Cave Complex Destroyed in Afghanistan

May 24, 2006

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In an air strike May 8, 2006, Coalition aircraft killed four extremists and destroyed a truck and cave complex in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. According to US officials, it is suspected more may have been killed and buried in rubble. Before the air strike, a joint combat team of Afghan National Army and US ground forces observed people loading rockets into truck near the cave. A request was then made for air support to attack the complex.

The attack was carried out by US Air Force A-10 aircraft and a Predator unmanned aerial vehicle assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Afghanistan. A patrol later sent to investigate the cave came under small arms fire. They returned fire and captured one person. Near the cave, they discovered two trucks buried under gravel, inside of which were two 107mm rockets.