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CNN Live Saturday

British Forces Destroy Enemy Weapons Cache in Afghanistan

Aired May 11, 2002 - 17:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: In southeastern Afghanistan, the dust is settling from the most spectacular score so far in what British coalition forces call Operation Snipe. Yesterday, British Royal Marines targeted a huge abandoned enemy arsenal and blasted it to bits. CNN's Bill Delaney reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan once controlled, an immense weapons cache, destroyed by British Royal Marines. Across a complex of four caves, tens of thousands of rockets, grenades, shells, mostly Chinese- and Soviet-made, enough to fill 20 trucks. Uncovered in the vicinity of the down of Gardez, close to the Pakistan border.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting on top of this find, and destroying it, rendering it useless and unserviceable for the future I think is an act of significance for us.

DELANEY: The caves are believed to date from the 1980s war between the Soviet Union and Afghan mujahideen. With entrances seven feet high, more than 100 feet deep, dug out by pits. Coming under the control of Taliban and lately local warlords, caves known to coalition forces since early this year, when at least one was bombed. Destruction of the weapons the most significant achievement of nearly two-week-old Operation Snipe. Several hundred Royal Marines scouring eastern Afghanistan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Although we haven't discovered any al Qaeda or Taliban, I feel that we've, you know, justified ourselves out here by denying the enemy who are using the caves (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

DELANEY: The goal now, commanders say, to dismantle the infrastructure of al Qaeda and Taliban, as much as to find them and kill them.

(on camera): A high-ranking officer of the British Royal Marines this week said the war against al Qaeda and Taliban is all but over. Operation Snipe so far resulted in no firefights, but the cave complex now destroyed is a stunning example of the kind of firepower al Qaeda and Taliban once commanded here, and that coalition commanders now say they plan to continue dismantling, piece by piece.

Bill Delaney, CNN, Kabul. (END VIDEOTAPE)

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