DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 6265 1545
MSPA 449/09
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
WEAPON CACHES UNCOVERED IN AFGHANISTAN
Australia’s 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-2), in partnership
with the Afghan National Army (ANA), continues to interrupt insurgent operations
with the discovery of a series of signification cache finds in southern Afghanistan.
Over a 24 hour period, the ANA and MRTF-2 security operations uncovered six
caches of weapons containing a significant quantity of ammunition and improvised
explosive device components.
This included rifles and quantities of ammunition for pistols, rifles and larger calibre
weapons, along with a considerable number of rocket propelled grenades.
These discoveries bring to 55 the number of caches uncovered by ANA and
Australian forces during Operation BAZ PANJE, which was launched in late
September to clear former insurgent strongholds in the Mirabad valley, in the
Oruzgan Province, according to Acting Chief of Joint Operations, Air Vice Marshal
Greg Evans.
“These finds during the current harsh Afghan winter will have a direct and significant
impact on the security and safety of the Afghan population,” Air Vice Marshal Evans
said.
“It prevents these munitions being used against locals, as well as the Afghan National
Security Force and ISAF forces.”
Since Operation BAZ PANJE concluded in early December, the ANA and MRTF-2
have uncovered an additional seven caches in the Mirabad valley, increasing the total
number of cache finds in the area to 62.
Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: (02) 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
