Troops Seize Enemy Fighters in Eastern Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

July 27, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan forces seized dozens of suspected enemy fighters during recent operations in eastern Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said. In an operation yesterday, a joint Afghan and coalition force searched a compound in Khost province believed to be frequented by an insurgent known for coordinating attacks against troops as part of the Haqqani terrorist network.

After intelligence indicated militant activity at a compound near the village of Majles, north of the city of Khost, the joint force searched the area and detained seven suspects, including the wanted man.

No Afghan, international security forces or civilian casualties were reported during the incident.

During operations July 25, a joint security force searched a compound in the remote reaches of Paktika province in an effort to disrupt Haqqani command and control, communications, and supply lines in the region.

The joint team searched the compound in the Deela district of Paktika, about 95 miles southwest of Gardez, after intelligence indicated militant activity. Combined forces detained five suspects in the raid.

During July 24 operations:

-- A joint force seized a weapons cache in Nangarhar province as part of the ongoing effort to disrupt Taliban operations, particularly suicide-bomber and homemade-bombing attacks against Afghan National Army and international security units in the region. In a raid, troops killed several enemy combatants and detained eight others.

-- Combined forces searched a suspected militant compound in Paktia province in an effort to disrupt Haqqani financial and logistical support lines extending from the Khost-Gardez Pass and into the country. The joint force detained seven suspects in the operation.

-- A joint Afghan and international security force detained an unreported number of suspected enemy fighters during a search of a compound in Kandahar province that also yielded incriminating photographs. Three Afghan security force members died and three others were wounded in the operation. An investigation into the incident has been directed.