Afghan, Coalition Forces Keep Pressure on Insurgents

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2010 - Partnered Afghan and coalition forces continue to put pressure on insurgents in Afghanistan, military officials reported.

International Security Assistance Force Joint Command officials provided details on several recent operations:

-- An Afghan and coalition security force killed more than 20 armed insurgents today during an ongoing clearing operation aimed at disrupting the Haqqani terrorist network's freedom of movement in the Dzadran district of Paktia province. The area is a known Haqqani safe haven used to stage attacks into the Afghan capital of Kabul and the Khost-Gardez Pass, officials said. When the security force arrived, dozens of insurgents occupied entrenched fighting positions throughout the mountainous area, armed with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. An air weapons team suppressed the enemy, resulting in more than 20 insurgents killed so far, as the operation continues.

-- Insurgents attacked Afghan and coalition forces operating in Helmand province's Msa Qalah district of yesterday with small-arms fire. After forces gained positive identification of the enemy, officials said, they returned fire to suppress the threat, and an Afghan civilian woman was shot by ISAF soldiers. She was given immediate medical attention by coalition forces, but subsequently died. ISAF officials expressed regret and offered apologies to the woman's family. "We must continue our emphasis on reducing the loss of innocent civilian life to an absolute minimum," said Army Col. Rafael Torres, director of ISAF Joint Command's combined joint operations center director.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained several suspected insurgents in Kandahar province's Panjwa district yesterday while pursuing a weapons facilitator for Taliban fighters operating in Kandahar City.

-- ISAF officials confirmed the capture of a Haqqani facilitator during an Afghan-led operation in Paktia province Aug. 7. Since July 1, Afghan and coalition forces have detained almost 20 Haqqani network leaders and nearly 100 suspected Haqqani insurgents, Torres said.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force killed several suspected insurgents and detained many more, including a Taliban commander, in Wardak province's Sayyidabad district yesterday. The commander conducted attacks against Afghan civilians and Afghan and coalition forces. As the security force approached the area, several suspected insurgents showed hostile intent from one of the targeted compounds. The assault force engaged the threat, killing the men. After securing the compound, the assault force detained a suspected insurgent. At a series of compounds nearby, the assault force identified and detained the commander and three additional suspected insurgents.

-- An Afghan civilian who was digging uncovered large munitions cache that included more than 120 mortars in the Bagram district of Parwan province and reported it to coalition forces Aug. 10. A coalition explosive ordnance disposal team secured the site, detonated munitions that could not be safely removed, and transported the remaining munitions to Bagram Airfield for disposal.