Combined Force Captures Several Taliban Leaders

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2012 — An Afghan and coali­tion secu­ri­ty force cap­tured sev­er­al Tal­iban lead­ers dur­ing an oper­a­tion in the Maid­an Shahr dis­trict of Afghanistan’s War­dak province today, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.

Two of the lead­ers planned and con­duct­ed attacks against Afghan and coali­tion forces in the dis­trict along High­way 2, includ­ing an attack in Jan­u­ary against a con­voy that left three Afghan sol­diers wounded. 

The oth­er lead­ers pro­vid­ed weapons and ammu­ni­tion to a cell of mul­ti­ple insur­gents that con­duct­ed road­side-bomb and direct-fire attacks in the dis­trict. The secu­ri­ty force detained an addi­tion­al sus­pect­ed insur­gent in the operation. 

In oth­er Afghanistan oper­a­tions today: 

— A com­bined force cap­tured a Tal­iban leader and detained anoth­er sus­pect in the Lashkar Gah dis­trict of Hel­mand province. The leader con­duct­ed road­side bomb­ings and oth­er attacks against Afghan civil­ians and secu­ri­ty forces through­out cen­tral Hel­mand province. 

— In Helmand’s Mar­jah dis­trict, a com­bined force detained mul­ti­ple sus­pects while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader who directs attacks against Afghan and coali­tion forces and sup­plies insur­gents with weapons and equipment. 

— A com­bined force cap­tured a Haqqani net­work leader, detained a sus­pect and seized mor­tar rounds and explo­sive devices in the Bak dis­trict of Khost province. The leader direct­ed road­side-bomb attacks against Afghan and coali­tion secu­ri­ty forces. 

— A com­bined force detained two sus­pects while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader in the Zur­mat dis­trict of Pak­tia province. The leader orches­trates road­side bomb­ings and oth­er attacks against Afghan and coali­tion secu­ri­ty forces. He is also sus­pect­ed in the Jan­u­ary kid­nap­ping of a man work­ing at a coali­tion base in the Gardez district. 

In oper­a­tions yesterday: 

— A com­bined force cap­tured two Islam­ic Move­ment of Uzbek­istan lead­ers, detained an addi­tion­al sus­pect and seized a sui­cide vest, explo­sives, blast­ing caps and det­o­na­tion cord in the Faiz­abad dis­trict of Badakhshan province. One cap­tured leader, respon­si­ble for sui­cide bomb­ings against Afghan gov­ern­ment senior offi­cials through­out Badak­shan and Kun­duz provinces, was wound­ed dur­ing the oper­a­tion and received med­ical treat­ment. The oth­er insur­gent leader was a bomb-mak­ing expert who helped to plan sui­cide attacks. 

— A com­bined force cap­tured a Tal­iban leader and detained sev­er­al sus­pects in Helmand’s Mar­jah dis­trict. The leader con­trolled an insur­gent cell and orga­nized road­side bomb­ings, ambush­es and attacks against Afghan civil­ians and secu­ri­ty forces. 

— In the Kan­da­har dis­trict of Kan­da­har province, a com­bined force detained mul­ti­ple sus­pects while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader who directs an assas­si­na­tion cell that tar­gets senior Afghan gov­ern­ment officials. 

— A com­bined force detained sev­er­al sus­pects while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader in Paktia’s Zur­mat dis­trict who directs attacks against Afghan civil­ians and secu­ri­ty forces. 

— In Khost’s Nadir Shah Kot dis­trict, a com­bined force cap­tured a Haqqani net­work leader, detained mul­ti­ple sus­pects, and seized a shot­gun. The leader direct­ed sui­cide-bomb attacks against Afghan civil­ians and secu­ri­ty forces. 

In March 7 operations: 

— A com­bined force in Helmand’s Lashkar Gah dis­trict cap­tured a Tal­iban facil­i­ta­tor who sup­plied insur­gents in cen­tral Hel­mand province and the Mai­wand dis­trict of Kan­da­har province with weapons and ammu­ni­tion. The secu­ri­ty force also seized weapons in the operation. 

— A com­bined force cap­tured a Tal­iban facil­i­ta­tor, detained anoth­er sus­pect and seized weapons in Helmand’s Nad‑e Ali dis­trict. The facil­i­ta­tor pro­vid­ed weapons to insurgents. 

In oth­er news, an Afghan provin­cial response com­pa­ny sup­port­ed by coali­tion men­tors killed three insur­gents while respond­ing to an attack against an agri­cul­tur­al busi­ness devel­op­ment team in the Alisheng dis­trict of Lagh­man province March 6. 

Source:
Com­piled from Inter­na­tion­al Secu­ri­ty Assis­tance Force Joint Com­mand News Releases