Combined Force Captures al-Qaida Facilitator

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2012 — An Afghan and coali­tion secu­ri­ty force cap­tured an al-Qai­da facil­i­ta­tor in the Gardez dis­trict of Afghanistan’s Pak­tia province today, mil­i­tary offi­cials report­ed.

The facil­i­ta­tor coor­di­nat­ed insur­gent activ­i­ty t and pro­vid­ed reports to senior al-Qai­da lead­ers in Pak­istan, offi­cials said. No civil­ians were harmed. 

In oth­er Afghanistan oper­a­tions today: 

— A com­bined patrol found about 5,559 pounds of mar­i­jua­na in the Pan­jwai dis­trict of Kan­da­har province. 

— In the Qalan­der dis­trict of Khost province, a com­bined force detained sev­er­al sus­pects and seized grenades and assault rifles while search­ing for a Haqqani net­work leader who attacks Afghan forces the in Nadir Shah Kot district. 

— An Afghan-led and coali­tion-sup­port­ed force cap­tured a Tal­iban leader and con­fis­cat­ed bomb-mak­ing mate­ri­als in the Nerkh dis­trict of War­dak province. The leader sup­plied bomb-mak­ing mate­ri­als, weapons and ammu­ni­tion to insur­gents in the Maid­an Shahr and Nerkh districts. 

In Jan. 28 Afghanistan operations: 

— A com­bined patrol found and destroyed about 11,000 pounds of mar­i­jua­na in Kandahar’s Pan­jwai district. 

— An Afghan-led and coali­tion-sup­port­ed force found and destroyed anti-tank mines and bomb-mak­ing mate­ri­als in the Achin dis­trict of Nan­garhar province. 

— An Afghan-led and coali­tion-sup­port­ed force detained two sus­pects and seized sev­er­al mor­tar rounds and small-arms ammu­ni­tion in the Kun­duz dis­trict of Kun­duz province. 

— A com­bined force cap­tured a Tal­iban leader, detained two sus­pect­ed insur­gents and seized bomb-mak­ing mate­ri­als in the Mai­wand dis­trict of Kan­da­har province. The leader shipped weapons and ammu­ni­tion to insurgents. 

— In the Nadir Shah Kot dis­trict of Khost province, an Afghan-led and coali­tion-sup­port­ed force detained sev­er­al sus­pects while search­ing for a Tal­iban leader who directs insur­gent operations. 

— In Paktia’s Ahmad­abad dis­trict, a com­bined force detained a sus­pect and seized bomb-mak­ing mate­ri­als while search­ing for a Haqqani net­work leader respon­si­ble for attacks in Gardez province. 

In Jan. 27 operations: 

— A com­bined force cap­tured a Tal­iban com­man­der who plans road­side-bomb attacks and seized bomb-mak­ing com­po­nents in the Saraj dis­trict of Hel­mand province. 

— An Afghan-led and coali­tion-sup­port­ed force detained sev­er­al sus­pects in the Ghazni dis­trict of Ghazni province. 

In Jan. 26 operations: 

— A com­bined force in Helmand’s Nad‑e Ali dis­trict detained sev­er­al sus­pects and cap­tured a Tal­iban com­man­der who sup­plied weapons and explo­sives to insurgents. 

Source:
Com­piled from Inter­na­tion­al Secu­ri­ty Assis­tance Force Joint Com­mand News Releases