Troops Seeking Taliban Leader Kill Insurgent

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition force killed an insurgent in the Sayed Abad district of Afghanistan’s Wardak province yesterday while searching for a Taliban leader, military officials reported.

The wanted man commands a Taliban cell that conducts roadside-bomb attacks and roadblocks along the heavily travelled Highway 1, officials said.

Acting on intelligence reports, the combined force targeted a compound in the district. While moving into position, the force noticed two armed insurgents attempting to escape. The force pursued the insurgents, killing one and capturing the other.

In other operations yesterday:

-- A combined force in Balkh province’s Chahar Bolak district captured a Taliban leader and three of his associates in an intelligence-driven operation. The force found a rocket-propelled grenade launcher with multiple warheads, some blasting caps, an assault rifle, grenades and a chest rack at the scene.

-- In Baghlan province’s Talah wa Barfak district, a combined force detained a suspected insurgent during an operation targeting a Taliban leader.

-- A combined force acting on intelligence information in Kandahar province’s Maiwand district captured a Taliban facilitator who coordinated suicide-bomb attacks and direct attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and acquired weapons for other insurgents. Two of the facilitator’s associates also were detained.

-- In Helmand province’s Lashkar Gah district, a combined patrol found and confiscated 198 pounds of dry opium.

-- A combined force captured a Taliban facilitator and several of his associates in an intelligence-driven operation in Logar province’s Baraki Barak district. The facilitator was involved in arming insurgents with heavy weapons in the area.

-- In Paktia province’s Zadran district, a combined force acting on intelligence information detained several suspected insurgents while searching for a Haqqani terrorist network leader who commands 30 experienced fighters and leads them in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained five suspected insurgents during a clearance operation in Khost province’s Sperah district. The force cleared several buildings in two locations. They interviewed local civilians about insurgent activity in the area, and based on the information the residents provided, they detained the suspected insurgents.

-- In an intelligence-driven operation in Khost province’s Bak district, a combined force detained an insurgent while searching for a Hezb-E Islami Gulbuddin facilitator who aids the movement of munitions for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The force found an assault rifle and a rocket-propelled grenade at the scene.

-- In Helmand province’s Now Zad district, coalition forces on a dismounted patrol killed an insurgent who engaged them with indirect fire.

-- A combined force in Kandahar province’s Maiwand district found 121 pounds of hashish, 88 pounds of opium, an assault rifle with three magazines, and three cell phones.

In May 14 operations:

-- Three insurgents were killed and three others were detained after they fired on a joint Afghan police and International Security Assistance Force patrol in Logar province’s Baraki Barak district. The combined force confiscated two machine guns, ammunition, an ammunition belt, two radios, four assault rifle magazines, a motorcycle battery, a tactical vest, two pistols with holsters, three cell phones and a pair of binoculars.

-- A coalition airstrike killed several insurgents in Helmand province’s Lashkar Gah district after the insurgents fired at coalition forces on the ground from a known enemy firing position.

-- A combined patrol found two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, two 62 mm mortar rounds, a pressure-plate bomb, an anti-tank mine and two cell phones in Ghazni province’s Dehyak district.

-- In Khost province’s Sabari district, a combined force acting on intelligence information captured a Haqqani network leader responsible for coordinating weapons and ammunition distribution to insurgents in the district. He also conducted roadside-bomb attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The force wrapped up its search by safely destroying rifles and chest racks found during the operation.

-- A combined force detained two suspected insurgents in Wardak province’s Sayyidabad district.

-- In Logar province’s Charkh district, a combined force detained two suspected insurgents during a clearance operation.

-- A combined force killed an insurgent while capturing a Taliban leader and two of his associates in Balkh province’s Chimtal district. Numerous reports indicated the leader’s location, where forces saw several suspected insurgents attempting to avoid capture. The force pursued and caught three of them, and one continued to flee. Once the force located him, he responded by demonstrating hostile intent and was killed, officials said. The force safely destroyed a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, rifles and chest racks found at the scene.

-- A combined patrol found four drug weapons caches in Kandahar province’s Panjwai district.

In May 13 operations:

-- Afghan and coalition forces detained several insurgents and found and destroyed 176 pounds of opium during a counternarcotics operation in Helmand province’s Lashkar Gah district.

-- Afghan and coalition forces found and destroyed a ton of dry opium in Nimroz province’s Chahar Burjak district.

-- In Zabul province’s Qalat district, Afghan and coalition forces killed two insurgents during an operation to prevent a Taliban indirect-fire weapons team from carrying out an attack.

-- A combined force captured a Haqqani network leader and several of his associates in Paktia province’s Dzadran district.

-- In Paktika province’s Bermal district, a coalition airstrike killed several insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades.

-- A coalition patrol in Ghazni province’s Zanakhan district found and destroyed a machine gun, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, rifle rounds, two mortar tubes, an assault rifle and bomb-making components.

In May 12 operations:

-- Afghan and coalition forces detained a suspect after a vehicle interdiction operation in Helmand province’s Lashkar Gah district resulted in discovery of 661 pounds of wet opium.

-- A combined patrol captured a mid-level Taliban leader in Uruzgan province’s Shahid-e Hasas district.