U.S.-Afghan forces kill Haqqani leader

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KABUL, Afghanistan, June 15 (UPI) -- Afghan and coalition forces killed Haqqani commander Eid Mohammad and several insurgents in an operation Friday in Paktika province, military officials said.

Mohammed and the militants were killed during in a gunfight with coalition and Afghan forces, the U.S. Defense Department said in a release.

No civilians were hurt in the gunfire exchange, the department said, citing information received from the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force Joint Command.

Mohammed coordinated and conducted attacks against coalition and Afghan forces, officials said. He also provided weapons to Haqqani fighters in the region.

The Pentagon said a combined force killed several insurgents and seized explosives during a search for a Taliban commander in Badakhshan province Friday. The unidentified commander serves directly under the Taliban shadow governor for Badakhshan and coordinates attacks throughout the province.

Coalition and Afghan forces Friday captured a Taliban commander and other suspected insurgents and seized a AK-47 assault rifle, a pistol and multiple AK-47 ammunition magazines in Logar province, the Defense Department said. Besides being responsible for the purchase and distribution of weapons, explosives and ammunition to Taliban insurgents throughout the region, the commander also was a Taliban information officer.

In Khost province Friday, an Afghan-led, coalition-supported force detained two suspects and seized one rifle and some small-arms ammunition during a search for a Haqqani leader in the Sabari district, officials said. The Haqqani leader oversees an improvised explosive device cell that conducts attacks throughout the region.