Combined Force Detains 2 Insurgents

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2012 — An Afghan-coali­tion secu­ri­ty force detained two insur­gents dur­ing an oper­a­tion to cap­ture an Islam­ic Move­ment of Uzbek­istan leader in the Shirin Tagab dis­trict of Afghanistan’s Faryab province today, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.

The sought-after insur­gent leader plans and con­ducts attacks against coali­tion troops through­out north­ern Afghanistan, offi­cials said. He also is linked to an attack plot against a senior Afghan official. 

Insur­gents engaged the secu­ri­ty force with small-arms fire. The force returned fire, killing the insur­gents. The force destroyed a rock­et-pro­pelled grenade launch­er with sev­er­al rock­ets, sev­er­al assault rifles and some grenades. 

In oth­er Afghanistan oper­a­tions today: 

— In the Nad‑e Ali dis­trict of Hel­mand province, a com­bined patrol detained a sus­pect while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader who directs road­side-bomb attacks against Afghan and coali­tion forces. 

— A com­bined force in the Zur­mat dis­trict of Pak­tia province cap­tured a Tal­iban facil­i­ta­tor who pre­pared sui­cide bombers to attack Afghan and coali­tion secu­ri­ty forces. 

In oth­er news, a com­bined force found about 4,500 pounds of ammo­ni­um nitrate for use in impro­vised explo­sive devices in the Mar­jah dis­trict of Hel­mand province yesterday. 

In a March 24 oper­a­tion, a com­bined force found five IEDs in an aban­doned com­pound in the Musa Qalah dis­trict of Hel­mand province. An explo­sive ord­nance dis­pos­al team destroyed the bombs. The same day, a com­bined force act­ing on tips from local civil­ians found and destroyed six IEDs in the Dilah wa Khoshamand dis­trict of Pak­ti­ka province. 

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