Afghan Forces Free Village From Insurgent Control

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 2, 2008 - Afghan national security forces liberated the village of Yakhdan, in the Shahidi Hasas district of Afghanistan's Oruzgan province, from insurgent control Dec. 31, coalition military officials reported. The Shahidi Hasas district reportedly serves as a major corridor for transporting fighters and weapons between the provinces to the north and south of Oruzgan. Insurgents are suspected of using Yakhdan as a major command and control hub for illegal activities, officials said.

Afghan National Army soldiers led the multiday operation, along with Afghan National Police and coalition forces.

In other operations that day, coalition and Afghan forces killed several militants and found a weapons cache in raids targeting Taliban extremist operations in Helmand province.

Forces searched compounds in the Nahr Surkh district looking for militants associated with Taliban extremists and foreign-fighter facilitators. During the search, several militants were killed in an attack against coalition and Afghan forces. No exact number of militants killed was reported. Forces found a weapons cache with several AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and explosives.

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 82 news releases.)