Forces Capture Insurgents, Weapons in Afghanistan

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2011 – Combined forces yesterday captured a Taliban leader and found a weapons stockpile during operations in southern and eastern Afghanistan, military officials reported.

Troops found the Taliban leader, who is responsible for trafficking weapons to Taliban fighters and Haqqani network terrorists, in Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district.

Security forces in Bamyan province’s Kahmard district found 74 hand grenades, 36 rocket-propelled grenades with nine boosters, 20 rifles, two land mines and a 107 mm high-explosive rocket.

In operations throughout Afghanistan April 13:

-- Afghan and coalition forces killed numerous insurgents and detained several suspects after armed militants attacked their patrol. Troops confiscated several rifles, 2,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition, two motorcycles, a pistol and opium.

-- Security forces captured several suspected insurgents, including an alleged Taliban financier and bomb trafficker, in Lagham province’s Alishen district.

-- Based on tips from local residents, combined forces in Zabul province’s Shah Joy district captured a Taliban leader.

-- Forces discovered several weapons and drug caches throughout Afghanistan. The operations resulted in seizure of 1,160 assault rifle rounds, 426 pounds of narcotics, 300 automatic machine-gun rounds, 200 bag of ammonium nitrate -- a banned fertilizer used to make homemade bombs -- 198 pounds of hashish, six rockets, four assault rifles, three pistols and two rocket-propelled grenades.