An international intelligence official says that Nato forces have seized the most powerful Iranian-made rockets ever smuggled into Afghanistan for the Taliban's upcoming spring campaign. The official said on Wednesday that about 50 122-millimeter rockets in a three-truck convoy were captured by Nato troops on February 5th in southern Nimruz, near the Iranian and Pakistani borders.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss classified matters. The rockets can be fired up to 13 miles (22 kilometres) away from a target, and explode in a burst up to 80 feet (25 meters) wide - double that of the previous 107 millimetre rockets provided by Iran to the Taliban since 2006, the official says.