Force Kills Two Insurgents, Detains Others

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed two insurgents and detained several suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Afghanistan’s Baghlan province yesterday, military officials reported.

The leader serves on the district’s Taliban commission and previously led a group of 10 fighters. He also works with area commission members and other Taliban leaders to plan attacks.

During the operation, several insurgents armed with assault rifles attacked the Afghan-led security force. The force responded, killing the insurgents and detaining several others with suspected ties to Taliban activity in a subsequent search.

In other operations in Afghanistan yesterday:

-- A combined force in Kandahar province’s Spin Boldak district detained two suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader who commands a Taliban attack cell and is recruiting for a new militia.

-- In Zabul province’s Shah Joy district, a combined force detained several people with suspected ties to Taliban activity while searching for a Taliban leader who plans bombing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces along Highway 1 in the district.

-- A combined force detained a Taliban facilitator and several suspected insurgents in Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj district. The facilitator coordinated movement of homemade-bomb components and relayed situational reports to senior leadership after attacks occurred.

-- In Wardak province’s Chak district, a combined force detained two suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader who plans and coordinates bombing attacks against Afghan forces.

-- An Afghan-led force in Ghazni province’s Ghazni district detained two suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader who commands about 15 fighters in attacks on Afghan security forces along Highway 1. The force also found rocket-propelled grenade boosters and other large munitions.

-- In Ghazni’s Deh Yak district, a combined force found and destroyed four 105 mm high-explosion mortar rounds, a 105 mm smoke round and 35 blasting caps.

-- A combined force in Khost province’s Musa Khel district detained two people with suspected associations to Taliban activity while searching for a Taliban facilitator who is responsible for the movement of supplies and equipment to Haqqani terrorist network’s senior leadership in Miram Shah, Pakistan. The force also confiscated multiple grenades, an assault rifle and chest racks.

-- Based on intelligence tips, an Afghan-led force in Khost province’s Sabari district detained several people with suspected ties to the Haqqani network while searching for a Haqqani leader who facilitates and coordinates indirect-fire, roadside-bomb and car-bomb attacks against the Afghan army. The force also found multiple grenade fuses, rifles, loose ammunition and chest racks.

-- In Nangarhar province’s Surkh Rod district, a combined force detained a suspected insurgent while searching for a Taliban facilitator who moves weapons and bombs for attacks. He also is associated with a February attack on a bank in the Afghan capital of Kabul that killed several Afghan civilians and wounded many others.

-- A combined force recovered a remote-controlled bomb at a possible training facility for such devices in Kunduz province’s Khanabad district.

-- In Ghazni province’s Ghazni district, a combined force detained two insurgents and found 320 12.7 mm machine-gun rounds and 331 pounds of explosives.

-- In Ghazni province’s Gelan district, a combined force killed several insurgents while conducting a search prompted by reports of insurgent attacks. The combined force received small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire from a building nearby and responded with close-air support, killing several insurgents.

In a June 1 operation, a combined force in Logar province’s Charkh district found 28 assault rifles with 112 rifle magazines, three rocket-propelled grenade launchers, eight RPGs, 10 RPG boosters and 1,000 rounds of machine gun ammunition.