MISCHA MEIER BRIDGE, Kunduz, Afghanistan - A member of the Critical Infrastructure Protection force working in Kunduz located an improvised explosive device near the Mischa Meier Bridge Dec 18. He reported the discovery of the suspicious device to members of the Kunduz Provencial Reconstruction Team. Members of the International Security Assistance Force were called in to perform a successful controlled detonation of the device.
The IED was located near the bridge construction project, which will span across the narrowest portion of the Kunduz River, near Chahar Dara. Afghan officials named the bridge after Master Sgt. Mischa Meier. Meier was a fallen German platoon leader who served in the area.
“The CIP commander works very well with ISAF,” German army Capt. Thomas Au said. “The local police seem to be very happy with the cooperation concerning locating and destroying the IEDs.”
The team identified the device as a remote controlled IED, containing two mortar shells and one BM-1 rocket. The team deactivated the threat and conducted a controlled detonation in place. The entire operation is said to have taken just under one and a half hours to complete.