‘Talibanstopper’ number hits Afghan bombers

12 April 2012

The Taliban were thwarted from detonating a massive bomb — a third of a ton of home-made explosive — outside the main British base in the

The bomb was spotted in an abandoned "tuc tuc", a motorised rickshaw, parked outside the base at Lashkar Gah, which also serves as the headquarters of the international reconstruction effort for Helmand.

The bomb was dealt with by a squad from the Afghan National Directorate of Security. "It was an entirely Afghan operation," said Lt-Col Dougie Graham of 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, whose soldiers help train police.

The security forces were alerted by a passer-by dialling 110, the new crimestoppers number in Helmand. Helmand has gone crazy for mobile phones, which now have 80 per cent per cent coverage across Afghanistan.

The bomb was one of three major finds of bomb-making equipment, arms and ammunition in central Helmand on Tuesday, including a huge store of ammonium nitrate fertiliser, rifles and several ready-made explosive devices. The driver of a car carrying some of the material was arrested.

"The Afghan police cordoned the area off and dealt with the bomb calmly," said Lt-Col Graham.

"When the first charge didn't work, we called up the British bomb squad. I knew they weren't needed when the second controlled charge succeeded, so I sent them back."

The Taliban have been attacking soft targets following reports that they have been losing key field commanders in night battles. A week ago 17 people were killed and 23 injured by a suicide bomber at a bathhouse in Spin Boldak, south of Kandahar.

This may have been a sense of desperation because Lashkar Gah and its district are showing increased prosperity. There is huge demand for education, for learning to read and write and computer skills.

"The Taliban will try to blow up Lashkar Gah seven days a week," said Dougie Graham, "but now there are more and more people refusing to allow them to do this seven days a week."

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