Combined Force Captures Taliban Leader

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2011 — A com­bined Afghan and coali­tion secu­ri­ty force cap­tured a Tal­iban leader dur­ing an oper­a­tion in the Khugyani dis­trict of Afghanistan’s Nan­garhar province today, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.

The leader dis­trib­uted bomb-mak­ing mate­ri­als and planned road­side-bomb attacks against coali­tion forces. The secu­ri­ty force detained anoth­er sus­pect dur­ing the operation. 

In oth­er Afghanistan oper­a­tions today: 

— In the Musa Qalah dis­trict of Hel­mand province, a com­bined force detained sev­er­al sus­pect­ed insur­gents dur­ing a search for a Tal­iban leader who places road­side bombs through­out the province and plans ambush­es against Afghan forces. 

— A com­bined force detained sev­er­al sus­pects dur­ing a search for a Tal­iban leader in the Nerkh dis­trict of War­dak province. The leader coor­di­nates attacks against Afghan forces in the Maid­an Shahr and Nerkh districts. 

— In the Sabari dis­trict of Khost province, a com­bined force detained mul­ti­ple sus­pects while search­ing for a Haqqani net­work leader who plans attacks against Afghan forces. 

— A com­bined force detained sev­er­al sus­pects while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader in the Andar dis­trict of Ghazni province. The leader directs insur­gent fight­ers in attacks in the Andar and Deh Yak districts. 

— A com­bined force detained sev­er­al sus­pects and seized weapons, includ­ing a machine gun, while search­ing for a Haqqani net­work leader in the Jani Khel dis­trict of Pak­tia province. The leader coor­di­nates attacks against Afghan forces. 

In Afghanistan oper­a­tions yesterday: 

— A com­bined force killed two armed insur­gents and detained two sus­pects in the Sha­ran dis­trict of Pak­ti­ka province. The deceased insur­gents were car­ry­ing two assault rifles, four grenades, 90 rounds of small-arms ammu­ni­tion and five blast­ing caps. The force also found three rock­et-pro­pelled grenades, 200 rounds of machine-gun ammu­ni­tion and impro­vised explo­sive device-mak­ing com­po­nents in a near­by building. 

— In the Arghandab dis­trict of Kan­da­har province, a com­bined force dis­cov­ered 540 pounds of hashish. 

— A com­bined force seized an IED, 20 mor­tar rounds, six mines and some IED com­po­nents in the Bara­ki Barak dis­trict of Log­ar province. 

— Com­bined forces killed two insur­gents in an airstrike in the Sha­ran dis­trict of Pak­ti­ka province. Forces seized an assault rifle with mag­a­zines, two grenades, five blast­ing caps, six cell phones, three RPGs, 200 machine-gun rounds, two bay­o­nets, a two-way radio and three vehicles. 

— Afghan police detained two sus­pects and coali­tion forces killed one insur­gent and wound­ed anoth­er in the Giro dis­trict of Ghazni province. 

— Afghan sol­diers detained four sus­pects in the Jarkanah dis­trict of Pak­ti­ka province. Afghan police cap­tured an indi­vid­ual after he det­o­nat­ed an IED at the Koghani dis­trict cen­ter in Nan­garhar province. 

— Com­bined forces cap­tured five insur­gents in the Sayid­abad dis­trict of War­dak province. 

— An Afghan civil­ian turned in 20 mor­tar rounds, six land­mines, 39 fuse heads, two anti-air­craft sights and three det­o­na­tors and primers in the Bar­ki Barak dis­trict of Log­ar province. 

In Nov. 29 Afghanistan operations: 

— A com­bined force found two 12 2mm rock­ets, three 82 mm mor­tars, an anti-tank mine, four rock­et-pro­pelled grenades, five hand grenades, an assault rifle, more than 4,000 rounds of machine-gun and small-arms ammu­ni­tion and IED-mak­ing com­po­nents in the Zur­mat dis­trict of Pak­ti­ka province. 

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