name: Taliban leader and an associate killed in Wardak
text: 2011-09-S-050
  ISAF Joint Command - Afghanistan
  
  KABUL, Afghanistan (Sep. 22, 2011)   In Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, a combined Afghan and coalition security force killed a significant Taliban leader and one of his associates during a security operation Tuesday.
  A precision air strike killed Taliban leader, Qari Tahir, after the security force located Tahir and an associate in a dry riverbed in Sayyidabad district.
  Tahir coordinated ambush attacks against Afghan forces and led fighters under his control to conduct hijackings of convoy vehicles. Additionally, he facilitated abductions and held his hostages for ransom.
  Tahir was the Taliban s top leader in Tangi Valley and was the target of a previous combined operation on Aug. 5, 2011, that resulted in the loss of the CH-47 Chinook last month. He led a group of insurgent fighters throughout the valley and was known to use roadside bombs and rockets to intimidate the local populace.
  After ensuring no civilians were in the area, the force called for the air strike which resulted in the death of Tahir and another insurgent. This year, the security force conducted more than 40 security operations in the Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, killed 35 insurgents and detained more than 80 suspected insurgents.