Police discover nearly 400 firearms, military equipments in Afghanistan

Kabul, Oct 6 (IANS) Police have discovered and seized nearly 400 pieces of firearms and military equipment during a series of operations in the southern Afghanistan Helmand province over the past five months, provincial police spokesman Mullah Ezatullah Haqqani said on Monday.

The weaponry, which includes 41 stocks of Kalashnikovs, 188 pieces of pistols, one piece of RPG-7, two stocks of M16, more than 170 pieces of other types of arms and thousands of bullets and projectiles, has been confiscated from the provincial capital Lashkar Gah and adjoining districts, the official asserted.

Police have also taken into custody 75 individuals on charges of keeping and carrying arms illegally, the official further said.

As part of efforts to ensure viable peace in the post-war Afghanistan, the Afghan government's security organs have collected thousands of arms and ammunition, including battle tanks, since taking over power more than four years ago, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Earlier, on September 14, the provincial police office said police had discovered arms and ammunition in operations in eastern Afghanistan's Kapisa province.

The weaponry, which included eight pieces of hand grenades and firearms, has been discovered and seized by police in a series of operations over the past couple of days.

In a similar action, police discovered a dozen firearms, including seven AK-47 assault rifles, in northern Afghanistan's Sari Pul province, said a statement of the provincial police office on September 14.

The weaponry, which includes seven stock Kalashnikovs, one piece of the US-made M16, and four pieces of pistols, was collected from individuals outside the security organs from across the province a couple of days ago, the statement added.

Police won't allow anyone to keep or carry arms illegally, the statement asserted.

The Afghan government, which vowed to collect arms from irresponsible armed individuals, has rounded up hundreds of thousands of military equipment, including assault rifles and battle tanks, over the past four years in the post-war country.

--IANS

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