World Watch
February 3, 2010 10:26 AM

Afghan Militants Boast Deadlier Bombs

By
Alex Sundby
Topics
Afghanistan
(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Afghan militants now have the ability to detonate roadside bombs from as far as two-thirds of a mile away using new technology impervious to military signal jammers, according to England's Sky News.

(At left, in this May 20, 2009, file photo, an Afghan National Army soldier stands guard near the site of a roadside bomb blast on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. The roadside bomb killed an American service member and a nearby civilian, the U.S. military said.)

The news station gained access to underground bomb-manufacturing cells and saw "a stockpile of bombs, primed and ready for use, whilst peace talks with the Taliban-led insurgency remain in their infancy."

CBSNews.com Special Coverage: Afghanistan

The new, more sophisticated bombs are triggered by devices similar to those that scan radio frequencies, a change from the use of cell phones to activate the bombs, the station reported. An Afghan commander told the news station that this development makes the bombs more accurate and no longer susceptible to military jamming equipment, which is used to disable cell phones.

A commander who gave the name Kamran to the news station said: "The bombs are very cheap. They only cost about $100, but they are very effective. And we can use the scanner again and again."

Sky admitted it was difficult to verify the militants' claims but reported the "mentality and attitude of the bomb-makers do not suggest an insurgency on the brink of collapse."
  • Alex Sundby

    Alex Sundby is an associate news editor for CBSNews.com

2 Comments +

Follow World Watch

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook

  • CBS This Morning iPad App

    Enjoy CBS This Morning all day long! Get instant access to original news stories, videos and interviews from Gayle King, Erica Hill and more.