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A gas cylinder and homemade explosives were part of the weapons cache confiscated during a raid by NDS personnel on Aug. 28. Homemade explosives were found concealed in kitchen appliances, pillows, a mattress, and other household items. In addition to the confiscated explosives, six suspected Taliban fighters were detained. Image: Pajhwok Afghan News. |
Over the past two days, Afghan National Directorate of Security (NDS) operatives thwarted four terror plots; two of the plots were aimed at targets in Kabul City, another was to take place in Parwan province, and yet another in Logar province.
NDS personnel have arrested nine suspected Taliban insurgents with links the plots, including six suspects who were arrested on Aug. 28 in Kabul's 8th district, according to an NDS statement obtained by Bakhtar News Agency.
The six-man cell had carefully placed potassium chloride-based homemade explosives inside a washing machine, various kitchen appliances, a mattress, pillows, and a gas cylinder. According to Pajhwok Afghan News, the six-man cell had also rigged an unknown number of vehicles with explosives to be used in their planned attacks in Kabul and Parwan.
NDS officials believe the explosives were smuggled into Afghanistan from Pakistan. Among those arrested were Mohammad Wali, from Kabul province; and Zaboor, Abdul Jabar, Marouf, and Khair Mohammd from Panjshir province.
In a separate raid on Aug. 30, NDS operatives arrested three suspected Taliban members in Kabul who were planning attacks in the Shar-e-Now area of Kabul City and in Logar province. Those arrested were identified as Gulam Dastagir and Ajmal from the Mohammad Agha district of Logar, and Abdul Munir, a resident of the Jablul Siraj district in Parwan province, according to Pajhwok Afghan News. Several embassies are located in the Shar-e-Now area of Kabul, including the Indian, Dutch, Belgian, and Indonesian embassies. However, it was not revealed which locations the suspects had planned to attack, or if attacks were planned against embassies.
The NDS raids in Kabul follow a series of successful operations by NDS personnel that have disrupted several high-profile terror plots against urban targets and Afghan officials this month. Earlier in August, NDS personnel killed five suspected Haqqani network cell members during a night raid against the group's safe house in Kabul's Pul-i-Charki area. The raid resulted in the confiscation of a large quantity of explosives and small arms, as well as the seizure of numerous vehicles rigged with explosives.
On or about Aug. 12, another NDS raid prevented the Taliban from conducting coordinated suicide bomb attacks on the Afghan Parliament and the Afghan Presidential palace, and disrupted an assassination attempt against Afghan Second Vice President Mohammad Karim Khalili.
In early July, NDS deputy spokesman Shafiqullah Tahiri revealed that as many as 241 would-be suicide bombers planning to assassinate government and parliamentary members had been arrested between 2010 and 2012. Among those the Taliban had planned to assassinate with suicide bombers were both of Afghanistan's vice presidents, Balkh province governor Atta Mohammad Noor, numerous cabinet members, and parliamentarians Abdul Rasul Sayyaf and Sibghatullah Mujadidi .
For previous coverage of NDS operations, see the following Long War Journal and Threat Matrix reports:
- Afghan intelligence thwarts complex assault plot in Kabul; Pakistani suspect, 4 others arrested, Aug. 12, 2012
- Afghan intelligence operations take on significant role, Sept. 21, 2011
- Afghan NDS continues crackdown on counterfeit uniforms, Sept. 5, 2011
- NDS dismantles Kabul Attack Network cell, Aug. 28, 2011
- Elite Afghan force destroys insurgent explosives cache, Aug. 22, 2011
- NDS smashes Haqqani Network plots in Kabul, July 31, 2011