ISAF Joint Command morning operational update

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

06.30.2012

Courtesy Story

ISAF Joint Command

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan Provincial Response Company Ghazni, supported by coalition security forces, seized 6,800 kilograms (15,000 pounds) of potassium chloride during an operation in Nawah district, Ghazni province, yesterday.

Potassium chloride is used by insurgents as a principle component of the home-made explosives used in improvised explosive devices.

During the operation, the APRC-G also discovered four boxes of IED-making and packaging materials.

The combined force destroyed the chemicals in place, and recovered the IED components for further examination.

No civilians were harmed during the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban leader in Arghandab district, Kandahar province, today. The leader is responsible for conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout area. The security force detained three suspected insurgents during the operation.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation, in Watahpur district, Kunar province, yesterday. The target of the operation was Khatab Shafiq, a Lashkar-e-Taiba leader. Khatab Shafiq was the LeT’s senior leader in Kunar province. He was responsible for several attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and provided money, weapons and training to insurgents in the region. Khatab Shafiq also established multiple insurgent training camps in eastern Afghanistan, where insurgents learned how to use mortars, rockets and machine guns. Most recently, he was involved with teaching insurgents how to build and emplace improvised explosive devices. During the operation, the security force positively identified Khatab Shafiq among an armed group of insurgents. After determining there were no civilians in the area, the security force engaged the insurgents with a precision airstrike away from all civilian structures. After the strike, the Afghan and coalition security force conducted a follow-on assessment and confirmed Khatab Shafiq, along with multiple other insurgents, had been killed. The assessment also confirmed the strike had not harmed any civilians or damaged any civilian property. Following the initial airstrike, the security force identified several more armed insurgents in the immediate area and engaged them with a second precision airstrike. A follow-on assessment confirmed the second precision airstrike had killed several insurgents but had not harmed any civilians or damaged any civilian property.

• Date Taken: 06.30.2012
• Date Posted: 06.30.2012 02:08
• Story ID: 90908
• Location: KABUL, AF