Forces in Afghanistan Kill, Capture Militants

American Forces Press Service

March 15, 2010 - Afghan and coalition forces killed a senior Taliban operative, detained numerous suspected insurgents and seized weapons and drugs in recent operations, military officials in Kabul reported.

In the Chak-e Wardak district of Wardak province today, Afghan and international forces captured a suspected Taliban subcommander allegedly responsible for conducting reconnaissance and planning attacks against coalition forces. Two other insurgents also were detained.

In other recent operations:

-- An International Security Assistance Force patrol stopped a vehicle yesterday that was driving erratically in the Kandahar district of Kandahar province. When questioned, the driver gave evasive answers, so the patrol searched the vehicle and discovered 140 pounds of hashish. The drugs were turned over to the Afghan National Police.

-- Afghan forces with ISAF partners killed Muhammad Yah, a senior Taliban commander in the Lashkar Gar district of Helmand province March 12. He was known to have planned and facilitated roadside-bomb attacks and to have directed suicide-bomb attacks in the area. While he primarily targeted Afghan forces and international partners, officials said, his attacks often killed or injured innocent Afghan civilians.

-- A combined Afghan-international force captured a Taliban bomb-attack facilitator yesterday in Logar province. The facilitator is believed to be responsible for placing roadside bombs throughout the province's Muhammad Aghah district.

-- A combined force captured a Taliban subcommander and another militant in Kandahar's Zharay district March 13. The combined force found bomb-making materials, including a rocket-propelled grenade, an artillery round, empty mortar cans, and rocket and mortar charts. The subcommander has been responsible for acquiring explosives and bomb-making materials and moving militant fighters to various safe houses, officials said.

-- An Afghan-international force captured a Haqqani terrorist network commander and two other militants March 13 in Khost province's Jaji Mayden district. He is believed to be responsible for directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The search team found a shotgun, an automatic rifle, a grenade, some armor-piercing rounds, time fuses, blasting caps and a small amount of dynamite. Two other suspected militants also were detained.

-- In the Zurmat district of Paktika province March 13, a combined force detained two suspected militants while pursuing a Taliban commander.

-- Combined patrols found 11 rocket-propelled grenade warheads, 75 pounds of homemade explosives and bomb-making materials in Helmand's Nad Ali district March.

-- In Helmand's Nawah-ye-Barakzai district March 13, a combined patrol detained two men after discovering 20 pounds of opium.

-- An Afghan-international security force pursuing an al-Qaida commander in a rural area of the Asmar district of Kunar province March 13 killed six militants, all of whom apparently were foreign fighters, officials said. The militants fired on the combined force after the unit had called out for the occupants of a compound to surrender peacefully. A search of the compound revealed several automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and a land mine. A woman reportedly was killed in the cross-fire, and a joint investigation is under way.

-- On March 12, Afghan forces killed eight militants and captured a foreign fighter facilitator in the Gulistam district of Farah province. Three of the eight militants killed were identified as foreign fighters. The combined force came under fire upon arriving at the compound targeted by the operation and returned fire, clearing the enemy from the compound. A militant who was wounded was found to be responsible for moving and equipping foreign fighters coming into Afghanistan. A search yielded rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and hand grenades.

-- On March 12, a combined security force in the Khost district captured a Haqqani subcommander responsible for buying bomb components and giving them to cell members, recruiting and training militants and conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Two other insurgents also were detained. The team recovered rifles, a blasting cap and a large amount of cash.

-- Also on March 12, a combined force in Kandahar's Arghandab district captured a Taliban leader responsible for planning attacks against coalition forces. Two other suspected militants also were detained.

-- A combined patrol found three weapons caches within 100 yards of each other in the Tarin Kot district of Uruzgan province March 12. The caches contained three rocket-propelled grenades, a mortar round, two grenades, more than 20 yards of detonation cord and 350 rounds of small-arms ammunition.

-- Afghan soldiers operating with ISAF forces in the Garm sir district of Helmand province discovered a significant cache of weapons and drugs March 12. The force found a Pakistani passport, a spool of command wire used for roadside bombs, 38 batteries, three loaded assault-rifle magazines, 27 shotgun shells, a pellet gun, a shotgun, an assault rifle, several rounds of ammunition, and about 400 pounds of opium.

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