Afghan, Coalition Force Thwarts Insurgent Attack

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2010 – A combined Afghan and coalition patrol repelled an insurgent attack while conducting a patrol in the Sar Kani district of Kunar province today.

The patrol came under attack from insurgent small-arms and indirect fire. The force positively identified multiple insurgent firing positions and returned fire with mortars and guided missiles.

When the insurgent fire continued, the coalition force called for close air support. Two fixed-wing aircraft engaged the insurgent positions with two precision-guided weapons.

Initial reports indicate 13 insurgents were killed in the engagement, with no civilian casualties.

In yesterday’s operations:

-- An International Security Assistance Force patrol came under fire by insurgents while patrolling in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. While gaining positive identification of the insurgent firing position, the patrol noticed two Afghan civilians lying beneath a motorbike. Before returning fire, the ISAF patrol moved to assist the civilians while insurgents again opened fire. One of the Afghan civilians was found with a gunshot wound to his abdomen and subsequently died at the scene. The other one, a 2-year-old child, was seriously injured. The patrol immediately began providing medical care to the wounded child and called for medical evacuation to an ISAF medical treatment facility. “I don’t understand what the insurgents think they are gaining by shooting a 2-year-old child. These kind of terrorist acts are simply un-Islamic and are driving a wedge between the insurgents and Afghans,” said U.S. Army Col. Rafael Torres, ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director. “Our thoughts and concerns are with the families of the innocent victims.”

-- Afghan and coalition forces destroyed multiple Taliban improvised explosive device facilities in the Khash Rod district, Nimroz province. The security forces cleared personnel from the area before calling in an airstrike to destroy the isolated compounds to ensure the facilities would not be re-utilized to store or produce IEDs.

-- Afghan and ISAF troops concluded clearing operations in the eastern Pech River Valley, Kunar province. The combined security force moved into the Watapur Valley to search for militants and weapons caches Nov 14. Reports indicate more than 40 insurgents may have been killed during the security sweep of the area. The combined force discovered weapons caches containing several mortar systems with rounds; 15 recoilless rifle rounds; more than a dozen rocket-propelled grenades; 20 anti-aircraft rounds; four fragmentary grenades; 400 rounds of AK-47 ammunition; 1,200 machine gun rounds and improvised explosive components.