The Janus Global Operations team operating in Iraq on behalf of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement continues to assist Iraqi forces in making Iraq safe for its citizens.
Demining experts from Janus Global, an integrated stability operations company, recently disarmed large Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) embedded in and near a main Iraqi roadway near Baghdad.
The explosive devices, hidden in six sites, totaled nearly 400 pounds of explosives. They were found within a 100-meter stretch of a main supply road between Amariyah and Fallujah, about 20 miles west of Baghdad, Iraq’s capital city. The IEDs, neutralized by Janus Global, included five artillery shells ranging in size from 105 millimeters to 155-millimeters; one directional fragmentation charge, and an IED composed of three charges placed in 5-gallon fuel cans. Insurgents wired the devices so that they could be detonated from a distance.
Iraq’s Security Forces (ISF), while conducting a security sweep, discovered what appeared to be IEDs embedded (buried) in a main road and placed in a nearby culvert. The insurgents placed aiming markers on the roadsides to know at what point detonations would do the most damage to vehicles and the people in them.
Before commencing operations, Janus Global first used an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to survey the site. Aerial reconnaissance revealed four IED positions. Two more were discovered during further exploration. When work began, Iraqi Forces established a perimeter around the worksite for area security, and Janus Global personal security staff kept watch over two explosive ordnance removal teams working from opposite ends of the road for close protection.
The IEDs were connected by command wires to a firing point in a house about 250 meters from the road. Using advanced mine detection and clearance equipment and procedures, the teams isolated the IEDs and cut them off from the possibility of remote detonation.
The teams had to literally dig the buried IEDs out of the road, which is quite dangerous. After ensuring the IEDs were no longer a threat, Janus Global repaired the road, which is a vital link between the Amariyah and Fallujah communities.
Janus Global Operations is an integrated stability operations company with thousands of employees serving clients in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Janus’ services include munitions response; demining; IED remediation; intelligence support; logistics; life support; risk management; communications; and other services in some of the world’s most challenging and hostile environments. Janus is part of the Caliburn Companies.
Caliburn International, LLC is a leading provider of professional services and solutions to U.S. federal government agencies and commercial clients. It provides consulting, engineering, medical, and environmental services as well as large scale program management in support of its core markets of national defense, international diplomacy, and homeland security client readiness. Caliburn employs over 7,000 dedicated professionals deployed across five continents.
