News - Afghanistan

A Taliban leader who aided an insider attack was captured in a joint Afghan and Nato troop operation in eastern Nangarhar province on Tuesday, Isaf said, a day after it confirmed a Taliban leader Qurashi was killed in a security operation in eastern Kunduz province.

The Nangarhar leader "is directly associated with facilitating the movement and escape of an insider-attack shooter across Afghan borders", Isaf said Tuesday.

Qurashi, also known as Baz Khan and Zubair, who was killed Saturday, specialised in the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and was directly involved in planning and executing IED attacks, Isaf said in its operations update on Monday.

Isaf also said two recently detained insurgents captured in two separate Afghan-led operations in southern Kandahar province were confirmed to be Haji Mama, a facilitator of weapons, ammunition, homemade explosives and improvised explosive devices (arrested Oct. 4) and Mohammad Nabi, a facilitator of IEDs and radios (arrested Oct. 12).

Meanwhile, a Haqqani leader was captured with a number of other suspected insurgents in a joint forces operation in eastern Ghazni province Tuesday. He coordinated attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and provided weapons to direct action cells located in northern Logar province, Isaf said.

It comes after joint forces killed Haqqani leader Rahmatullah during a security operation in Logar province on Saturday.

"Rahmatullah, also known as Qari Moktar or Mohammad Qasim Qari, was responsible for coordinating direct fire and improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Pul-e Alam district," Isaf said Sunday.