Coalition Forces Kill 1 Terrorist, Capture 3 in Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

Feb. 13, 2008 - An armed assailant was killed, and three individuals were detained during a coalition operation yesterday in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province, military officials said. Coalition forces performed a search of compounds in the Tarin Kowt district targeting a Taliban commander responsible for conducting anti-government activities. While searching one of the compounds, coalition forces were engaged by multiple armed assailants barricaded in a building. Coalition forces employing small-arms fire killed one of the assailants. Another armed assailant who fired on coalition forces was captured.

Completing the search, coalition forces detained two more individuals with suspected links to the Taliban. The detained individuals will be questioned on their involvement with Taliban operations and other extremist activities.

"Coalition forces remain focused on defeating insurgent networks in Afghanistan," said Army Capt. Vanessa R. Bowman, a coalition forces spokeswoman.

Elsewhere, Afghan citizens led Afghan security forces to a weapons cache in Nangarhar province Feb. 10. Residents of Fateh Mina Village, Lal Por district, Nangarhar province, discovered the cache, and Afghan security forces were able to secure the area and safely remove the dozens of weapons from the cache site. Thirty rocket-propelled-grenade rounds and 32 82 mm mortar rounds were confiscated.

"It is clear that citizens of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan are committed to government objectives to thwart insurgent activity in their neighborhoods," Bowman said. "Afghan national security forces will continue to take these weapons out of the hands of insurgents and make the area safer for residents."

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