Air Force Fighters Strike Enemy Caves in Afghanistan5/11/2006
SOUTHWEST ASIA — U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles from the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron here successfully struck two caves with precision-guided JDAMs in the vicinity of Asadabad on May 2.
The caves, carved into the side of a 7,000-foot tall mountain, were used by enemy forces to store weapons and launch attacks against Coalition forces. The strike was planned out of the Combined Air Operations Center in continued support of Operation Mountain Lion.
The aircrew conducting the strike observed secondary explosions, indicating the presence of a cache of explosives or munitions in the cave. Damage assessments indicate that the caves were destroyed. The successful strike will deny the enemy use of the caves for launching mortar and rocket attacks against Coalition forces.
The aircraft and crew are forward deployed to the 336th EFS from Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.