Joint operation leads to multiple cache finds, enemy engagements
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RC-South
Release 20111018-01

KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan (Oct. 18, 2011) — Afghan National Security Forces and coalition troops conducted a four-day air assault operation Oct. 9-13 to disrupt insurgent networks in the area.

Insurgents fired on the soldiers several times during the operaton. Return fire killed at least three insurgents. Troops found two large weapons caches.

Upon reaching the objective near the village of Pa'in Kelay in Eastern Band-e-Timor in far western Maiwand district, Soldiers conducted thorough searches of several suspicious compounds. At approximately 4:20 p.m. the Soldiers received small-arms fire, which injured an Afghan civil order policeman. 

The next morning, the joint element again received two periods of small-arms fire. At 1:49 p.m. on October 10, a coalition forces' air weapons team engaged enemy insurgents who were positively identified carrying a recoilless rifle, killing two of them and injuring another two.

On the operation's third day, the soldiers discovered a large cache of about 200 pounds of homemade explosive material, several jugs commonly used as containers for improvised explosive devices, and 70 pressure plates. Insurgents often use pressure-plates IEDs as a tactic against targets traveling on foot.

Nearly three hours later, the same element discovered a weapons cache with a rifle scope, sniper ammunition, and documentation on trajectories and azimuths to specific landmarks.

During the operation, some 40 soldiers with the 6th Kandak of the 3rd Brigade, 205th Afghan National Army Corps, partnered with 150 Soldiers with Combined Task Force Spartan's 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment. 

An air assault operation is a swift military insertion by helicopter, which denies the insurgents freedom of movement throughout Zharay and Maiwand districts of Kandahar province, while also finding and detaining their leaders and destroying supplies.