It’s no secret that the troops of 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division have been hit hard while fighting in the orchards of the Arghandab River valley of Kandahar province, Afghanistan.

So today’s brief operational update from the ISAF communications office comes as good news. American and Afghan troops killed a dozen militants during a raid Sunday designed to “interdict” the region’s Taliban commander and his followers.

The force included ground and air strikes. The soldiers discovered – and then destroyed – a cache of AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition belts and communications gear.