Combined Force Captures Taliban Leader

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON  – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in the Kandahar district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The insurgent leader constructed roadside bombs and also supplied insurgents with grenades and rockets. One other suspected insurgent was detained during the operation.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force captured a Taliban facilitator and detained several other suspects in the Kandahar district of Kandahar province. The facilitator moved and emplaced roadside bombs throughout Kandahar City.

-- In the Zurmat district of Paktiya province, a combined force captured a Taliban leader and detained several other suspects. The leader constructed and stored explosives and conducted roadside bomb attacks against Afghan forces in the Zurmat and Gardez districts.

-- A combined force captured a Haqqani car bomb facilitator and detained one other suspect in the Pul-e ‘Alam district of Logar province. The facilitator was involved in an attack in Logar province earlier this month that killed one civilian and wounded nine others.

In yesterday’s Afghanistan operations:

-- A coalition airstrike killed several insurgents as they were observed emplacing an improvised explosive device in the Sayyidabad district of Wardak province.

-- Combined forces seized two weapons caches in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. The first cache contained one 107mm rocket, 100 rounds of .50-caliber ammunition, two rocket-propelled grenades, seven RPG boosters, one communication scanner and about 14 pounds of explosive material. The second cache contained about 33 pounds of explosive material, two mobile phones, 20 detonators and a roll of detonation cord.

-- A combined patrol seized a weapons cache containing two anti-personnel mines and 11 hand grenades in the Kandahar district of Kandahar province.

-- A combined patrol found several IEDs in the Nawah-ye Barakzai district of Helmand province.

-- In the Terayzai district of Khost province, a combined patrol found a weapons cache containing two AK-47 rifles, 12 magazines of ammunition, three ammunition vests, 800 rounds of small-arms ammunition, one RPG booster and 110 pounds of explosive materials.