The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan on Friday said that a senior Taliban leader who trained suicide bombers in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar had been arrested.
He was detained along with a number of other insurgents during a joint operation by Afghan-coalition security forces in Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province.
They were taken into custody after a firefight with insurgents, ISAF Joint Command said in an Operational Update
The leader is believed to control a cell of fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand and Kandahar provinces. He is also alleged to oversee weapons facilitation in the area, trained an IED (improvised explosive device) expert, and passes orders from senior Taliban officials to the insurgents.
Two rifles, four magazines and 60 pounds of opium were seized in the operation.
The combined force killed two insurgents during an operation in search of a senior Taliban leader in Maiwand district, Kandahar province, on Thursday.
A Haqqani facilitator and a number of other insurgents were arrested during an operation in Pul-e 'Alam district, Logar province, on Friday. The facilitator is believed to be a vital link in the Haqqani network's IED operations throughout the region. He coordinates the construction, distribution and emplacement of IEDs for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
Afghan and coalition security forces detained a number of insurgents during an operation in search of a Haqqani facilitation leader in Sabari district, Khost province, on Friday.
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