PRESS RELEASE | Feb. 17, 2009
Coalition Forces kill key militant commander in Herat
By None , U.S. Forces – Afghanistan
Press Release
United States Forces-Afghanistan
February 17, 2009
Release Number 20091702-02
Coalition Forces kill key militant commander in Herat
KABUL, Afghanistan – A Coalition Forces precision strike killed a militant commander affiliated with the Hezb-e-Islam Gulbuddin and other Taliban commanders near Gozara district, Herat province, Feb. 17.
Coalition forces learned through sources that a key militant commander and a group of militants were co-located in the vicinity of Gozara district, approximately 20 km east of Herat.
Once the exact location of the militants was confirmed, Coalition forces engaged the hideout with a precision strike, destroying two vehicles and killing the militants inside their compound.
The militant commander was responsible for an increase in violence in Herat over recent months, including attacks against a United Nations Assistance Mission compound in Afghanistan compound in May and June,
2008. He is also responsible for attacks against the Herat City Airport in May 2008.
“Eliminating this leader and militants will help bring peace to Heart province and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” said Lt. Col. Rick Helmer, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan spokesperson.
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United States Forces Afghanistan’s mission, in coordination with NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, is to conduct operations to defeat terrorist networks and insurgents by developing effective governance and building the Afghan National Security Force. Effective security throughout the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan facilitates continued regional stability and increases economic development for the people of Afghanistan.
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