Coalition Special Operations Forces and Afghan military forces raided an anti-coalition compound and killed a senior enemy leader in a mission Friday in Zabul Province, Afghanistan. During the well-planned strike mission, an enemy regional leader, known as Rozi Khan, was killed after he opened fire during the surprise strike. Coalition SOF and Afghan military forces conducted a cordon and search mission after receiving intelligence reports of Taliban activity in the Zabul Province area. Coalition forces engaged about 23 guerillas during an approximately hour-long firefight.
Khan is allegedly responsible for numerous attacks on coalition forces, laying of mines, kidnapping of non-governmental organization and road workers, and recruiting of enemy insurgents. Khan was found with large sums of money, including nearly $10,000 in U.S. dollars and Pakistan rupees, an AK-47 assault rifle, six magazines of ammunition and a pistol. "Khan posed a serious threat to the security of Afghanistan," said a Coalition official involved in the planning of the operation. There were no Coalition casualties resulting in the firefight. About 22 insurgents were captured and two were held for questioning. |