ISAF Joint Command- Afghanistan
2011-07-S-081
For Immediate Release

KABUL, Afghanistan (July 29, 2011) – An Afghan-led security force freed a family that was taken hostage and killed several insurgents during a security operation in Dilah wa Khoshamand district, Paktika province, yesterday.

The original target of the operation was a Haqqani network leader, who also supports the Taliban. He is the Haqqani appointed governing official for insurgent operations in the district, and is responsible for leading ambush and attack cells in the area. 

While searching for the leader, the security force was fired upon by several armed insurgents, and one of the armed insurgents took a family of local residents hostage while the others continued to fire on the force. The force killed several insurgents without causing harm to the family.

The force confiscated one machine gun, several AK-47 assault rifles, rocket propelled grenades and blasting caps.