American Forces Press Service<br /><br />WASHINGTON, March 13, 2004 -- Operation Mountain Blizzard has successfully<br />ended in Afghanistan, and Operation Mountain Storm has begun, coalition<br />officials in the Afghan capital of Kabul announced in a news release today.<br /><br />In the two months of Mountain Blizzard, the coalition conducted 1,731 patrols<br />and 143 raids and cordon-and-search operations. They killed 22 enemy combatants<br />and discovered caches with 3,648 rockets, 3,202 mortar rounds, 2,944 rocket-<br />propelled grenades, 3,000 rifle rounds, 2,232 mines and tens of thousands of<br />rounds of small-arms ammunition, the news release said.<br /><br />Mountain Storm is the next in the continuing series of operations in the south,<br />southeast, and eastern portions of Afghanistan designed to destroy terrorist<br />organizations and their infrastructure while continuing to focus on national<br />stability and support, officials said.<br /><br />Weapons caches were found March 12 in the vicinity of Khowst, Ghazni, Qalat,<br />Zormat, Shkin and Bagram Air Field. Also on March 12, an Afghan citizen turned<br />in a recoilless rifle, an anti-aircraft gun, a mortar and machine guns, along<br />with ammunition to coalition forces near Deh Rawod.<br /><br />The news release also reported on continued progress in Afghanistan. Today in<br />Ghazni City, the Civil Military Operations Center participated in a ribbon-<br />cutting ceremony recognizing the purchase of dump trucks that will be used to<br />clean up trash and waste in the city. Also, today in Jalalabad, the Provincial<br />Reconstruction Team will attend the grand opening for a Rotary International<br />School in Chaparhar District.<br /><br />The PRT donated the desks for the school. Rotary International is planning on<br />opening another school in the district within the year, officials said.<br /><br />In preparation for the upcoming elections, four more voter registration sites<br />will open next week in Kandahar, bringing the total to eight for the area.<br /><br />Related Web Sites:<br />U.S. Central Command [http://www.centcom.mil/]