ZHARAY DISTRICT, KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Local villagers in the Zharay district have recently become more involved in the security of their own areas. Soldiers in Attack Company, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, have actively promoted an incentive initiative in the Zharay district which provides a reward to locals that helps increase safety in the district by turning in weapons, improvised explosive devices and providing information on insurgent activities.
A local man discovered an IED, Jan. 4, which consisted of a five gallon jug of homemade explosives attached to a pressure plate. He stated that he found the IED in the road near his home. A few hours later, a local Nalgham villager approached soldiers to turn in a 20 liter jug of homemade explosives that he had discovered near his home. Later that day, a village elder from the village of Siab Jan brought a bag of 14 pressure plates to the soldiers of Attack Company. He said that he found the IED-making materials in Haji Noor Udin Village.
The same day, at a checkpoint manned by soldiers in Attack Company, two local men brought a recently discovered cache to the troops, saying the items were buried south of a nearby Afghan National Army checkpoint. The cache consisted of nine PMN mines, 20 82 mm recoilless rifle rounds, four black electronic boxes with wires, assorted load-bearing vests, a Degtyaryova-Shpagina Krupnokaliberny heavy machine gun barrel, a DShK tripod and other DShK weapons parts. They also turned in a complete IED.