Coalition forces target al-Qaeda liaison in Paktia and disrupt terrorist network

KABUL, Afghanistan – Coalition forces killed two armed Taliban militants and detained three suspected militants during an operation to disrupt the foreign fighter and roadside bomb network in Paktia province, Wednesday.

In Zormat District, located about 125 km south of Kabul, Coalition forces targeted a known Taliban militant believed to act as a liaison to al-Qaeda moving foreign fighters into Paktia to conduct terrorist activities.  He is also assessed to have ties to senior Taliban leaders in the region, coordinating roadside bomb and suicide attacks that target innocent civilians, GIRoA and Coalition forces.

During the operation, Coalition forces encountered two armed militants, barricaded inside the compound, who engaged the force with small-arms fire.  The force engaged the militants with small-arms fire and killed them while protecting five women and nine children.  As a result, three other suspected militants were detained.

A search of the compound revealed multiple AK-47s, other military equipment and a foreign passport.

As a result of the operation, a fire started inside the building that eventually engulfed it.  While Coalition forces regret the damage to the building, militants and munitions that would have otherwise harmed innocent civilians, Afghan and Coalition forces were killed and destroyed.

“Continued success in disrupting terrorist networks means we are setting the conditions for improved governance and better well-being for the Afghan people,” said Col. Jerry O’Hara, U.S. Forces Afghanistan spokesman. “The Taliban cannot bring that progress or a better way of life.”