KABUL, Afghanistan – Several insurgents were killed and wounded by International Security Assistance Force in southern Afghanistan over the past 24 hours.
In Helmand province, during separate clearing operations, three ISAF patrols were engaged by insurgents with small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades in Sangin and Kajaki districts. After gaining positive identification, coalition forces returned fire and called for air support. The air weapons team supporting ground forces engaged the enemy position, killing the insurgents.
Afghan National Security Forces and ISAF also discovered several caches in southern and eastern Afghanistan.
In Helmand, Uruzgan, Kandahar, Paktika and Zabul provinces, Afghan Security forces and ISAF patrols found eight weapons, improvised explosive device-making components and chemicals caches in Marjah, Garm Ser, Tarin Kot, Panjwa’I, Zharay, Kandahr, Mota Khan and Shinkay districts. The caches consisted of three AK-47s, 20 full AK-47 magazines, 3,000 small arms rounds, two machine-guns, 16 mortar fuses, two recoilless rifle rounds, seven 60 mm mortar rounds, two 81 mm mortar round, four 82 mm mortar rounds, nine 105 mm mortar rounds, three 155 mm artillery rounds, 34 rocket-propelled grenades, one Chinese rocket, 17 RPG boosters, five RPG warheads, 11 .50 caliber rounds, two anti-personnel mines and loose ammunition.
The IED-making components and chemicals consisted of 10 detonators, homemade explosives, 100 pounds (45 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate, 10 jugs of shrapnel and ball bearings, several electronic components, multiple pressure plates and three chest racks.
Initial reports indicate no civilians were injured and no damage was reported during the clearing operations. The weapons, IED making components and chemicals from all the provinces were confiscated and will be destroyed.