Coalition, Afghan Forces Capture Taliban Leaders, Others

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

Aug. 4, 2010 - Coalition and Afghan forces have detained more than 50 insurgents in Afghanistan in recent days, including a senior Taliban explosives expert and an arms and drug trafficker, military officials reported.

International Security Assistance Force officials today confirmed the capture of a major Taliban narcotics and munitions trafficker during an Afghan and coalition combined operation in Kandahar province Aug. 2. The man also was wanted for suicide bomb attacks near southern Afghanistan's border with Iran.

The arrest came the same day a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne explosive near a police truck in Kandahar City, killing five children. The attack targeted the Dand district governor, which was the eighth such attempt on his life, officials said.

In other operations:

-- Coalition forces and Afghan soldiers detained several insurgents and a Taliban commander at a compound in the Arghandab district of Kandahar province last night. The man is known as an expert and facilitator for bombing attacks in the area. The combined force fired no shots in the operation.

-- A combined force detained two suspected insurgents in the northern province of Baghlan last night while in pursuit of a Taliban commander in charge of many insurgent fighters. Targeting compounds in the Baghlan-e Jadid district, the combined force detained the suspects after questioning residents at the scene. Afghan and coalition forces did not fire their weapons.

-- ISAF forces fought off a small group of insurgents that attempted to breach the perimeter of Kandahar Airfield yesterday with rocket and suicide bomb attacks. The attack consisted of multiple rocket attacks, multiple suicide bombers and small-arms fire. ISAF forces killed five insurgents.

-- Combined forces captured several Haqqani terrorist network and Taliban leaders during 24 offensive operations in the past week in which more than 50 suspects were detained and no civilians were injured. The captured include several Haqqani leaders operating in Gardez and Khost provinces, and a Taliban subcommander from Helmand province.

Taliban-led conflicts have claimed the lives of more than 1,100 civilians and injured more than 1,300 others in Afghanistan this year, Afghan interior ministry spokesman Zamarai Bashari said.