>> yeah! >> reporter: but the blast is massive and much larger than it should have been. >> actually had hme which is their homemade explosives. it was on the other side of the wall which caused the explosion to be a little bigger than what we originally thought and actually take this wall out. not only did we find a beddown location, but we got a couple of jugs of hme. >> reporter: as troops push deeper, many insurgents have fled, but ieds remain and now are the greatest enemy. and signs of them are seemingly everywhere. u.s. soldiers are concerned about this rope along this wall. it's usually an indication of an ied. unsure if it's a bomb and taking no chances, they lay explosives to check. >> fire in the hole! >> reporter: now, because of the taliban choke hold this summer, few afghans were willing