Troops Kill, Capture Militants, Seize Weapons

American Forces Press Service

March 29, 2010 - U.S. and Afghan forces killed and detained militants and discovered weapons in operations in Afghanistan in recent days, military officials said.

Troops from NATO's International Security Assistance Force, along with Afghan forces, killed several Taliban fighters while responding to heavy fire during a March 27 operation in the Tagab district of Kapisa province.

The combined force also detained an enemy fighter while searching a compound near Alasay Valley.

One of the militants involved in the operation is suspected of being the senior Taliban commander in the western Alasay Valley, responsible for a number of violent attacks against Afghan government officials and coalition forces.

Troops seized assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and several documents in the operation.

In other operations that day, combined forces detained two suspected militants in the Marja area of Helmand province and four enemy fighters in Kandahar City, near the village of Karz.

Also on March 27, troops seized an insurgent who fired two rockets at the compound where a meeting was being held in the Khakrez district center of Kandahar province.

Combined forces killed and detained militants a day earlier during operations near Kariz Deh Baba, east of Musa Qaleh.

As Afghan force members entered a targeted compound, a number of insurgents fired upon them. The force responded in self defense and killed several insurgents, according to military officials. Troops detained several other insurgents.

Afghan forces also recovered assault rifles, ammunition, rocket-propelled grenades and other military equipment in the March 26 offensive.

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