Combined Force Detains Taliban Leader in Helmand

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 18, 2012 – An Afghan and coalition security force in the Nad-e Ali district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province detained one of the senior Taliban leaders for the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province yesterday, military officials reported.

The leader controlled several insurgent cells throughout southern Afghanistan and coordinated the construction and use of homemade explosives and bombs for attacks against coalition and Afghan forces.

The combined force also detained another suspected insurgent.

Also yesterday, an Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents and seized assault rifles and bomb components during an operation to detain a Taliban leader in Kandahar’s Panjwai district. The leader is responsible for multiple attacks against coalition forces in the region, and supplies insurgents with weapons, explosives and ammunition.

In June 16 operations:

-- A combined security force detained several suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader in Ghazni province’s Ghazni district who was directly involved in multiple attacks against coalition and Afghan forces in the region.

-- In the Jani Khel district of Paktia province, a combined force detained several suspected insurgents and seized ammunition and assault rifles while searching for a Haqqani network leader responsible for supplying, coordinating and directing attacks against Afghan and coalition troops throughout the Jani Khel and Tsamkani districts.