ADI GHAR CAVES

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Altogether 27 unspecified caves or bombable hide-outs, of which 12 were cleared reported BAHMANYAR (2004: 11; photographs on pages 10 top left, 11 top right, 36 top) in connection with one Operation Mongoose where small-arms fire was answered with 2,000 lb (871.2 kg) and 500 lb (217.8 kg) bombs: The caves contain supplies such as food, water, blankets, fuel [fire wood?], mules [mule shit], and signs that wounded men had been treated (BAHMANYAR 2004: 11). SITUATION (BAHMANYAR 2004: 11): In the Adi Ghar mountain area [note 1] about 14 miles [more likely: 22 statute miles or 35 km in a direct line] north of Spin Boldak (note 2). CAVE 1 (BAHMANYAR 2004: 10 photograph top left): A well dressed soldier points out an obvious dark shadow (note 3) in the distance. The shadow looks like a cave entrance, oval in shape, higher than wide (1: 3 decreasing a short way in to 3: 1) and opening in the steep flank of a hillock or spur exposing stratified rocks (limestone?) without obvious solutional surace features) built up of a sequence of strata differing in thickness and consistency. CAVE 2 (BAHMANYAR 2004: 11 photograph top right): Brownish grey fumes (print with strong moiree-effect) emerge from a slightly slanting, upright, and almost rectangular cave entrance (without scale except two solitary plants: possibly about 1 or 2 m high and a third less wide) with a floor covered with angular brocken stones. The host rock consists of thin bedded, frequently broken strata (limestone? siltstone?) decomposing to angular rubble. CAVE 3 (BAHMANYAR 2004: 36 photograph top): A low but wide dark area (without scale) below slightly vaulted ceiling of what appears to represent a horizontal band of massive rock (limestone?) without obvious dissolution forms but vertically dissected. The area in front of the -cave- entrance is littered with angular rocks or boulders (size not knowable) and seems to rise towards the interior where the floor is covered with what appears to consist of a fine-graied, dry, and cream coloured sedimentary deposit (silt?, mud? sand?).ed, dry, and cream coloured sedimentary deposit (silt?, mud? sand?).