Taliban Leader Captured in S. Afghanistan: Coalition

Separately, a Taliban facilitator was arrested in Nangarhar province 120 km east of Kabul also Friday, the coalition statement said.

Map shows where Kandahar is in relation to Afghanistan. Image courtesy: Wikipedia

(KABUL Xinhua) - A local Taliban leader was arrested on Friday by the Afghan forces and the NATO-led coalition troops in the country's south province of Kandahar in the latest crackdown against the militants.

"An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Kandahar province today," the coalition or International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement providing daily operational updates.

During the operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents in the province 450 km south of capital Kabul.

"The arrested leader is suspected of being responsible for organizing improvised explosive device (IED) operations, kidnappings, and attacking against Afghan and coalition forces," the statement added.

In neighboring Helmand province, some 555 km south of Kabul, the joint forces detained two suspected insurgents during a security operation in search of a Taliban leader earlier Friday, it said.

"The Taliban leader is believed to be responsible for the distribution of munitions to Taliban insurgents and serves as the functional head of a Taliban direct action cell."

Separately, a Taliban facilitator was arrested in Nangarhar province 120 km east of Kabul also Friday, the coalition statement said.

In addition, the Afghan and coalition forces confirmed the arrest of a Haqqani leader in eastern Logar province Tuesday, the statement said, adding "The arrested leader is alleged to have organized and executed IED attacks."

The Taliban-linked Haqqani network mostly operating in eastern Afghan provinces and capital Kabul was responsible for many high- profile attacks against the security forces.

In neighboring Paktia province 100 south of Kabul, another Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani leader also Friday.

"The arrested leader is suspected of being responsible for directing attacks against government officials in Paktia province and also working directly with Taliban leaders to carry out kidnappings and executions of several Afghans," it said.

The Taliban insurgents, who have been waging an insurgency of more than one decade, have yet to make comments.

The Afghan forces and some 100,000 NATO-led coalition troops have intensified cleanup operations against Taliban and other militants throughout the country recently but the insurgents in retaliation responded by carrying out suicide attacks and roadside bombings.

Two policemen and a civilian were wounded in an IED attack in Tirin Kot, the provincial capital of Uruzgan province 370 km south of Kabul earlier Friday.

Separately, four policemen were killed in an armed attack in Gereshk district of Helmand overnight, provincial police chief Nabi Ilham told Xinhua without disclosing more details about the incident.

Special thanks to Xinhua News Agency