Daily Security Brief: July 12, 2011

DAIKUNDI: A joint force consisting of Afghan and international security personnel seized a narcotics cache during an operation in Kajran district of central Daikundi province, NATO said on Tuesday.

The operation resulted in the seizure of 2,037 pounds (942 kilograms) of opium, 4 pounds (two kgs) of heroin, 110 pounds (50 kgs) of marijuana seeds, 44 pounds (20 kgs) of marijuana, three AK-47 rifles, one SKS rifle, two pistols and 33 pounds (15 kgs) of ammonium nitrate, the alliance said in a statement.

The narcotics and weapons were safely destroyed on site, it concluded.

GHAZNI: Two Taliban fighters, including top commander Bader, were killed and another was arrested during a combined Afghan and coalition forces operation in the Kansaf and Gabro villages of the Andar district in southern Ghazni province late on Monday, Andar district chief Sher Khan Yousufza told Pajhwok on Tuesday.

The commander of the 3rd Brigade of 203 Tandar Military Corps in the province, Col. Daud Shah Wafadar, said that commander Badar was killed in an ISAF airstrike. He added that the operation would continue for a few more days to purge the district of the Taliban.

Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the killing of two of his fighters, but denied that one of them was a commander.

–Mirwais Himmat

 

JAWZJAN: Two Afghan employees of a skin processing company who were kidnapped in the northeastern province of Jawzjan were released on Monday evening, officials said Tuesday.

Unidentified gunmen abducted the two individuals a week ago along with three of their Turkish coworkers at Pigal Post Corporation.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the Taliban were not involved in the kidnapping.

Elsewhere, in Maryadan district, police confiscated two mines from a home after a resident in the area reported suspicious activity to the police. Police arrested two suspects in connection with the mines.

The chief intelligence officer for Jawzjan province said the suspects belonged to the Taliban, but Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied their involvement with the Taliban.

— Tamkin

KABUL today, an ISAF statement said.

Separately, another International Security Assistance Force service member died as a result of a non-battle related injury in eastern Afghanistan today. In accordance with its policy, ISAF did not identify the nationality of the soldier or the exact location of the incident. But France separately announced that one of its soldiers had died in an apparent friendly-fire incident in the Tagab region of eastern Afghanistan’s Kapisa province.

KAPISA: Five Taliban fighters and a civilian were injured in an ISAF airstrike in the Senzai area of Tagab district of central Kapisa province late on Monday, Abdul Hakim Akhundzada, the Tagab district chief, told Pajhwok on Tuesday.

However the ISAF media office in Kabul said that eight suspected insurgents were killed in the airstrike.

A Taliban commander named Maulvi Salim was offering prayers along with his fighters under a tree when he was targeted, he said, adding that five fighters and a district government official were injured in the attack.

A local Taliban commander who requested anonymity confirmed that five fighters had been injured.

—Safi

KUNAR: Kunar governor Syed Fazlullah Waheedi on Tuesday survived an attack on his convoy in the Shinkorak village of the Shigal district. The convoy was accompanied by Kunar MP Maulvi Shahzada Shahid, provincial council head Mya Hassan, and some other officials, the governor told Pajhwok Afghan News on Tuesday.

Waheedi was visiting families displaced by cross border attacks from Pakistan in the area and came under attack on the way back.

Waheedi said some bullets also hit his vehicle, but no one was injured.

It was the second time Waheedi escaped unhurt from a militant attack. On March 17, he survived a rocket attack at his car in the same village.

–Khan Wali Salarzai

PARWAN:Kidnapped former jihadi commander Awal Gul was found dead in the Syagard district of central Parwan province on Tuesday, an official said.

Gul was a resident of Syagard and a member of the Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan Party. He was kidnapped by suspected Taliban two days ago in Dara-e-Sayedan area of the district, district chief Abdul Alim told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Residents of the area found Gul’s body in Shah Mardan area on Tuesday, he said, adding that Gul was an influential figure and had been cooperating with the government. The district chief said it was unknown as yet why he was killed.

–Farid Tanha

WARDAK: Five people were killed in separate incidents in the Syedabad district of central Maidan Wardak province, Dr. Muslim, the Syedabad district chief, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Tuesday.

Four suspected militants were killed and four more were detained during an operation by foreign troops in Yusufkhel, Sarepul and Mirbachakot villages, he said.

Meanwhile, one person was killed and three others sustained injuries when gunmen opened fire at a car in the Zarni area of Syedabad district on Monday evening, the district chief said.

The car was traveling from Shindand district of Herat province to Kabul when unidentified gunmen attacked it, he said.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident, but no arrests have been made so far.

–Mohammad Farid Hakimi

mm/mrh/myn/ma/mbg/kg

Visits: 5