KABUL, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Afghan national security forces have arrested several suspected Taliban insurgent commanders during a two-day operation without a shot being fired in Sabari district of eastern province Khost, the U.S.-led Coalition forces said in a statement issued on Sunday.
"The operation was unprecedented in terms of successfully capturing multiple suspected insurgent commanders without the use of lethal force, and the excellent cooperation between the Afghan Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior," noted the statement, which however did not give exact number or names of the insurgents.
On Dec. 27 night, the combined force consisting of Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police (ANP) and Afghan National Border Police acted on credible intelligence to search an area of known insurgent activity near Zambar Village in northern Sabari district, an alleged main insurgent safe haven in Khost.
Among the arrested are a suspected major insurgent facilitator in northern Khost province primarily associated with the Hizb-e-Islami-Gulbuddin terrorist organization, and believed to have ties to the Haqqani Network, the Taliban and al Qaida.
"He is suspected of directing IED (improvised explosive device) attacks, antagonizing feuding tribes in the area and facilitating other insurgent activities detrimental to the positive development of Afghanistan," the statement said.
The combined forces also arrested a suspected deputy Taliban commander during the operation, who was believed to be involved in several direct attacks in the Sabari district.
Several other insurgents were captured, including a suspected insurgent responsible for providing financial support to IED cells in the Sabari district.
Another suspected insurgent was implicated in stealing from Afghan government employees, transporting weapons, assisting IED-placement facilitators and delivering terrorizing "night letters" to intimidate local villagers.
Another man detained on the evening of Dec. 27 was suspected of facilitating an unsuccessful suicide-bomb attack on the governor of Khost province on Aug. 22.
The last suspected insurgent detained on Dec. 27 is believed to be directly involved in attacks on various schools, police check points and Afghan officials.
Follow-on operations conducted on Dec. 28 included clearing the Makhtab Bazaar area in the Sabari district, a suspected base of operations and center for insurgent activities.
The Afghan forces searched the bazaar for weapons caches and suspected insurgent activities, and detained several individuals suspected of criminal activity.
One detainee is suspected of identifying locations for IED emplacement along roadways throughout the province and conducting vehicle-borne IED attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces.
Another person detained is suspected of being a former HiG commander and financier for insurgent activities throughout the Sabari District.
Finally, another suspected insurgent was detained for his alleged involvement in an October attack on the Khulbesat Police Station, where one police officer was killed and four others were injured.
"Detaining these individuals will likely cause a significant disruption of insurgent activities in Sabari District," said ChrisBelcher, spokesman for the Coalition forces.
The Taliban, removed from power by the U.S.-led invasion in late 2001, has waged years-long insurgency against the Afghan administration and continued to attack Afghan and foreign forces.
The Afghan government forces who were being rebuilt and strengthened with foreign assistance have intensified their operation against militants in the country's southern and eastern regions as rising militancy-related violence have killed over 6,000 people in 2007, the bloodiest period since 2001 Taliban fall.
