American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Feb. 5, 2010 - A combined Afghan and international security force detained several suspected insurgents and seized weapons and opium in recent operations, military officials reported.

A combined force searched a compound south of the village of Bangluk in Kabul province's Kalakan district last night after intelligence indicated militant activity there. The force detained "a few" suspected insurgents, officials said.

Meanwhile, a combined security force arrested several suspected insurgents and confiscated a weapons cache yesterday in Kabul's Paghman district. The cache contained 18 hand grenades, three AK-47 assault rifles, a pistol and ammunition.

Elsewhere, an International Security Assistance Force patrol detained "a few" individuals in a known Taliban compound yesterday in Helmand province's Nad-e-Ali district, officials said. The individuals tested positive for explosives residue and had bomb-making materials and more than 20 pounds of opium in their possession. They were turned over to Afghan security forces.

In Kabul's Bagrami district, Afghan forces discovered 68 82 mm mortar rounds Feb. 1.

No shots were fired and no Afghan civilians were harmed during these operations, officials said.

(From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news release.)

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2010 - Combined Afghan and international security forces detained two Taliban operators and numerous suspected insurgents during operations in Afghanistan over the past two days.

A combined Afghan and international security force searched a compound in Helmand province today and detained an undisclosed numbers of suspected insurgents.

In Logar province last night, a security force searched a compound and captured a Taliban operator responsible for providing weapons and refuge to Taliban members.

Also last night, a force searched a compound in Kandahar province and captured a Taliban operator with direct ties to several militant networks. Another insurgent was captured during the search.

In operations Jan. 23:

-- A security force observed a man planting a homemade bomb near a patrol base in Helmand province. After the force fired warning shots, the man continued digging, and he was shot and killed.

-- Troops discovered a cache of munitions in Kandahar province. The cache consisted of 38 rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, eight rifles and 2,200 rounds of small-arms ammunition.

-- Forces operating in the Helmand province discovered a large cache of homemade explosives. The 680-pound cache included 36 five-liter jugs of explosives.

-- A security force searched a compound in Helmand and captured a Taliban facilitator who is known to buy and transport weapons. The force found explosive materials during the search.

In operations Jan. 22:

-- A combined security force searched a compound in Kandahar and captured a Taliban facilitator with close ties to several militant networks. The force also detained another suspected insurgent.

-- In Zabul province, a force set up a temporary roadblock. The force searched a bus and detained suspected insurgents.

-- Afghan citizens turned in a cache of munitions to Spanish forces based in Baghdis province. The cache consisted of 78 Russian mortar rounds, nine rockets and five Chinese rocket projectiles. All the munitions were in poor condition, adding to the hazard they posed to Afghan citizens, officials said.

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2010 - Iraqi special operations forces with U.S. advisors arrested four suspected terrorists wanted on warrants southeast of Baghdad today.

The suspects allegedly are affiliated with an al-Qaida terrorist cell in central Iraq. They are wanted for conducting attacks against Iraqi civilians and U.S. forces, as well as training suicide bombers.

Two of the suspects were women believed to be training to conduct suicide missions using car bombs.

In other operations today, Iraqi security forces arrested two suspected terrorists during a combined operation in southeastern Baghdad to arrest a terrorist cell leader. The cell leader is suspected of kidnappings and assassinations targeting security forces and government leaders.

Elsewhere, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors arrested four suspects while searching two homes for the man believed to have been involved in planning car-bomb attacks. A man who attempted to flee into another building later was caught by the security team.

In operations yesterday:

-- Northwest of Mosul, Iraqi soldiers and U.S. advisors searched a home for a suspected explosives cell leader. Based on the results of preliminary questioning and evidence collected at the scene, troops arrested four suspected criminal associates of the warranted individual.

-- Iraqi soldiers and U.S. advisors searched several buildings for a suspected al-Qaida member responsible for arranging meetings for high-level members of the terrorist group northeast of Baghdad. Soldiers found an assault rifle, nine ammunition magazines and a hand grenade hidden in the building.

In operations Jan. 23:

-- Iraqi troops and U.S. advisors searched a home northeast of Baghdad for a suspected al-Qaida cell member believed to be involved in placing car bombs and kidnappings in the region. After questioning the occupants and collecting evidence, forces arrested the wanted individual and two suspected criminal accomplices.

-- Iraqi soldiers and U.S. advisors searched a building for an al-Qaida member believed to be involved in explosive attacks, assassinations and kidnappings northeast of Baghdad. Three suspected criminal associates were arrested on site.

