FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq — Soldiers from 1st Battalion 64th Armor, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and members from 2-52nd Iraqi Army Brigade discovered a large weapons cache in Ninewa province, in northern Iraq, Dec. 6.
The weapons cache of 481 projectile explosives and 211 fuses was the largest found in Ninewa province since 2003.
Information of a possible weapons cache was given to 2-52 IA by a local informant that the cache was still active and has been in use for the past five years.
Maj. Gen. Nassir, commander of 2nd IA Division, said the munitions that were found were destined to kill Iraqi and American soldiers. Based on the size of the cache, it was most likely to be used to disrupt the upcoming national elections.
“Our soldiers, finding this cache, in cooperation with the Iraqi Army had undoubtedly saved lives and made Iraq safer to live. That is what we’re here for,” said Lt. Col. Ross Coffman, commander, 1/64th Armor, 2nd HBCT.
Upon arrival at the possible cache site engineers from 1/64th Armor discovered the suspected site and later found a second weapons cache that was originally thought to be a water pipe. Later it was discovered that there was a series of smaller caches in the area. The ordnance ranged from relatively new and recently hidden rounds to rounds that had been in the ground for an undetermined amount of time.
Information for this story was taken from the 3rd ID’s Facebook page.
The weapons cache of 481 projectile explosives and 211 fuses was the largest found in Ninewa province since 2003.
Information of a possible weapons cache was given to 2-52 IA by a local informant that the cache was still active and has been in use for the past five years.
Maj. Gen. Nassir, commander of 2nd IA Division, said the munitions that were found were destined to kill Iraqi and American soldiers. Based on the size of the cache, it was most likely to be used to disrupt the upcoming national elections.
“Our soldiers, finding this cache, in cooperation with the Iraqi Army had undoubtedly saved lives and made Iraq safer to live. That is what we’re here for,” said Lt. Col. Ross Coffman, commander, 1/64th Armor, 2nd HBCT.
Upon arrival at the possible cache site engineers from 1/64th Armor discovered the suspected site and later found a second weapons cache that was originally thought to be a water pipe. Later it was discovered that there was a series of smaller caches in the area. The ordnance ranged from relatively new and recently hidden rounds to rounds that had been in the ground for an undetermined amount of time.
Information for this story was taken from the 3rd ID’s Facebook page.