Photos by: 1st Lt. Veronica Aguila Regional Command (South) Public Affairs FORWARD OPERATING BASE SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan – Afghan Border Police seized more than 360 anti-personnel mines during a vehicle inspection at an ABP checkpoint near the Wesh border crossing point in Spin Boldak district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Dec 18. Police members from the 4th Kandak, 3rd Zone ABP, discovered the mines while inspecting a tractor towing a trailer during their checkpoint operations. Upon further examination, the policemen discovered a hidden storage compartment in the trailer where the mines were carried. The anti-personnel mines are used throughout Afghanistan. They can be used as both a piece in constructing improvised explosive devices or as a simple land mine, said U.S. Air Force Capt. Curtis Lloyd, an officer with 466th Explosive Ordinance Disposal Company (Operating Location-Bravo), Combined Joint Task Force Paladin. This is a significant find for this area. Security Force Assistance Team 8 members, known as Team Avengers from the Texas Army National Guard, were in a leadership meeting with their 4th Kandak partners at the police headquarters when the policemen received the call and responded to the checkpoint. The 4th Kandak policemen responded to the checkpoint independently, detained suspected insurgents and transported the mines to their Afghan police EOD assets for analysis and destruction. -

Naweed Yousufi Army Freelance journalist