Coalition troops disarm Afghan town, search for al-Qaida

Coalition forces disarmed an entire village suspected of harboring al-Qaida sympathizers in southern Afghanistan, confiscating…

Coalition forces disarmed an entire village suspected of harboring al-Qaida sympathizers in southern Afghanistan, confiscating an anti-aircraft gun and other weapons, a US military spokesman said.

American special forces and Afghan troops participated in the operation, Maj. Bryan Hilferty said.

"They weren't terribly happy but there was no resistance," Mr Hilferty told reporters at Bagram air base. He declined to identify the town.

Meanwhile, a 1,000-strong British-led force continued a massive push through southeastern Afghanistan, seizing 2,000 rounds of automatic weapons ammunition in a cave, said Royal Marines spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Harradine.

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The British-led operation is going through as-yet unchecked territory in search of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters and hide-outs they may have used.

The operation is being backed by US air support and some US special operations soldiers, as well as Afghan infantry units.