British Forces find IED cache during Op TOR SHEZADA in Nad-e-Ali

Soldiers serving with Somme Company, the 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment continued to clear compounds in Taliban held villages in the vicinity of Sayedebad, central Helmand in the early hours of this morning. The move resulted in a large find of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) components and bomb making equipment.

Troops from Somme Company, who have taken over compounds in the region of the Taliban stronghold of Sayedebad, moved from their location under the cover of darkness to a small village on the outskirts of Sayedebad. As dawn approached, the troops, working alongside Afghan security forces began searching and clearing buildings.

Improvised Explosive Device (IED) components found inside an IED factory by Somme Company and the Counter IED task force.

Captain Brad Pino, 13 Platoon Commander said, “We left at first light this morning to push round into an area we know that the insurgents have used before and previously there has been an IED factory. So we’ve pushed out to clear the kalay (village) just to see if there are any insurgents still in the area and to find out what the local nationals know and whether they’re happy that ISAF are here.”

He continues “It’s been really quiet. The locals seem quite on side and happy to see us. They’ve told us that the insurgents have been in the area recently, potentially there are still some insurgents in the area, and there are some IEDs in the area.”

Working on intelligence gained on the ground, the Royal Engineer Search Team (REST), moved in to search a suspected IED factory once the remaining buildings had been cleared by soldiers from 1 LANCS and their Afghan colleagues.

Lieutenant Amy Pennington from the Counter-IED Taskforce commented, “There was local intelligence that one of the compounds had been used as an IED factory. So my team was sent in to search that factory and we actually found component parts of IEDs.”

She continues, “Once we found the component parts of the IEDs, we removed them and then the main charges were dem-ed (demolished) in situ by the ATO (Ammunition Technical Officer).”

Explosives and IED components being destroyed by members of the Counter IED task force on day 2 of Op TOR SHEZADA.

After spending nearly six hours on the ground the troops then extracted back to their patrol base to prepare for the next step in the operation.

Photos: Cpl Barry Lloyd RLC/MOD 2010