FORMER TALIBAN COMMANDER KILLED BY AIRSTRIKES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Precision Airstrikes Kill Former Taliban Commander, Associates
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2015 – The Defense Department announced today the deaths of eight individuals, including a former Taliban commander, killed during precision airstrikes in Afghanistan.

Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Adm. John Kirby told Pentagon reporters the airstrikes are a “reminder,” and emphasized using all available methods to dismantle terrorist groups threatening U.S., partner and allied interests.
“Yesterday, U.S. forces in Afghanistan conducted a precision strike in Helmand province,” he said, “resulting in the death of eight individuals, to include Abdul Rauf Khadim, a former Taliban commander.”

“These are both reminders,” Kirby said, “that we’re going to continue to use all the tools at our disposal -- financial, diplomatic, certainly military -- to dismantle al-Shabaab and other groups [and] networks that threaten U.S. interests as well as the interests of our allies and partner nations.”
ISIL Nascent in Afghanistan

Kirby discussed ISIL’s desire to spread to other areas outside of Iraq and Syria.
“We’ve talked about this in the past,” he said, “that this is a group that does want to grow and expand its influence.”

Kirby noted that Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez, commander of U.S. Africa Command, and Army Gen. John F. Campbell, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, said they “certainly are looking very sharply to see if they’re expanding in other areas outside Iraq and Syria, and we know they have those designs.”

The admiral said he’d describe the group in Afghanistan as “nascent at best.”
“In fact,” Kirby said, “I would say more aspirational than anything else at this point. This guy Khadim -- we assess that he decided to swear allegiance to ISIL probably no more than a couple weeks ago. And he didn’t have a whole lot of depth to any network resources or manpower when he did it.”

Kirby emphasized he was not “diminishing or trying to dismiss” the threat ISIL poses, “but what I’m telling you is, here in this case, it’s nascent and aspirational, and that would be an aggressive characterization right now.”

The admiral noted Khadim, and his associates, were targeted because “we had information that they were planning operations against U.S. and Afghan personnel there in Afghanistan.”

“If they’re going to threaten our interest, our allies, our partners in Afghanistan,” Kirby said, “they’re fair game.”

Recidivism

Additionally, Kirby acknowledged Khadim was a detainee at the Guantanamo detention center before his 2007 release to Afghan authorities in Kabul.
This is a great example, he said, of the long discussion held regarding recidivism.
“We said that they return to the battlefield and to the fight at their own peril,” Kirby said. “Mr. Khadim is proof of that.”

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR MARCH 6, 2013

U.S. Army soldiers move down into the Chorah Valley in Chorah in the Tarin Kowt district of Afghanistan's Uruzgan province, Feb. 23, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jessi Ann McCormick

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Combined Force Kills Taliban CommanderFrom an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 6, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force killed one insurgent and wounded two others, including a Taliban commander, during an operation in the Giro district of Afghanistan's Ghazni province yesterday, military officials reported.

The deceased Taliban commander had exercised operational control over insurgent fighters in the area and was responsible for improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said, as well as executing a campaign of fear and intimidation against local citizens.

In other Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined force killed a Taliban leader, Biragh, in the Marjeh district of Helmand province. Biragh was responsible for conducting IED and small-arms attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also commanded multiple fighters and played a crucial role in facilitating weapons to insurgents.

-- A combined force killed a Taliban IED expert, Mushtaq, in the Kunduz district of Kunduz province. Mushtaq, also known as Azizullah or Khalid, was heavily involved in IED operations throughout the province. He personally carried out multiple IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and distributed IEDs to fellow insurgents.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN, OCTOBER 2, 2012

Photo:  Harrier Jet.  Credit:  U.S. Department of Defense

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release


KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 2, 2012 - An Afghan-led, coalition-supported force arrested a Taliban leader in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested Taliban leader is suspected of reporting directly to the senior Taliban leader for the district and was responsible for coordinating and directing improvised explosive device emplacement operations, as well as insurgent attacks throughout the region, officials said.

Officials said the detained Taliban leader also is linked to the preparation of a vehicle-borne IED attack against Afghan and coalition force assets.

