Villagers lead commando and coalition troops to weapons cache

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

07.22.2010

Courtesy Story

ISAF Joint Command

KABUL, Afghanistan - The 4th Kandak of Afghan commando troops, working with coalition special operations forces, acted on information from local villagers in Assis Abad village in the Shindand district of Herat province and discovered a large cache of insurgent weapons in the area.

The commandos followed the tip and uncovered weapons, ammunition and several improvised explosive devices already constructed and stored near where the cache was hidden.

Uncovered were more than 4,000 pounds of ordnance, including approximately 100 grenades and 100 mortar rounds. Also in the cache were

25 artillery rounds of various sizes, five mines, three rocket-propelled grenades, and 10 RPG boosters. The weapons, ammunition and IEDs were destroyed in place.

The tip on the weapons location is considered by the commando and coalition forces to be a significant step in the growing trust between the people of the Shindand district and the Afghan and coalition troops. The population increasingly views the security provided by their local defense forces, part of the local village stability operations in the area, to be part of the positive changes taking place in the village, according to the coalition forces on the scene.

Discovery and destruction of the weapons cache will likely further disrupt insurgent activities along Highway 1, and around the Shindand airbase, according to commando and coalition troops.

• Date Taken: 07.22.2010
• Date Posted: 07.22.2010 11:14
• Story ID: 53221
• Location: KABUL, AF