4 local Taliban leaders captured in Afghan raids: ISAF

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-1-20 16:46:40

Up to four local Taliban leaders and several armed insurgents were arrested on Sunday in separate military operations, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces confirmed in a press release.

"An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Zurmat district, Paktiya province, today," reads the press release.

The leader acted as a Taliban liaison with senior Haqqani leaders in the province 100 km south of capital Kabul, it said without disclosing the name of the man.

The security force also detained several suspected insurgents, it added.

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

In addition, the joint forces also detained a Haqqani senior leader in Paktiya's Sayyid Karam district earlier in the day.

Two other Taliban leaders were captured in Nahri-e Saraj district, Helmand province 555 km south of Kabul and Pul-e Alam district of eastern Logar province 60 km south of Kabul, according to the ISAF release.

Despite a decrease in violent attacks due to cold weather, the government security forces and more than 100,000 NATO-led coalition troops continue to press Taliban insurgents and other militant groups in the country.

The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than one decade, has yet to make comments.




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