-- Iraqi security forces captured a suspected senior terrorist cell member and two suspected criminal accomplices during a joint security operation conducted in northeastern Baghdad. The cell member is suspected of coordinating attacks for the terrorist group throughout the city.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq news releases.)

American Forces Press Service
MOSUL, Iraq, Jan. 22, 2010 - Iraqi Security Forces arrested nine suspected terrorists today during two joint operations targeting suspected al-Qaida members in northern Iraq.

An additional suspect was killed during one of the operations.

Iraqi forces executed both operations with court-issued warrants.

In northwestern Mosul, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched a residential building for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member wanted for illegally bringing hundreds of foreign fighters into Iraq. In addition, the warranted AQI member is believed to have distributed weapons and money to other terrorist-group members.

Following preliminary questioning and examination of evidence at the scene, the security team arrested a suspected criminal accomplice of the wanted man. As the team conducted further examination of the scene, the suspect freed himself from his restraints and attacked his guard. In self-defense, the security team member shot and killed the suspected terrorist.

In a separate operation in Sharqat, about 60 miles west of Kirkuk, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched several residential buildings for an AQI leader believed involved in improvised explosive device attacks and trafficking foreign fighters into Iraq.

Evidence collected at the scene resulted in the arrest of nine suspected criminal accomplices of the wanted man.

In other operations in Iraq, members of the 2nd Iraqi Army Division detected and responded to three car bombs within 48 hours before the devices were able to kill civilians in Mosul, Iraq, military officials reported.

While guarding a Jan. 20, Iraqi soldiers perceived a threat from a bus approaching one of their guard posts and tried to stop the driver. He didn't respond, so the soldiers engaged the vehicle with disabling fire before it reached its destination. A massive explosion erupted from the vehicle, injuring 10 civilians and four of the Iraqi soldiers nearby, but no one was killed.

A U.S. explosive ordnance team investigated the blast crater and determined that about 500 pounds of explosives were on the bus.

Also on Jan. 20, a 2nd Iraqi Army Division patrol saw a truck parked alongside the road in a Mosul neighborhood. Sheet metal welded over the truck's bed drew the patrol's attention. The Iraqi troops reported the truck to their superiors, and a combined U.S. and Iraqi explosives ordnance disposal team was called on the scene. The Iraqi team pulled 100 pounds of cell-phone-initiated explosives out of the vehicle.

Yesterday, a truck driver who was stopped at a checkpoint near an Iraqi army headquarters tried to detonate a bomb in his vehicle. The bomb only partially exploded.

The forces shot at the driver, and he was forced to run from his truck; unable to complete his suicide mission.

The man ran into a nearby house and threw two grenades at soldiers in close pursuit, injuring an Iraqi army lieutenant. The soldiers surrounded the house and methodically started clearing the building. During the operation, the would-be suicide bomber was shot and killed during an exchange of gunfire at close range.

Troops inspecting the vehicle found seven 55-gallon drums of ammonium nitrate. Soldiers removed the vehicle from the town, and it was detonated.

(From a U.S. Forces Iraq news release.)

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. James W. Clark
Special to American Forces Press Service
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 22, 2010 - Stepping gingerly over rocks and uneven ground, Marines from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, and the Afghan National Army soldiers attached to them, patrolled to the north of Observation Post Huskars here Jan. 18.

The patrol stalked through a small, barren crop, just large enough to sustain the inhabitants of a nearby compound, which now lay abandoned. As the column made its way past homes and farms, there was a rising sense that something was amiss; there wasn't a villager in sight.

Passing through a small archway in a mud wall and out across an open plateau, the Marines' suspicions were realized as several flat and hollow cracks rang out. Dust kicked up around ankles, and clumps of dirt flew from the walls as bullets struck all around the patrol. Sprinting to get behind cover to return fire, the Marines had achieved their objective. They had located the Taliban.

For the next five hours, Marines and Afghan soldiers traded fire with insurgents. The sun had set by the time the patrol withdrew, and they had uncovered a cache of about 1,300 pounds of ammonium nitrate, which is a prime ingredient in homemade explosives and against Afghan law to own. One suspect was detained, several insurgents were wounded or killed, and there were no Afghan army or Marine casualties.

"The original goal of the patrol was to do [census operations] and see who was living in the buildings," explained Marine Corps 1st Lt. Shaun Miller, the company's executive officer. "We wanted to get the lay of the land and interact with local leaders and elders."

