Combined Force Arrests Senior Taliban Leader

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2012 – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban senior leader in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested insurgent leader commanded all Taliban fighters within Kandahar city and the eastern Panjwai districts. He directed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces while coordinating the movement of supplies, weapons and improvised explosive device making-materials throughout Kandahar province to support the Taliban insurgency, officials said.

The security force also detained two suspected insurgents as a result of the operation, officials said.
Also today, a combined force detained three suspected insurgents during a search for a Haqqani leader in Khost province. The sought-after leader is believed to be responsible for multiple attacks throughout southern Khost province as well as IED emplacements. During the operation, the security force seized an assault rifle and numerous grenades.

In Nov. 4 operations:
-- In Logar province, a combined force arrested a Haqqani senior leader. The arrested insurgent leader is tied to the Aug. 7 suicide vehicle-borne IED attack on Forward Operating Base Shank. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.
-- A combined force killed two insurgents engaged in threatening activity during separate operations in Kunar and Logar provinces.
-- Afghan police accompanied by coalition troops seized a cache of explosives and IED-making materials in Ghazni province. Items seized include three 40 mm rocket-propelled grenades, one anti-tank mine and one IED with detonation cord. The force destroyed the cache.
-- A combined force arrested a Taliban leader and IED expert in Kandahar province. The detained insurgent leader was an attack specialist who coordinated the movement and storage of IEDs, weapons and associated supplies to support the Taliban throughout the province. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.
-- A combined force arrested a Taliban leader in Helmand province. The detained Taliban leader executed ambush and IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces while facilitating the movement of lethal aid throughout the province.
-- In Logar province, a combined force arrested a Taliban courier. The detained Taliban courier served as a cross-border facilitator who passed messages and information between senior Taliban leaders.

In Nov. 3 operations:
-- In Kandahar province, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader. The arrested insurgent leader is suspected of overseeing the emplacement and distribution of IEDs throughout northern Kandahar province. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized a number of firearms.
-- A combined force seized 2,800 pounds of opium and 88 pounds of heroin following a firefight in southern Helmand province in which one insurgent was killed and another was detained. A vehicle and the drugs were destroyed on site.
-- In Logar province, a combined force arrested a Haqqani leader. The arrested insurgent leader oversaw operations and multiple attack cells in northern Logar province. The security force also detained a number of suspected insurgents.
-- In Nangarhar province, a combined force detained a number of insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader. As the security force approached the Taliban leader’s suspected location, two armed insurgents attacked the Afghan and coalition troops with small-arms fire. Friendly forces returned fire, wounding the two armed insurgents, who were later evacuated to a coalition medical facility. The security force seized several assault rifles and shotguns as well as large quantities of ammunition and gear.

In Nov. 2 operations:
-- In Kunar province, a Haqqani weapons facilitator turned himself in to Afghan and coalition forces. The detained Haqqani member is believed to have engineered IED and other attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces. According to a coalition official, the individual quit the insurgency out of concerns for his own safety and to protect his family.
-- In Paktiya province, a coalition force killed Haqqani leader Sadiq Jan. Sadiq Jan, also known as Lewo, was responsible for directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, kidnapping local nationals and coordinating the movement of weapons and bomb-making materials for insurgent attacks.
-- A combined force seized 1,650 pounds of homemade explosives in Ghazni province. The explosives were destroyed.