ZHARAY DISTRICT, KANDAHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan – A tip given by an Afghan civilian to Afghan and coalition security forces, led to the capture of two of Zharay district’s “Most Wanted” insurgents, Nov. 4-5, while creating a gap in leadership among insurgents operating in the area.
Soldiers with Combined Task Force Spartan’s 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, headquartered at Zarif Khel, were approached by an Afghan man who said an insurgent named Quadratullah, would be in a nearby compound the next day. Quadratullah is a mid-level Taliban insurgent who operated in central Zharay district south of Howz-E-Madad. When Afghan and coalition forces met the man the next day, he led them to a compound, where Quadratullah and two other men on scene were immediately detained without any shots fired.
Soon after the initial capture, the Afghan man told the joint element that he knew the location of another mid-level insurgent who was sleeping at a compound approximately 800 meters away. When the element arrived at the compound, they discovered the insurgent, Aktar Jan, and two other men, one of whom was believed to be a Pakistani citizen, who was reportedly learning how to conduct insurgent activities. The other man was identified by other village residents as a mid-level Taliban commander. All three insurgents were also detained immediately, and transferred to coalition forces for further questioning.
The commanders of coalition forces in the area, Lt. Col. Kenneth Mintz and Maj. Thomas Overmyer, said the population around Zarif Khel are increasingly participating in community security groups and providing information about enemy movement and activity. They also said the capture of the two key insurgents will degrade the insurgent cell, while helping to expand non-lethal projects and community security groups.
Coalition forces’ leaders say the Afghan tipster will receive a cash reward through the Department of Defense Rewards Program, for his trustworthy assistance in apprehending the six insurgents. The DoD Rewards Program is a rewards-based initiative that pays Afghan civilians for information on weapons caches, IEDs, and high-value insurgents.