Afghan, Coalition Forces Kill Insurgents

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 24, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed two insurgents and detained several suspects yesterday while searching for a Taliban leader in the Sar-e Pul district of Sar-e Pul province, military officials reported.

The sought-after insurgent leader is the Taliban-appointed governing official in Balkh province. He organized attacks against Afghan security forces and coordinated roadside bomb acquisitions, construction and emplacement.

The Afghan-led force noticed several individuals attempting to evade. The force moved to detain two insurgents who’d fled to a cave. The force unsuccessfully called for the men to come out peacefully. After observing the men move into a hostile position, the two men were engaged and killed.

The force also detained several individuals with suspected ties to the Taliban. No women or children were harmed during the operation.

In other operations in Afghanistan yesterday:

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force detained several suspects during a security operation in the Archi district of Kunduz province. The target of the search was a Taliban leader who directs a roadside bomb and suicide attack network.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force captured a Taliban organizer in the Dand district of Kandahar province. The detainee transported weapons and coordinated attacks in the Kandahar City area.

-- Also in Kandahar, a combined Afghan and coalition force captured a Taliban organizer during an overnight security operation in Zharay district. The facilitator is linked to the production and facilitation of roadside bombs in the Zharay and Panjwa’i districts.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force detained several suspects while searching for a Taliban leader in the Tarnek wa Jaldak district of Zabul province. The leader is linked to roadside bomb attacks against Afghan and coalition forces along Highway 1 in the Qalat and Shah Joy districts.

-- Also in Zabul, a combined Afghan and coalition force detained a Taliban leader and several suspects in the Qalat district. The leader was responsible for several roadside bomb and direct attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also built bombs, coordinated attacks, and collected money for Taliban commanders in the area.

-- In Helmand province, a combined Afghan and coalition force captured a senior Taliban leader and detained several suspects during a nighttime search operation in the Nahr-e Saraj district. The leader was associated with the Taliban military commission and he worked detainee releases for associated insurgents.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force detained five suspects during a security operation targeting a senior al-Qaida organizer in the Gelan district of Ghazni province. The organizer, who typically operates in Pakistan, helped to plan terrorist operations and the movement of fighters, money and materials into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

-- During a separate search in the Sabari district of Khost province, a combined Afghan and coalition force detained one suspect while searching for a Haqqani network facilitator. The targeted facilitator participates in direct attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and he plays a role in the movement of equipment from Pakistan to insurgents in the district. The security force also discovered several grenades, roadside-bomb pressure plates, bomb initiators, detonation cord and multiple rounds of ammunition.