Villagers report roadside bomb, deflect insurgent operations

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN

12.31.2009

Story by Sgt. Debra Richardson 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — The Deh Afghan District, Zabul province, has historically been a hotbed of insurgent activity. Nestled between three mountain ranges and bordering Oruzgan province, Deh Afghan was once frequented by a high level Taliban command enroute to Pakistan and Kandahar province. But years of attention from the Afghan national army and U.S. Special Forces has finally begun to pay off.

The early morning sun brought more than one kind of light as Special Forces and ANA soldiers were approached by a local villager. A man wasted no time with pleasantries, informing the ANA of the location of a newly emplaced roadside bomb near his village. Without hesitation, Special Forces and ANA responded, arriving at the location of the supposed roadside bomb.

Upon arrival, the soldiers were shocked to find nearly twenty local villagers eagerly waiting to inform them of the exact location. "From a safe distance, the explosive ordnance disposal team could clearly see it was a radio controlled bomb," remarked the Special Forces commander on site. "The EOD team managed to dispose of the IED and ensure the safety of local villagers and security forces alike.

Interested villagers revealed five insurgents had emplaced the bomb the night prior and three had stayed behind on a mountain top. The villagers pointed to the insurgents' location atop a mountain but the ANA were unable to locate them.

"This incident showed the local villagers in the area are starting to trust the GIRoA," continued the Special Forces commander. "They seem to be tired of insurgents making life hard for them and do not agree with insurgent operations. This is a huge improvement from five months ago."

• Date Taken: 12.31.2009
• Date Posted: 12.31.2009 08:46
• Story ID: 43331
• Location: KANDAHAR, AF