3 Taliban bomb-making experts detained in S. Afghanistan: official

English: Cropped version of a larger map to show detail around Lashkar Gah (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Three Taliban bomb- making experts have been detained by Afghan forces in southern Helmand province, an official said on Saturday.

"The personnel of National Directorate of Security (NDS) carried out a special operation in Khushabi area of provincial capital Lashkar Gah city Friday night and captured three Taliban bomb-making experts," a spokesman for NDS or intelligence agency, Shams-ul-Rahman Noori, told reporters here.

Their capturing would significantly disrupt Taliban insurgents efforts to conduct attacks on Afghan and coalition troops by using the roadside bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Noor said.

A handful of weapons and IED making material were also found and sized by NDS forces, he said.

Afghan security forces took full control of security of Lashkar Gah and three districts from NATO and U.S. forces over the past couple of months.

Transition of security responsibilities from NATO forces to Afghan army and police began in July last year and lasts till 2014 when Afghanistan is due to take over the its full security duties from U.S. and NATO forces.

The Taliban insurgent group, which stepped up their attacks on Afghan and NATO-led troops since a spring offensive was launched in May in the war-ravaged country, has yet to make comments.

Taliban militants have used IEDs and suicide bombers in their attacks which also inflicted casualties on civilians.

A woman was killed and three other women seriously injured when an IED went off along a road in Musa Qala district of Helamnd province on Friday.

Posted in: Afghan National Army, Afghan National Security Forces, Afghanistan, Helmand Province, Improvised explosive device, Lashkar Gah, NATO, Taliban