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ATF Agents In Texas Open Fire On IED With Water Cannon

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Russ Read Pentagon/Foreign Policy Reporter
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An improvised explosive device (IED) discovered by McLennan County sheriffs in Texas was subsequently shot with a water cannon by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The IED was discovered near the town of Rosebud, approximately 40 miles from Waco. The suspicious item was discovered to be an IED after it was found by two boys who were hunting rabbits around the area. One child’s father, a military veteran, contacted police after he looked at the device.

“Someone had made this to create lots of damage and harm,” said Parnell McNamara, the local sheriff.

USA Today reported agents shot the IED with a water cannon in an effort to “breach” its outside container. Flammable liquid and shotgun shells were discovered inside the weapon. McNamara said it was designed to spread shrapnel across the immediate area.

Utilizing water cannons to disable IEDs before they can detonate has been a tactic employed by the military for over five years. One particular cannon is so powerful it can cut through steel to disable a suspected explosive.

While no suspects or motives have been released by officials, utilizing homemade IEDs has been a favorite tactic of terrorists striking the U.S. in recent years. Most notably, the Boston bombers utilized two pressure cooker weapons filled with ball-bearings and nails in their 2013 attack on the Boston Marathon. Over a dozen home-made pipe bombs were found at the home of the San Bernardino shooters after their attack last December.

There was no explosion and no injuries have been reported, the investigation is ongoing.

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