Although the initial plan was to interact with villagers in the north, each time the Marines pushed beyond the walls of Observation Post Huskars, they took fire from insurgents.

"Every time we've gone out on patrol we've gotten into firefights," said Miller, who paused for a moment to speak over a radio to a Marine on patrol who had reported seeing a rocket-propelled grenade gunner. "We've been here for five days and have launched over 20 patrols, and as soon as we go more than one mile outside of the wire, we encounter heavy enemy resistance. It's like [the Taliban] are drawn to us."

The increase in patrols and subsequent engagements with insurgents serves to buffer friendly villages to the south of Observation Post Huskars from the Taliban north of the Marines' position.

"To the north, the majority of the compounds are abandoned and are being used by insurgents," explained Miller. "However, in the south, villagers have asked for our help, [and have] even led us to where improvised explosive devices were planted so that we could destroy them."

As the light began to fade and the Marines switched to night vision, infrequent tracer rounds and pop shots would clip and skim over the compound where the patrol had taken refuge. Meanwhile, they waited for explosive ordinance disposal Marines to arrive and destroy the homemade explosive ingredients found earlier in the day.

With the events of the day behind them and the bomb ingredients destroyed, the patrol set off toward its camp to catch a few hours of rest before going out again the following morning.

(Marine Corps Lance Cpl. James W. Clark serves with the 1st Marine Division's Regimental Combat Team 7 public affairs office.)

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2009 - Iraqi security forces working with U.S. advisors arrested seven terrorism suspects today during two security operations, military officials reported.

Four suspects were arrested in Rashidiyah, north of Mosul, during an operation conducted to arrest a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member believed responsible for suicide-vest attacks in Balad and Muqdadiyah.

Evidence collected at the scene led Iraqi forces to arrest four suspected criminal associates of the al-Qaida in Iraq member without incident.

In southern Baghdad, Iraqi forces arrested a suspected member of a Kataib Hezbollah explosives cell believed to be responsible for mortar attacks conducted in September against security forces and civilians in the Basra region and two suspected accomplices.

After conducting preliminary questioning and examining evidence at the scene, Iraqi forces arrested the alleged Kataib Hezbollah member and his accomplices without incident.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)

American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Dec. 23, 2009 - Afghan and international forces in Afghanistan killed or detained numerous militants today in various operations, military officials reported.

In an operation led by the Afghan general directorate of special operations, several known instigators of a kidnapping group were detained.

The Afghan force, supported by International Security Assistance Force troops, detained the men after a search in Police District 5 of the Afghan capital. The suspects are linked to kidnappings in and around the city.

In other operations, a combined Afghan-international force in Paktia killed several militants, including a Taliban commander responsible for several bombing attacks. The force also detained two other militants.

The force moved to a compound west of the village of Goldad Kheyl in the Zurmat district after intelligence confirmed militant activity in the area. The security force encountered resistance and killed the Taliban commander and the militants.

In Zabul province, a combined security force killed a militant, wounded another and captured a third after intelligence sources indicated a Taliban target was in the Jeldak district near the village of Fuladgay.

Another Afghan-international force in Nangarhar province captured two suspected militants, including a Taliban weapons trafficker responsible for several attacks.

The force searched a compound north of the village of Dag Kalay in the Acheen district after intelligence detected militant activities. After an extensive search, the combined force found rocket-propelled grenade propellants, then detained the militants.

In Wardak province, a combined security force apprehended several suspected militants in the village of Zamooch in the Sayed Abad district after intelligence sources reported militant activities.

(From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news release.)

American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Dec. 16, 2009 - Combined Afghan and international forces detained four Taliban commanders and other suspected militants in three operations in two Afghanistan provinces today, military officials reported.

In Wardak province, a combined force searched a compound near the village of Bhardokheyl where intelligence sources reported militant activity. They detained two Taliban commanders involved with bombing activity and responsible for several attacks in the area.

Another Taliban commander and a few other militants were detained in an operation in western Kandahar. This commander has led a sizable militant element and is responsible for a number of bombing attacks in the area. A combined force searched a compound near the village of Haji Abdourraf in the Zhari district where intelligence sources reported the Taliban commander to be, and detained him without incident.

In a third operation, a combined force detained another sought-after Taliban commander and other militants in central Kandahar province. This commander is believed responsible for several attacks in the area and has links to other militant elements.

The combined force searched compounds near the village of Pitaway in the Arghandab district where intelligence sources reported the commander to be and detained the militants.

No shots were fired, and no one was harmed during the operations, officials said.

(From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news release.)

