UK troops 'find bomb factory' in Afghanistan

British troops targeting a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan have found a cache of bomb-making equipment, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
The improvised explosive device (IED) components were found as troops pushed forward into an area of central Helmand province in Operation Tor Shezada.
The operation, which began before dawn on Friday, aims to remove insurgents from an area near the town of Saidabad.
The explosives found in the bomb-making factory were detonated on site.
Earlier, commanders had said troops had met only light resistance as they consolidated their hold on ground seized from the Taliban.
Insurgents are thought to make bombs and plan attacks from the area around Saidabad.
Hundreds of British and Afghan troops are being led by 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.
Others involved come from 21 Engineer Regiment, the Counter IED taskforce, 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Joint Helicopter Force (Afghanistan) and the Afghan National Army.
The MoD said troops worked to clear compounds around Saidabad throughout the early hours of yesterday.
It said the "large find" of bomb-making equipment was found when soldiers, working alongside Afghan security forces, began searching and clearing buildings.