Young boy injured by IED, treated by coalition forces near Siab Jan

ZHARAY DISTRICT, KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan –

A pressure-plate improvised explosive device near Siab Jan malfunctioned but still exploded, Nov. 21, injuring a young boy whose injuries could have been drastically worse. The boy was brought by a relative to a nearby coalition forces’ base where he was treated and released the same day.

Soldiers from Combined Task Force Spartan’s 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, heard an audible explosion directly east of their position near Siab Jan. Moments later, a man named Abdul Kayum brought the boy to the Soldiers’ position. The boy had shrapnel wounds in his right calf, as well as other residual cuts and lacerations. Combat medics immediately began treating the boy and then evacuated him to Combat Outpost Ahmad Khan for further treatment.

Afghan Soldiers from the 1st Kandak, 3rd Brigade, 205th Corps provided Abdul Kayum with fresh bandages and encouraged him to pursue additional medical support at a hospital in Kandahar City. They also vowed to follow-up with the child and his relatives after their return to the district.

Residents living in Siab Jan, Nalgham, and Tor Jan are increasingly turning in IEDs to Afghan and coalition security forces, and have turned in over 100 devices. Citizens who turn in IEDs, insurgents’ weapons, and high-value insurgents are eligible to receive a cash reward through the Department of Defense Rewards Program.

The DoD Rewards Program is a U.S. government-funded initiative that pays civilians up to $10,000 for information leading to the seizure of insurgents’ weapons and caches, as well as the capture of insurgents themselves.


3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Public Affairs
Story by Capt. Kevin Sandell

Posted in: Afghanistan, IED