Combined Force Captures Haqqani Network Leader

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2011 — A com­bined Afghan and coali­tion secu­ri­ty force cap­tured a Haqqani net­work leader and detained�a sus­pect­ed insur­gent dur­ing an oper­a­tion in the Zarghun Shahr dis­trict of Afghanistan’s Pak­ti­ka province yes­ter­day, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.

The Haqqani leader oper­at­ed a fight­er cell in the Zarghun Shahr dis­trict, offi­cials said. He also direct­ed attacks against Afghan forces in west­ern Pak­ti­ka province. 

The secu­ri­ty force seized two assault rifles dur­ing the operation. 

In Afghanistan oper­a­tions yesterday: 

— In the Nawah-ye Barakzai dis­trict of Hel­mand province, a com­bined force detained mul­ti­ple sus­pects while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader. The insur­gent leader oper­ates a road­side-bomb and fight­er cell and dis­trib­utes equip­ment and weapons for attacks across the region. 

— A com­bined force seized a weapons cache con­tain­ing six 82 mm mor­tars in the Tarin Kot dis­trict of Uruz­gan province. 

— A coali­tion force called in close air sup­port to pre­vent two insur­gents from plant­i­ng a road­side bomb in the Kaja­ki dis­trict of Hel­mand province. The airstrike destroyed the bomb and dam­aged a near­by build­ing. No civil­ians were harmed dur­ing the operation. 

— A com­bined force cap­tured a senior Haqqani offi­cial and detained two oth­er indi­vid­u­als in the Qarghahi dis­trict of Lagh­man province. The offi­cial worked with the Haqqani net­work and al-Qai­da and sup­port­ed insur­gent activ­i­ty in Kab­ul province. 

— In the Mohmand Darah dis­trict of Nan­garhar province, a coali­tion force seized 300 gal­lons of ammo­ni­um nitrate — a sub­stance that can be used to make explo­sives — in an aban­doned semi-trail­er near the Afghanistan-Pak­istan border. 

— A com­bined force dis­cov­ered a weapons cache con­tain­ing 11 82mm mor­tars, two 40 mm grenades, a 30 mm grenade, and 60 rock­et engines in the Bala Boluk dis­trict of Farah province. 

Mean­while, Afghan and com­bined forces killed six insur­gents and detained 14 sus­pects dur­ing oper­a­tions in east­ern Afghanistan: 

— Com­bined forces killed three insur­gents in the Watah­pur dis­trict of Kunar province. 

— Coali­tion forces killed three insur­gents in the Nike dis­trict of Pak­ti­ka province. 

— Com­bined forces detained three sus­pects in the Alin­gar dis­trict of Lagh­man province. 

— Afghan sol­diers detained a sus­pect in the Andar dis­trict of Ghazni province. 

— Coali­tion forces detained two sus­pects in the Chak dis­trict of War­dak province. 

— Afghan police detained three sus­pects in the Bati Kot dis­trict of Nan­garhar province. 

— Com­bined forces detained three sus­pects in the Qarghaee dis­trict of Lagh­man province. 

— Afghan police detained two sus­pects in the Andar dis­trict of Ghazni province 

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