The 7th Commando Kandak, assisted by members of two Marine special operations teams, found and destroyed a large drug and weapons cache in Sangin district, Helmand province Thursday.
Coalition forces were attempting to interact with the local populace when they received sporadic small arms and machinegun fire near the village of Banuzai. While seeking cover, troops discovered an operational drug processing lab.
Upon suppression of the insurgent force and a detailed search of the facility, Afghan forces recovered: 90 pounds of opium, two AK-47 rifles, 200 AK-47 rounds, two bolt action rifles, one Pulemyot Kalashnikova Machinegun, 200 PKM rounds and five Russian grenades.
The commandos, working closely with coalition forces, established security around the area to ensure the safety of local residents. Once the scene was secure, an explosive ordnance disposal team removed and destroyed the cache.
U.S. military officials working in the Helmand area said this operation significantly reduced the insurgent’s ability to utilize this safe haven, store weapons and procure financial resources in Sangin district.
“This is a great example of the determination the Afghan National Security Forces have to remove the terrorist threat from their country,” said U.S. Marine Sgt. Brian Kester, a special operations spokesperson.
Article by ISAF Joint Command