Afghan-led Patrol Kills Haqqani Insurgents

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, July 20, 2011 – An Afghan-led security patrol killed numerous Haqqani network insurgents and detained two suspects while conducting a clearance operation in the Bermal district of Afghanistan’s Paktika province yesterday, military officials reported.

Upon arriving at a compound, the security patrol was fired on by several armed insurgents. The patrol returned fire, killing the insurgents.

The patrol discovered several grenades, AK-47 rifles and chest racks within the compound. Two additional individuals with suspected ties to the Haqqani network were detained.

In other Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- In the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, an Afghan-led force detained numerous suspects while searching for a Taliban leader. The leader directs a roadside bomb attack cell and conducts bomb and other attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined Afghan and coalition force detained several suspects during an operation in the Zharay district of Kandahar province. The target of the operation was a Taliban member who distributes weapons and roadside bomb-making materials in the Maiwand and Zharay districts.

-- In the Daman district of Kandahar province, an Afghan-led force captured a Taliban leader and an associate. The leader was responsible for attacks against Afghan security forces.

-- Also in Kandahar, an Afghan-led force detained one suspected insurgent during a security operation in the Panjwa’i district.

-- In the Sangin district of Helmand province, a combined Afghan and coalition patrol discovered a weapons cache containing seven rocket-propelled grenade warheads, varieties of ammunition, one bolt-action rifle, two pressure plates, one grenade, one trip wire, one RPG motor, and a heavy machine gun.

-- In the Sherzad district of Nangarhar province, an Afghan-led force killed several insurgents and detained several suspects during a security operation targeting a senior Taliban leader. The leader is the Taliban-appointed governing official for operations in the Chaparhar district. He is responsible for directing attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces, and facilitates movement of foreign fighters from Pakistan into Afghanistan.

-- In the Sabari district of Khost province, an Afghan-led force detained a Haqqani leader and two of his associates. The Haqqani leader was involved in direct-fire attacks and conducted reconnaissance operations against the Afghan army.