Caches found, destroyed

IRAQ

11.03.2007

Story by Sgt. Jason Stadel 

2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

Sgt. Jason Stadel and Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.

FOB Kalsu, Iraq – Two separate weapons caches were found in Arab Jabour Nov. 2.

Soldiers from Company D, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division discovered a weapons cache that consisted of 50 82mm mortars, a four-pound bag of homemade explosives and 400 anti-aircraft artillery rounds.

A separate weapons cache was found in the same area by Soldiers from Company C, 1-30 Inf. Regt. The cache consisted of 10 anti-personnel mines, eight pounds of HME and three rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

"Each cache that either we or the Concerned Local Citizens bring in is critical in eroding the resources of al-Qaida," said Maj. Eric Weis, 1-30th Inf. Regt. plans and operations officer.

Weis, from Silver Thorne, Colo., said the concerned citizens have helped with the security of the area since the beginning of Operation Centurion V, which began Oct. 31.

With Operation Centurion V, the concerned citizens began interacting with commanders and saw Coalition Forces supporting them; now, the citizens are actively going after insurgents and their resources, Weis said.

An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed both caches with controlled detonations.

• Date Taken: 11.03.2007
• Date Posted: 11.05.2007 11:58
• Story ID: 13639
• Location: IQ