Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 2, 2012 – An Afghan-led, coalition-supported force arrested a Taliban leader in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested Taliban leader is suspected of reporting directly to the senior Taliban leader for the district and was responsible for coordinating and directing improvised explosive device emplacement operations, as well as insurgent attacks throughout the region, officials said.

Officials said the detained Taliban leader also is linked to the preparation of a vehicle-borne IED attack against Afghan and coalition force assets.

The security force also detained multiple suspected insurgents and seized an IED firing device and IED-making materials, officials said.

In other operations today:

-- A combined force arrested a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader and weapons facilitator and detained two other suspects in the Chahar Darah district of Kunduz province. The arrested IMU leader is suspected of planning and conducting IED attacks throughout Kunduz province, as well as coordinating the movement of IED-making materials for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force detained several suspects during an operation to arrest a Haqqani leader in the Pul-e ‘Alam district of Logar province. The Haqqani leader is believed to oversee the distribution of weapons to support insurgent operations throughout Logar province.

-- A combined force detained one suspectduring a search for a Taliban leader in the Sayyidabad district of Wardak province. The sought-after Taliban leader is suspected of being directly involved in multiple ambush-style attacks on coalition force convoys throughout the district.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined force arrested a Taliban commander in the Gereshk district of Helmand province. The Taliban commander, Abdul Bari, who operated across southwest Afghanistan, is suspected of coordinating delivery of heavy machine guns and IED-making components to insurgents across central Helmand province.

-- Afghan Special Police members recovered IED-making materials and heavy weapons, including three mortars, in a coalition-supported operation in the Nerkh district of Wardak province.