Forces Kill Insurgent in Baghlan Province

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2011 – Afghan and coalition forces today killed an insurgent and detained several others in the Burkah district of Afghanistan’s Baghlan province, military officials reported.

Troops were searching for a senior leader with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist group in northern Afghanistan when they came under fire from attackers in a nearby field. The enemy fighters maneuvered to a house in the area, where security forces killed one fighter and eventually overcame the insurgent force.

In other operations today in Afghanistan:

-- Security forces in Kandahar province’s Panjwai district captured the Taliban’s top military leader in the province, along with two other suspected insurgents.

-- In Kandahar province’s Kandahar district, troops detained a senior Taliban leader responsible for planning and approving assassinations of Afghan government officials.

-- Forces operating in Helmand province’s Nad-e Ali district detained a senior Taliban leader responsible for several attacks against security forces.

-- Afghan and coalition forces detained a suspected insurgent, while searching for a Hezb-E Islami Gulbuddin terrorist responsible for weapons trafficking and facilitating attacks on security forces in eastern Afghanistan.

In operations March 20:

-- Forces killed several enemy fighters who ambushed their patrol in Helmand province’s Sangin district.

-- Also in Helmand province’s Sangin district, troops killed an insurgent after spotting an armed group setting up a fighting position.

-- Security forces killed an enemy fighter in Warkad province’s Nerkh district after a group of insurgents ambushed the combined patrol.

-- Combined operations netted three weapons and drug stockpiles, resulting in the seizure of 120 assault rifle rounds, 44 pounds of hashish, 14 mortars, 12 hand grenades, five rocket-propelled grenades and assorted bomb-making materials, including ammonium nitrate -– a banned fertilizer used in explosive devices.

In March 19 operations:

-- An air weapons team from NATO’s International Security Assistance Force killed numerous insurgents and detained two suspects who were allegedly setting up an illegal checkpoint in Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district. The air weapons team also fired on another group of insurgents who were moving into an ambush position, killing several more insurgents. Also, ground forces detained two survivors.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed numerous insurgents and detained a suspected insurgent while searching for four Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leaders responsible for indirect fire and bombing attacks in Baghlan province’s Burkah district. Ground troops came under attack from multiple directions by enemy fighters with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. They repelled the attack for some time before close-air support arrived, killing at least 10 insurgents.

-- Forces killed several armed insurgents who ambushed their foot patrol with small arms and machine-gun fire in Helmand province’s Kajaki district.

-- Security forces found a weapons cache in Ghazni province’s Deh Yak district, which consisted of 40 assault rifle tracer rounds, 14 land mines, seven artillery shells, six 30 mm machine-gun rounds, 5 pounds of homemade explosives, two anti-tank mines and a mortar tube base plate.

In March 18 operations:

-- A coalition airstrike killed numerous insurgents who were displaying hostile intent in Helmand province’s Reg-e Khan district.

-- Afghan and coalition troops killed several enemy fighters and detained an insurgent weapons trafficker who has helped to carry out several attacks on forces in Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj district.

-- Forces killed two insurgents who displayed hostile intent in Uruzgan province’s Shahid-e Hasas district.

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed two insurgents using close-air support after spotting them planting roadside bombs in Helmand province’s Marja district.

-- Security forces fired on a group of insurgents displaying hostile intent toward a coalition outpost, killing one and dispersing the others.

-- Forces killed an insurgent during a shootout in Uruzgan province’s Shahid-e Hasas district.

-- Afghan and coalition forces detained more than 20 suspected insurgents linked to a weapons cache in Ghazni province. The cache consisted of 1,000 assault-rifle rounds, 178 pounds of ammonium nitrate, 44 pounds of magnesium -- a burning agent used in explosive devices -- and an assault rifle.

-- Security forces detained several suspected insurgents, while searching for the top Taliban leader in Baghlan province’s Baghlan-e Jadid district. Intelligence reports suggest the Taliban leader has been planning suicide bombing attacks to carry out during upcoming Afghan spring holidays. Troops also found a machine gun with about 300 rounds of ammunition, a pistol and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

-- Afghan and coalition forces captured several suspected insurgents, including a Taliban weapons trafficker in Kandahar province’s Kandahar district.

-- In Nangarhar province’s Chaparhar district, troops captured a Taliban bomb maker who allegedly trains enemy fighters to produce and emplace explosive devices.

-- Security forces in Khost province’s Bak district detained several insurgents and discovered a weapons cache of seven 82 mm machine-gun rounds, three assault rifles and a machine gun.

-- Forces discovered three other stockpiles of weapons and drugs, resulting in seizure of 2,300 assault rifle rounds, 50 machine-gun rounds, 50 pounds of shrapnel, 19 land mines, nine rocket-propelled grenade boosters, eight rocket-propelled grenades, five hand grenades, three Afghan police uniforms, an assault rifle, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and assorted bomb-making materials.