American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Dec. 15, 2009 - A combined Afghan-international security force detained a Taliban commander and other militants in Afghanistan today, and militants caught planting a roadside bomb were killed yesterday, military officials reported.

The Taliban commander is linked to a bombing network in Zabul province and is believed to be responsible for several attacks in the area.

The combined force searched a compound in the provincial capital of Qalat where intelligence sources reported the commander to be located and detained a few militants, one of whom identified himself as the man targeted in the operation. No shots were fired, and no one was harmed.

In another operation, security forces killed four militants yesterday as they planted a roadside bomb near the village of Charhar Bagh in Kandahar province.

The unit ended the engagement when two insurgents fled into the village. International Security Assistance Force officials said they believe no civilians were injured or killed in this operation, but are investigating claims to the contrary.

(From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news release.)

By Marine Corps Cpl. Zachary Nola
Special to American Forces Press Service
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 14, 2009 - When the Marines and sailors of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, came to the Now Zad region in Afghanistan, the message they received from outgoing units was simple: Beware of the village of Changwalak.

"[The outgoing units] wouldn't ever go to Changwalak," said Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Estevan White, 22, an assault man with Lima Company from Anthony, Texas. "They told us never go there, because that's where they took all their casualties."

Word of Taliban fighters using Changwalak to house their families, supplies and station reinforcements quickly cemented Now Zad's reputation for being one of the more dangerous areas in southern Afghanistan. It was reported the Taliban even went as far as boasting that coalition forces could never take the town by force.

So Lima Company entered the town with artillery, tanks and both fixed and rotary-wing air support readily available. But such support wasn't needed, and the Marines quickly began the tedious process of searching for weapons caches and improvised explosive devices.

"We found a lot of IED-making material, and it's totally in our favor to do that, because we're going to be traveling these roads for the next four or five months, and we don't need any more casualties from IEDs," said Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Shelton Foerster, 22, a rifleman.

The Marines also located weapons and mortar positions used to launch attacks on the nearby forward operating base, spoke will villagers, and promoted the legitimacy of the Afghan national security forces.

As Lima Company continued to exploit caches and fighting positions, it became apparent the town was supporting Taliban efforts, but the Marines were quick to point out that support probably was the result of intimidation.

"[Changwalak] is definitely harboring the enemy, but I think the people are stuck between a rock and a hard place," said Foerster, from Sealy, Texas.

During the three days the Marines operated in the town, their enemy -- who had promised to fight hard to defend the city -- did little to impede the company's progress. However, the Marines were not fooled by the Taliban's absence, and were aware that much more work remains in the village.

"I think [the Taliban] went down in their little holes they've dug for years. So I still think they're in Changwalak, I just think we need to dig a little bit deeper to get them out," Foerster said. "[The Taliban] are biding their time and afraid to fight us, because they saw all our assets. But I think a couple months down the road they are going to give us a little more resistance."

In the three days Lima Company was in Changwalak, they made a critical step toward purging the area of Taliban fighters. Once Taliban manipulation in the area is ended, Afghan national security forces and coalition forces will be able to take greater strides en route to a safer and more secure Now Zad.

"If we can take Changwalak away from the enemy, then people will start coming back to this area, and then eventually flow into Now Zad and have this whole area back to civilian control," Foerster said.

(Marine Corps Cpl. Zachary Nola serves with the Regimental Combat Team 7 public affairs office.)

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2009 - Afghan and international forces detained several suspected militants, including a bomb cell leader and Taliban commander, in operations in Afghanistan over the past three days, military officials reported.

An international security force conducted an air strike today, destroying a known Taliban stronghold consisting of bunkers and enemy defensive positions in Kunar province. The force targeted the stronghold near Tsangar Darah village in the mountainous Watapur district after intelligence sources indicated militant activity there.

Also today, an Afghan and international security
force in Khost province detained a suspected Haqqani terrorist network bombing cell leader and several other militants after searching a compound near Kuzah Kala village in Terayzai district where intelligence sources reported the cell leader to be located.

The combined force searched the compound without incident and detained several militants, including the cell leader. The force also recovered assault rifles, hand grenades and bomb-making materials.

In another operation, an Afghan and international security force killed several enemy militants and wounded another in northern Paktika province while pursuing a Taliban commander. The militant commander is believed to be responsible for weapons trafficking, kidnapping Afghan civilians and planning several bomb attacks in the area.

