Kabul - Afghan police arrested a senior Taliban commander in
southern Afghanistan, while more than 15 other insurgents were killed
and several detained in separate Afghan- and internationally-run
operations, officials said Sunday.
Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Jabar was arrested by police forces
in southern Kandahar province on Saturday, the Interior Ministry said
in statement.
The statement described Jabar as deputy commander for Mullah
Mansoor Dadullah, another senior Taliban commander, who was arrested
by Pakistan forces in February this year while crossing the border
from Afghanistan into Pakistan.
Mansoor Dadullah succeeded his brother Mullah Dadullah, a feared
Taliban commander who was killed in combat in southern Helmand
province last year.
The Afghan army said Sunday its forces backed by NATO troops
killed at least 15 suspected Taliban members in Zherai district of
Kandahar province on Saturday during an operation that began in the
area one week ago.
'Five terrorists were killed in Zareen Khail village of Zherai
district, while 10 other terrorist were killed in Zafar Khail village
of the district,' the defence ministry said.
Southern Kandahar province, once the main stronghold of Taliban
fugitive leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, has been the scene of heavy
fighting since the ouster of the Taliban regime six years ago.
Meanwhile, Afghan and coalition forces killed several suspected
insurgents in eastern Nuristan province on Sunday, the US military
said in a statement.
The combined troops came under fire by a group of insurgents from
several compounds in Kendal and Shok villages while the joint forces
were conducting a cordon-and-search operation in the area, the
statement said.
The joint forces returned fire and called in air support to
eliminate the insurgents' positions, it said, adding that several
suspected insurgents arrested, while the combined forces discovered
fully-loaded weapons and stores of ammunition.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story