Taliban bombs made with British electronics
LONDON, (AFP)
Some roadside bombs used by the Taliban in Afghanistan include
electronic parts that originally came from Britain and were supplied by
British Muslims, the Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.
According to the newspaper, which did not cite its source, the
devices, which were used to activate bombs via remote control, were
either sent to sympathisers in neighbouring countries or carried in by
volunteers who flew to Pakistan and crossed the border into Afghanistan.
It reported that an explosives officer told British Foreign Secretary
David Miliband of the findings while the minister was in Afghanistan on
a two-day visit this past week.
"We have found electronic components in devices used to target
British troops that originally come from Britain," the unnamed officer
told Miliband during a briefing.Miliband subsequently asked how the
parts would have reached Afghanistan, the officer replied that they had
either been sent there or had been physically carried into the country
by Britons.
"The insurgents in Afghanistan have changed their tactics meaning
they now use more and more improvised explosive devices than before," a
Ministry of Defence spokesman in London said.
"IEDs pose a significant threat to the safety of our forces and we
are looking at ways we can improve protection from them."
There are around 8,300 British soldiers in Afghanistan as part of the
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), many of whom
are based in Helmand, where the Taliban is waging a bloody insurgency
against Western and Afghan security forces.
Last month, Defence Secretary John Hutton signalled he was
considering boosting the number of British troops and equipment there,
saying his top priority was protecing the country's soldiers against
IEDs used by the Taliban.
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