The combined security force targeted a compound near Tawdobay Kalay village in Sar Hawza district where intelligence reported militant activity. The combined force received hostile fire and returned fire. A security element searched the enemy fighting position and recovered several assault rifles and chest racks loaded with ammunition magazines. The force provided medical attention to the wounded enemy militant and later transported him to a military medical treatment facility.

Another combined force detained a few suspected militants in Zabul province while pursuing a Taliban commander responsible for several small-arms and bomb attacks in the area. The force searched a compound near Nowkhiz village in Qalat district where intelligence sources reported militant activity and detained the militants without incident.

In operations yesterday, an international security force carried out an air strike and killed a group of enemy militants in Laghman province that placed homemade bombs along a road near Hakimabad village in Arlingar district.

After the air strike, Afghan and international security forces cleared the site, found the homemade bombs and destroyed them.

Elsewhere, an Afghan and international security force detained a Taliban commander and another militant after searching a compound in Kandahar province. The commander is believed to be responsible for several bomb attacks and for distributing arms and bomb-making materials to insurgents in the area.

The combined force targeted a compound near Rigwai Sofla village in the Panjawi district where reliable intelligence sources said the Taliban commander was located. The force searched the compound without incident and detained two militants, including the Taliban commander.

In Ghanzi province, another combined force searched a compound near Mian Kheyl village in Wali Mohammad Shaheed district without incident and detained a suspected militant.

In a Dec. 5 operation, an Afghan and international security force detained a group of militants while searching for a senior Taliban commander in northern Kandahar province. The commander is believed to be responsible for several attacks and distributing weapons and bomb-making materials to other militant forces in the area.

Several militants were killed when they attacked the combined force searching a compound near Shotor Gardan village in Khakriz district where the commander was believed to be located.

No civilians were harmed during any of these operations, officials said.

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2009 - Iraqi police and U.S. advisors apprehended 15 suspects with alleged ties to al Qaida in Iraq during operations in there in the past few days, military officials said.

Iraqi police arrested four suspected members of al Qaida cells today in two joint security operations near Baghdad and Kirkuk, military officials said.

In a joint security operation in Karmah, west of Baghdad, police apprehended an alleged associate of a car-bomb cell believed responsible for attacks targeting government buildings and civilians in the Iraqi capital. Police also arrested a suspected accomplice.

During a separate operation in a rural area southwest of Kirkuk, the 3rd Emergency Services Unit and U.S. advisors arrested a suspected al Qaida in Iraq leader and a suspected criminal accomplice.

The suspected terrorist leader is believed to be responsible for emplacing improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, throughout the region, moving foreign fighters into Iraq to carry out attacks, and transporting and storing weapons.

In earlier operations, Iraqi security forces arrested four suspected members of al Qaida in Iraq during joint security operations in northern Iraq.

During a security operation yesterday in Muqdadiyah, northeast of Baghdad, Iraqi police and U.S. advisors apprehended a man with alleged ties to the terrorist network.

On Nov. 28, Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors in southwestern Mosul arrested three suspected associates of an alleged al Qaida member.

In other Nov. 28 operations, Iraqi police in Mosul arrested an alleged al Qaida in Iraq associate, and police in Hawija arrested an alleged associate of the network and a suspected accomplice.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2009 - Iraqi security forces arrested 18 suspected al-Qaida in Iraq associates today, and earlier this week captured a terrorism suspect they've been pursuing for three years, military officials reported.

Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors searched several houses in Mosul looking for an alleged al-Qaida in Iraq regional leader who is suspected of staging deadly attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces.

Based on preliminary questioning and evidence gathered at the scene, Iraqi forces arrested 18 of his suspected associates.

The arrests in Mosul are expected to contribute to greater safety for Iraqis from attacks during the upcoming Eid al-Adha, or "Festival of Sacrifice," Muslim holiday.

In Diyala province Nov. 22, Iraqi security forces, advised by U.S. forces, arrested a suspected leader of a terrorist group, along with a suspected associate.

The judicial court of Muqdadiyah had issued a warrant for Harith Sadun Dawud al-Rubayi for suspicion of murder, kidnapping and bombing attacks against Iraqi citizens and Iraqi security forces. He also is suspected of smuggling weapons, home invasions and stealing money from Iraq's interior ministry.

He is believed to be linked to the kidnapping and murder of the son of a former Muqdadiyah mayor in September, as well as the murder of an Iraqi policeman in Abu Sayda. The suspect has been wanted by authorities and had evaded capture for three years.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Nov. 17, 2009 - Afghan and international forces worked together to kill or detain numerous enemy fighters and terrorism suspects in operations over the last two days, military officials reported.

