Thursday, September 8
AFGHANISTAN: WEAPONS, BOMBER SUPPLIES FOUND, TAKEN FOR USE BY AFGHAN ARMY
| September 7, 2005 BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan and Coalition forces had collected a number of weapons caches and disarmed several improvised explosive devices Tuesday across the southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan. Afghan National Police, supported by a quick reaction force from Coalition forces, discovered two caches in the Kandahar bazaar. The first cache was reported to the ANP as a suspected IED. After investigating a tip from an Afghan citizen, the suspected IED turned out to be a cache. The ANP recovered the cache from a pit inside a metal shop that included 13 artillery shells, 22 hand grenades, 14 rocket-propelled grenades and 55 pounds of explosives and associated material. The second cache was found in a cart inside the same metal shop and included two 107mm rockets, three artillery shells, 14 artillery fuses and five rolls of detonation cord. Both caches were moved to the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team compound where the serviceable items will be given to the ANP for their use. The remaining items will be destroyed at a later date. Another cache was discovered by Afghan National Army and ANP, supported by the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry Regiment, while they were conducting offensive operations in Qalat. The soldiers came across a tent housing two enemy and a small cache consisting of two AK-47s rounds, 10 magazines, 300 AK rounds, two hand grenades, a roll of detonation cord, a radio and a transmitter. The men were detained and taken to a Coalition forces forward operating base near Qalat for questioning. Afghan and Coalition forces collected 42 caches in August and more than 360 since arriving in March. More than 110 improvised explosive devices have been discovered since March, with more than 20 of those being turned in by Afghan citizens. In another incident Tuesday, an IED prematurely detonated in front of a Coalition forces convoy near Kandahar Airfield on Highway 1. There were no injuries or damage to equipment. In eastern Afghanistan, Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 508th Infantry (Airborne) discovered an IED near a Coalition forces forward operating base in the Paktika Province. The IED was a land mine. Soldiers were able to destroy the IED and continue on with their mission. With the aid of AH-64 Apache helicopters providing air support, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment Soldiers detained one individual in Salerno after he ran from a command detonated IED strike. The IED detonated under the front end of the trail vehicle in a Coalition forces convoy near a forward operating base. The individual is being held at a holding facility in Salerno. There were no injuries or damage to equipment. |
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