U.S. Airstrike Kills Terrorists in Afghanistan

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2011 – A U.S. military airstrike yesterday killed a Haqanni terrorist network leader and two other terrorists in the Terayzai district of Afghanistan’s Khost province, military officials reported.

Forces launched the precision airstrike after ground troops observed and reported that several insurgents were planting roadside bombs. A follow-on element confirmed the Haqanni terrorist leader’s death. He reportedly is responsible for building and trafficking homemade bombs.

In other news yesterday throughout Afghanistan:

-- Security forces killed four armed insurgents while targeting a Taliban bomb maker in Helmand province’s Nawah-ye Barakzai district.

-- Forces killed two enemy fighters during a gun battle in Helmand province’s Sangin district after a group of insurgents ambushed the troops with small-arms fire.

-- Acting on tips from local residents, Afghan and coalition troops detained several suspected insurgents, including two Taliban bomb traffickers, in Kandahar province’s Zharay district. Troops searched and cleared more than 30 buildings in the area, which served as an insurgent staging area for attacks, a weapons safe house and a supply line.

-- Forces detained several suspected insurgents while searching for two Taliban leaders in Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj district. The targeted leaders operate out of nearby villages, where one leads a group of at least 50 enemy fighters and the other builds and traffics explosive devices.

-- Security forces detained numerous suspected insurgents, including a Taliban facilitator believed to be responsible for training enemy fighters in Kandahar province’s Kandahar City.

-- Afghan and coalition forces detained a Taliban leader and several suspected insurgents in Ghazni province’s Gelan district. The Taliban leader reportedly is responsible for launching attacks on security forces along Highway 1 as well as indirect-fire attacks in the area.

-- Security forces detained two suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader believed to be responsible for bombing attacks against troops in Wardak province’s Sayyidabad district.

-- Forces captured four suspected insurgents, including two Hezb-e Islamic Gulbuddin terrorist leaders, in eastern Afghanistan. Troops detained one leader, who is believed to be the group’s media chief with links to Islamic movement of Uzbekistan officials and other insurgents throughout Afghanistan and Pakistan, in Parwan province’s Charikar district. A combined patrol found the other terrorist leader Khost province’s Sabari district, where he commanded 50 enemy fighters in attacks on local security forces.

-- Security forces found several other weapons stockpiles throughout Afghanistan. The operations resulted in seizure of more than 5,100 assault rifle rounds, 1,300 sniper rifle rounds, 700 pounds of ammonium nitrate, two assault rifles, two hand grenades and various bomb-making materials.