FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 27, 2008
Release Number 20082712-01
Coalition forces dismantle IED network in Zabul
KABUL, Afghanistan – Coalition forces detained five suspected Taliban militants, including the targeted militant, during an operation to dismantle the Taliban’s roadside bomb network in Zabul province, Friday.
In Qalat District, approximately 120 km northeast of Kandahar, Coalition forces netted a Taliban militant believed to facilitate attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces in Zabul province. Intelligence also suggests the detained militant conducted and facilitated roadside bomb attacks along Highway One.
Coalition forces searched multiple compounds without incident, and detained five suspected militants while protecting 11 women and 20 children.
“Maintaining the freedom of movement on Afghan Highways is important to both security and growth of the economy,” said Col. Jerry O’Hara, a U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesperson. “Roads also enable people between towns and villages to connect to one another. It is that communication the Taliban fears the most.”
-30-
United States Forces Afghanistan’s mission, in coordination with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, is to conduct operations to defeat terrorist networks and insurgents by developing effective governance and building the Afghan National Security Force. Effective security throughout the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan facilitates continued regional stability and increases economic development for the people of Afghanistan.
Contact Information – US Forces Afghanistan Public Affairs Office
Tel +93 (0) 799 51 2919 or cell phone 0093 (0) 788 189 049
USFOR-A-MediaRelations@afghan.swa.army.mil