The security force also detained multiple suspected insurgents and seized an IED firing device and IED-making materials, officials said.

In other operations today:

-- A combined force arrested a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader and weapons facilitator and detained two other suspects in the Chahar Darah district of Kunduz province. The arrested IMU leader is suspected of planning and conducting IED attacks throughout Kunduz province, as well as coordinating the movement of IED-making materials for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force detained several suspects during an operation to arrest a Haqqani leader in the Pul-e 'Alam district of Logar province. The Haqqani leader is believed to oversee the distribution of weapons to support insurgent operations throughout Logar province.

-- A combined force detained one suspectduring a search for a Taliban leader in the Sayyidabad district of Wardak province. The sought-after Taliban leader is suspected of being directly involved in multiple ambush-style attacks on coalition force convoys throughout the district.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined force arrested a Taliban commander in the Gereshk district of Helmand province. The Taliban commander, Abdul Bari, who operated across southwest Afghanistan, is suspected of coordinating delivery of heavy machine guns and IED-making components to insurgents across central Helmand province.

-- Afghan Special Police members recovered IED-making materials and heavy weapons, including three mortars, in a coalition-supported operation in the Nerkh district of Wardak province.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR SEPTEMBER 10, 2012

Photo:  Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Marines. 
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSECombined Force Kills Insurgents in Laghman ProvinceCompiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed several armed insurgents during an operation to arrest a Taliban attack commander in the Alisheng district of Afghanistan's Laghman province today, military officials reported.

The insurgents were killed by return fire after they fired on the security force as it cleared the Taliban commander's suspected compound and secured the area.

The security force detained several suspected insurgents in the operation.

Also today, a combined force in Ghazni province's Waghaz district detained several suspected insurgents during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader who is believed to be responsible for transporting and equipping foreign insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In operations yesterday:

-- A combined security force in the Kandahar district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province arrested a Taliban attack coordinator who is suspected of planning and directing multiple attacks throughout central Kandahar and is believed to have also plotted several assassination attempts against Afghan officials. At the time of his arrest, officials said, he was believed to be planning an imminent suicide attack against Afghan security forces. The security force also detained another suspected insurgent in the operation.

-- A combined force in Helmand province's Now Zad district detained numerous suspected insurgents and more than 25 pounds of illegal narcotics during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader who is believed to be responsible for equipping insurgents with mortars and heavy weapons for attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces.

-- Afghan and coalition forces in Laghman province's Alisheng district killed numerous armed insurgents during a security operation to arrest a Taliban leader. During the operation, Afghan and coalition forces identified multiple insurgents armed with assault rifles and a heavy machine gun maneuvering near their position. After ensuring that no civilians were in the area, the security force engaged the armed insurgents with a precision airstrike. A post-strike assessment determined no civilian property was damaged and no civilians were harmed.

In Sept. 8 operations:

-- Afghan and coalition security forces detained a suspected suicide attack facilitator in Nangarhar province's Jalalabad district. At the time of his arrest, he was believed to be involved in planning an imminent suicide-bomb attack in the region.

-- In Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district, security combined force arrested a Taliban improvised explosive device cell leader who is suspected of directing attacks against Afghan and coalition convoys. In the weeks prior to his arrest, the Taliban IED cell leader is believed to have conducted an attack that wounded several coalition security force members.

-- A combined force found and destroyed a Taliban weapons cache and detained several suspected insurgents in Sar-e Pul province's Sar-e Pul district. The cache included assault rifles and grenades, explosives, ammunition and bomb components.

-- In the Kunduz district of Kunduz province, security combined force detained several suspected insurgents during an operation to arrest an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator suspected of providing money, ammunition and explosives to insurgents.

In other news, an Afghan special police unit and coalition forces recovered narcotics, weapons and explosives, including more than 500 pounds of heroin and 600 kilograms of opium, during a three-day operation that began Sept. 6 in Helmand province's Washir district.

During the operation, the combined force came under small-arms attack and killed several insurgents with return fire. Afterward, the combined force found pressure plate bombs and components, homemade explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, small arms and ammunition.