A combined Afghan and international security force killed several enemy militants, including a sought-after Taliban district commander, and detained several suspected militants in Afghanistan's Wardak province early today.

The force searched a compound near the village of Mayshin Kala in the province's Sayed Abad district where intelligence indicated militant activity. Upon entering the compound courtyard, the force came under attack and returned fire, killing several enemy militants.

During the engagement, the building used by the enemy militants caught fire, causing grenades and ammunition to detonate. An Afghan woman was inadvertently killed during the exchange of fire with enemy militants.

Occupants of the compound confirmed that the Taliban district commander had arrived earlier in the night and joined the other militants. The force searched the compound and recovered multiple assault rifles and hand grenades, and detained several other suspected militants.

In a separate operation in Wardak province today, an Afghan-international security force killed two enemy militants and detained several suspected militants while pursuing a Taliban commander and facilitator believed to be responsible for numerous attacks on civilians and infrastructure in the area. The force searched compounds near the village of Qalah-ye Padshah in the province's Nerkh district after intelligence indicated militant activity. No incidents occurred during the search, and the force detained several suspected militants.

While departing from the last compound, the joint force killed two armed militants who moved aggressively against the force from a nearby orchard. No civilians were harmed during this operation.

In another operation today, an Afghan-international security force killed an enemy militant and detained another man who was identified as a sought-after Taliban district commander in Ghazni province.

A combined force searched a compound near the village of Malang Kheyl in the province's Qara Bagh district where an intelligence source reported the Taliban commander to be located. At one of the buildings, the joint force shot and killed an enemy militant after the person displayed hostile intent. The force searched the compound without further incident and detained the wanted militant, who surrendered quickly and identified himself as the Taliban commander. No civilians were harmed during this operation.

In Kunduz province today, a combined force detained several suspected militants while pursuing a Taliban commander believed to be responsible for the facilitation of foreign fighters to other militant elements in the area.

The force searched a compound northwest of Kunduz City without incident, and detained several suspected militants. No shots were fired, and no one was injured.

In other news, an Afghan-international security force also detained a suspected militant in Kandahar province yesterday while pursuing a senior Taliban commander. The force searched a vehicle near the village of Shad Khan Kalay in the province's Kharkriz district after intelligence indicated militant activity. The force detained one man for further questioning. No shots were fired, and no one was harmed during the operation.

(From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news release.)

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2009 - Combined Afghan and international security forces detained several suspected militants, including an alleged Taliban commander, in operations in Afghanistan today and yesterday, military officials reported.

A combined force killed enemy militants and detained several militants in Wardak province, including an alleged Taliban commander believed to be responsible for several attacks in the area.

The combined security force searched buildings near the village of Badam Kalay in Nerkh district where intelligence sources indicated a Taliban commander was located. The force surrounded a mosque, known to be used by the Taliban commander to cache weapons, and called for the militants to surrender.

The force received heavy machine-gun fire from the mosque and responded with precision fire, killing two of the militants. The force again called for the remaining militants to surrender.

Several other militants surrendered, including the suspected Taliban commander.

Afghan members of the joint force then entered and secured the mosque and recovered a medium machine gun, multiple assault rifles, grenades, a pistol, ammunition, video recorder and communications equipment. Following the operation, village elders discussed the operation with the combined force and examined the militant weapons cache in the mosque.

No Afghan civilians were harmed.

Elsewhere, a combined Afghan and international security force detained a group of suspected militants after searching compounds in Zabul province known to be used by a Taliban commander believed to be responsible for making homemade bombs and conducting attacks in the area. After searching the compounds without incident, the combined force detained the suspected militants. No shots were fired and no one was injured.

Meanwhile, a combined force killed an enemy militant and detained a group of suspected militants in Khost province while pursuing a local Taliban "shadow" governor with numerous links to Haqqani terrorist organization senior leadership in the area.

The combined force targeted a series of buildings near the village of Bazikani in Spera district after intelligence indicated militant activity there. The militant was killed when he fired on the force. The force searched the buildings, detained the suspected militants and recovered a number of small-arms weapons.

No Afghan civilians were harmed during this operation.

In Kandahar City yesterday, a combined force detained a suspected militant while pursuing a senior Taliban facilitator and subcommander who allegedly operates in the area.

The combined security force searched a compound after intelligence indicated militant activity there. The force conducted the search without incident and detained a suspected militant for additional questioning. No shots were fired, and no one was injured.

(Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command news releases.)