Search for missing troops finds giant cache complex, explosive factory

MNFI:

Coalition troops searching for the Soldiers captured in the May 12 attack, discovered a huge weapon cache complex and an explosives factory in an isolated area between Iskandariyah and the Euphrates River today.
After conducting a company-sized air assault into the area known as the ‘fish farms’ due to the prevalence of man-made ponds used to harvest fish, Company B, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment (Strykers) discovered the complex of 13 weapons caches and a facility to prepare homemade explosives.

The explosive factory contained approximately 1,000 pounds of homemade explosives stored in grain bags.

The cache complex contained eight 155 mm artillery rounds, three 130 mm artillery rounds, a 120 mm artillery round, 850 mortar fuses, seven rocket propelled grenade launchers with five sighting assemblies, 34 RPG boosters, 46 RPG warheads, 1000 12.7 mm heavy machine gun rounds, 4000 14.5 mm heavy machine gun rounds, and 200 25 mm anti-tank rounds.

Also found were a 122 mm rocket, 1000 9 mm rounds, six hand grenade fuses, 17 fragmentary hand grenades, 205 30 mm anti-aircraft artillery rounds, 60 57 mm anti-aircraft artillery rounds, two 2.75 mm rockets, 215 basting caps, 1000 small arms ammunition primers, 500 shotgun rounds, 1000 feet of detonation cord, 7400 7.62 mm machine gun rounds, a 40 mm high explosive grenade, various small arms and sub machine gun magazines, eight pre-cut lengths of wire (presumably used as IED initiators) and five former regime Iraqi army helmets.

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The site was destroyed by explosive charges. It is yet another indicator of how counterproductive it has been for al Qaeda to attempt to capture US troops. The blow back in terms of a search lacks down the area and reveals things like this huge complex used by the enemy to manufacture IEDs. The search for the troops has also resulted in numerous detainees who are providing information on enemy operations such as this one.

CNN is reporting that 16 enemy have been detained who were directly related to the abduction of the US troops.