIAL FORCES HAVE COME UNDER ROCKET ATTACK

Record ID: 640534

  • Title: AFGHANISTAN: UNITED STATES SPECIAL FORCES HAVE COME UNDER ROCKET ATTACK
  • Date: 24th August 2002
  • Summary: BAGRAM AIRBASE, AFGHANISTAN (AUGUST 24, 2002) (REUTERS FOR AGENCY POOL) LV BAGRAM AIRBASE SLV/SV OF PILOTS CLEANING BLADES OF APACHE ATTACK HELICOPTER (2 SHOTS) SLV U.S. SOLDIERS DRIVING VEHICLE ON BAGRAM AIRBASE LV U.S FLAG SV NEWS BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLONEL ROGER KING, MILITARY SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "Some of the RPGs found and reported yesterday were rather unique in that seven women in the village of Nariza were found to be carrying nine RPG rounds hidden under their burqas. U.S Special Forces operating near Zabul in Southern Afghanistan found another weapons cache yesterday in a partially-collapsed cave while conducting a patrol." SLV/CU U.S SOLDIERS CLEANING THEIR MACHINEGUNS (3 SHOTS) MCU (English) COLONEL ROGER KING, MILITARY SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "In Eastern Afghanistan, U.S Special Operations Forces reported several RPG rockets fired at their base in Asadabad, the units sent out a patrol to investigate and captured four men, they also found an RPG launcher and a rocket. The forces in Asadabad also took 12 persons under Coalition control on Thursday." SLV MILITARY TENTS SLV U.S SOLDIERS PATROLLING AROUND BASE, CARRYING MACHINEGUNS
  • Embargoed: 8th September 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGRAM AIRBASE, AFGHANISTAN
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Topics: Conflict,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAE7XY6K2R3P05T7B0JPDREIFJC
  • Story Text: United States Special Forces have come under rocket attack.
    US military spokesman Roger King told reporters in Bagram Air base, north of the capital Kabul, on Saturday (August 24) that several rocket-propelled grenades had been fired over a U.S. base in Asadabad, in the Kunar province, along the border with Pakistan.
    He did not report any casualties or material damage.
    A unit was sent in the direction of the firing and four men were captured along with a grenade launcher. A further 12 people were detained near Asadabad on Thursday, he said.
    He added that U.S.-led coalition forces, including local Afghan militia, uncovered two more weapons caches during their operations around the town of Zormat, in eastern Paktia province, on Friday.
    The operation is the latest attempt by the U.S. military to root out al Qaeda and Taliban fighters believed to be hiding in southeastern areas of the country not far from the Pakistan border.
    But there have been no reports of engagement with the enemy during the latest operation, which has involved mainly house-to-house searches, disarming locals and a handful of arrests.
    "Good morning, Coalition military operations continue in the Zormat region of Southeastern Afghanistan as part of Operation "Mountain Sweep." Yesterday, U.S. forces uncovered two more weapons caches that consisted of five cases of 81 millimetre mortar ammunition, two 60 millimetre mortar rounds, two Dishka
    7 millimeter machinegun barrels, and seven cases of Dishka ammunition. Also included an RPG, with 11 rounds, 12 anti-personnel mines, and one 23 millimeter Z.H.U 23-1 anti-aircraft canon. As a side note, some of the RPGs found and reported yesterday were rather unique in that seven women in the village of Nariza were found to be carrying nine RPG rounds hidden under their burqas. U.S Special Forces operating near Zabul in Southern Afghanistan found anothers weapons cache yesterday in a partially-collapsed cave while conducting a patrol. The cache consisted of two hundred 82 millimetre mortar rounds, 36 RPG rounds, five 122 millimetre rockets and 200 assorted small arms rounds. In Eastern Afghanistan, U.S Special Operations Forces reported several RPG rockets fired at their base in Asadabad, the units sent out a patrol to investigate and captured four men, they also found an RPG launcher and a rocket. The forces in Asadabad also took 12 persons under Coalition control on Thursday," King said.
    Al Qaeda and Taliban remnants have continually frustrated the U.S.-led coalition by hiding in mountains, melting into the local population or fleeing into neighbouring Pakistan or Iran.
    According to the U.S. military, weapons recovered included mortar rounds, machine gun barrels, anti-personnel mines and anti-aircraft artillery.
    It said seven women in the village of Nariza of Paktia were discovered carrying nine rocket-propelled grenade rounds under their traditional Afghan burqas.
    A separate weapons store was found on Friday in the southern province of Zabul which consisted of mortar and RPG rounds and small arms ammunition.
    The United States launched strikes on Afghanistan last year to flush out the al Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden, its prime suspect in the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, and punish his Taliban protectors.
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