OEF Summary, Feb. 23, 2010: Forces in Afghanistan Nab Taliban Leader

Dispatches from the Front:

KABUL, Feb. 23, 2010 -- Afghan soldiers, assisted by coalition forces, captured a Taliban leader and known weapons facilitator in the Bala Balouk district of Afghanistan’s Farah province Feb. 21, military officials reported today.

After the mission, Afghan and coalition leaders met with village elders to assess security and distribute food and medical supplies. No civilian casualties or property damage were reported.

In other recent operations:

• In Helmand province today, an International Security Assistance Force patrol in Nad-e Ali in found four mortar rounds, pressure plates and bomb-making materials. They later found an improvised explosive device made of a 55 mm illumination round packed with homemade explosives and another IED consisting of a pressure plate and six mortar rounds. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the munitions.

• An Afghan-international security force captured a Taliban sub-commander with links to several militant networks last night in the village of Zhawrah in the Chak-e Wardak district of Wardak province. He’s believed to be responsible for planning attacks on coalition forces. During the operation, a militant was killed when he confronted the assault force with an imminent threat. Another insurgent also was detained.

• A combined Afghan-international patrol found a weapons cache containing a rocket, grenades and ammunition in the Arghandab district of Kandahar province yesterday.

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