Allied Forces Discover Giant Stockpile of Bomb Materials in Afghanistan

American and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan discovered a half million pounds of ammonium nitrate, the primary fertilizer used in homemade bombs, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Along with the 10 tractor-trailer loads of fertilizer, enough to make thousands of bombs, the soldiers found more than 2,000 devices such as timers and triggers and captured 15 Afghans. Military officials said the discovery could potentially prevent scores of bombings in the nation's southern region, where violence has been heaviest.

The seizure came as NATO and Afghan forces are trying to keep ammonium nitrate out of the hands of the Taliban. Soldiers were previously only allowed to seize materials that had clear ties to insurgents, but are now able to confiscate them regardless of their legality. Ammonium nitrate is illegal in Afghanistan, and is regularly taken from farmers who use it in spite of the government's ban.

About 75 percent of the homemade bombs in Afghanistan are in the southern portion of the country, where the cache was discovered. Last year, 4,100 such bombs either exploded or were discovered before they were detonated; the number is at 6,500 for this year so far.