SHEBERGHAN, Afghanistan, March 17 (UPI) -- Eighty Dutch troops arrived in southern Afghanistan Tuesday as the vanguard of a larger commitment.
Xinhua news agency reported on March 16 that the troops would eventually number roughly 850, who will deploy with other International Security Assistance Force peacekeepers in the country's turbulent southern region, where they will establish two camps.
British and Canadian troops will join the Dutch troops and make up the majority of the expanded ISAF presence in southern Afghanistan.
The overall security situation in the country remains unsettled.
On March 14 ISAF posted a press report on its website stating that the largest cache of weapons ever found in Afghanistan has been given to the UN's Disarmament of Illegally Armed Groups initiative.
The website reported of the Sheberghan discovery: "ISAF experts have assessed the contents of the cache and initial findings suggest the presence of one bunker of detonators, two bunkers containing a total of 80 tons of Russian TNT, one bunker with 15,000 Anti Personnel and 10,000 Anti Tank mines, however, this is not confirmed at this time. A fifth bunker is also in the process of being assessed and examined."
