Forces Detain Taliban Operators, Insurgents

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 25, 2010 - Combined Afghan and international security forces detained two Taliban operators and numerous suspected insurgents during operations in Afghanistan over the past two days. A combined Afghan and international security force searched a compound in Helmand province today and detained an undisclosed numbers of suspected insurgents.

In Logar province last night, a security force searched a compound and captured a Taliban operator responsible for providing weapons and refuge to Taliban members.

Also last night, a force searched a compound in Kandahar province and captured a Taliban operator with direct ties to several militant networks. Another insurgent was captured during the search.

In operations Jan. 23:

-- A security force observed a man planting a homemade bomb near a patrol base in Helmand province. After the force fired warning shots, the man continued digging, and he was shot and killed.

-- Troops discovered a cache of munitions in Kandahar province. The cache consisted of 38 rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, eight rifles and 2,200 rounds of small-arms ammunition.

-- Forces operating in the Helmand province discovered a large cache of homemade explosives. The 680-pound cache included 36 five-liter jugs of explosives.

-- A security force searched a compound in Helmand and captured a Taliban facilitator who is known to buy and transport weapons. The force found explosive materials during the search.

In operations Jan. 22:

-- A combined security force searched a compound in Kandahar and captured a Taliban facilitator with close ties to several militant networks. The force also detained another suspected insurgent.

-- In Zabul province, a force set up a temporary roadblock. The force searched a bus and detained suspected insurgents.

-- Afghan citizens turned in a cache of munitions to Spanish forces based in Baghdis province. The cache consisted of 78 Russian mortar rounds, nine rockets and five Chinese rocket projectiles. All the munitions were in poor condition, adding to the hazard they posed to Afghan citizens, officials said.

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)