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KABUL - Afghan and coalition security forces spent the month of July continuing to capture and kill key Taliban and Haqqani insurgent leaders associated with the facilitation of improvised explosives device and suicide attacks, as well as the facilitation of foreign fighters against coalition and Afghan troops.
July marked a total of more than 330 suspected insurgents detained and more than 60 insurgents killed in security force operations. More importantly, several Haqqani Network and more than 30 Taliban leaders were captured or killed. These leadership figures include shadow governors, commanders, sub-commanders and weapons facilitators.
"The insurgent groups are feeling the increased pressure. July was an extremely successful month for Afghan and coalition forces in which 87 percent were conducted without a single shot fired," said Col. Rafael Torres, ISAF Joint Command Combined Joint Operations Center director.
The month of July began with a security operation that resulted in the death of more than 20 Taliban fighters and the capture of the Taliban district chief in Baghran district in Helmand province. The operation totaled four hours, yet no Afghan civilian, Afghan National Security Force or coalition troops were killed or wounded.
Two days later, a coalition assault force detained a Taliban commander in Kandahar province along with several suspected insurgents. The Taliban commander was linked to a late April suicide bombing on Kandahar airport which injured more than 70 innocent civilians.
On July 15, a combined force captured a Taliban sub-commander directly linked to a June suicide attack against the Jalalabad Air Field in Nangarhar Province. On the same day, international security forces conducted a precision air strike on a group of Taliban leaders who met to elect a new Taliban shadow governor of Kunduz province. The precision air strike was aimed at a Taliban commander directly connected to the July 2 Ariana hotel bombing, which killed two foreign civilians
and wounded seven.
Coalition security forces then focused their efforts on interrupting insurgent attack planning against the July 20 Kabul International Conference. Six total operations in Kabul district resulted in several Taliban facilitators captured and several more insurgents either killed or detained. The conference was a success and no major insurgent attacks materialized.
During the last week of July, coalition forces took advantage to a brief target of opportunity by conducting several precision strikes on a bunker complex in Paktiya province where the senior Haqqani Network commander for Khost-Gardez pass responsible for the overall command and control of all Haqqani and foreign fighter camps in the area was believed to be hiding. Afghan and coalition forces are still gathering information to confirm the commander's death.
That evening Afghan and coalition forces captured a Taliban sub-commander known to conduct IED attacks against coalition force convoys and facilitate explosives for his network. The security force surrounded the targeted compound east of Sharan and Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully exit the buildings.
Three men attempted to disguise themselves by dressing in female attire before exiting the compound; however they were immediately identified and detained for further questioning. In total, the sub-commander and three suspected insurgents were captured.
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2010 02:02 |
| Story ID: | 53765 |
| Location: | KABUL, AF |
| Web Views: | 380 |
| Downloads: | 345 |
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