Afghanistan — Combined Force Captures Key Taliban Operative

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 17, 2010 — A com­bined Afghan-inter­na­tion­al force cap­tured a Tal­iban sub­com­man­der respon­si­ble for coor­di­nat­ing attacks and the move­ment of bomb-mak­ing mate­ri­als and detained sev­er­al sus­pect­ed insur­gents in Afghanistan’s Kan­da­har province last night, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.

The secu­ri­ty force searched a remote build­ing in the province’s Daman dis­trict after intel­li­gence sources con­firmed insur­gent activ­i­ty. No shots were fired in this oper­a­tion, which was designed to cap­ture insur­gent facil­i­ta­tors and reduce attacks against coali­tion forces and civil­ians, offi­cials said. 

In oth­er news from Afghanistan, an Inter­na­tion­al Secu­ri­ty Assis­tance Force patrol dis­cov­ered large quan­ti­ties of drugs in Hel­mand province’s Garm Ser dis­trict June 15. The force found almost a half ton of opi­um hid­den under a false floor in a truck after the dri­ver tried to avoid a vehi­cle check­point. The dri­ver and a pas­sen­ger were detained. 

In a sep­a­rate action, the same unit seized more than 2 pounds of amphet­a­mines on a farm trac­tor and detained sev­er­al indi­vid­u­als who test­ed pos­i­tive for using the drug. 

The nar­cotics trade funds and sup­ports the insur­gency and con­sti­tutes a direct threat to Afghanistan, offi­cials noted. 

Source:
From an Inter­na­tion­al Secu­ri­ty Assis­tance Force Joint Com­mand News Release