PRESS RELEASE | Dec. 7, 2009
Operation Khareh Cobra continues in Now Zad Valley
By None , Marine Expeditionary Brigade – Afghanistan

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand Province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – International Security Assistance Force personnel partnered with Afghan National Security Forces personnel are continuing Operation Khareh Cobra (Cobra’s Anger) to clear insurgent forces in the Now Zad valley today.

Afghan Army and Police are partnered with Marines from Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan and supported by Task Force Helmand as well as Denmark’s Jutland Dragoon Regiment. The combined forces began heliborne and ground insertions into the Now Zad valley early Friday morning.

So far, the clearing operation has yielded more than nine weapons caches of various sizes, and the combined force has found homemade explosives, RPGs and mortars, an assortment of small arms including rifles, hand grenades and machine guns, along with associated ammunition, and several hundred components used in the production of improvised explosive devices. The ammunition and weapons were destroyed to prevent future use.

Resistance by insurgent forces has been sporadic, with forces facing isolated pockets of resistance in abandoned compounds in the vicinity of Now Zad. There have been no coalition casualties to date and an estimated dozen enemy have been killed and several were captured. Danish troops, operating main battle tanks in support of the operation, neutralized an enemy machine gun bunker and an enemy mortar position.

Operation Khareh Cobra is one of numerous similar operations conducted by ISAF across Afghanistan in conjunction with Afghan forces. MEB-Afghanistan is a subordinate unit of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force. The combined ISAF and Afghan mission is to provide security for population centers and connect local citizens with their legitimate government while establishing stable and secure conditions.