Huge Storage of Weapons Found with Help of Forsan Al Rafidain Security Volunteers

According to Multi National Forces-Iraq, the second biggest storage of weapons uncovered by Task Force 1-5 Cavalry was found recently in the area around Ameriyah. The weapons were discovered with the help of information received from volunteers in the area. The information obviously turned out to be correct.

The volunteers that presented to information to the military forces in the area are part of the Forsan Al Rafidain, which is Arabic for 'knights of the two rivers'. The group is the Iraq volunteer security force that works in the area.

The discovery was made by members of 1^st Battalion, 5^th Cavalry Regiment, connected to the 2^nd Brigade Combat Team, 101^st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and included various types of weapons from grenades to anti tank mines to improvised explosive device material. The amount of material for the improvised explosives was big.

Other items within the storage were various kinds of rocket propelled grenades, hand grenades, and 95 landmines. It was this past summer when the last storage of weapons in Ameriyah was found that could compare to the size of this one. The one in the past was during extreme fighting in the area between military forces and al Qaeda fighters.

A member of the Forsan Al Rafidain was called after the weapons were found and told that there was an improvised explosive device nearby. One improvised explosive device with a pressure plate was uncovered on the porch of the building in which the other weapons were found earlier.

All weapons found in the area were destroyed by military forces to prevent future use by enemy fighters.

This discovery continues in the same direction as the month of November which was a productive month for weapons discoveries.

In November military forces recovered and destroyed materials from weapons storage areas that had the potential to create 500 improvised explosive devices. Within the month as many as 94 storage areas were uncovered in the central area of Iraq where MND-C forces operated.