KABUL, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A local Taliban leader was arrested in Afghanistan's Helmand province, 555 km south of capital Kabul on Tuesday, the NATO-led coalition forces confirmed.
"An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Helmand province today," the coalition said in a press release.
The arrested leader is believed to be involved in providing tactical guidance to Taliban senior leaders while facilitating the movement of improvised explosive device (IED) components to insurgent cell members, the release said without naming the arrested man.
The security force also detained a number of suspected insurgents as a result of the operation, it added.
In neighboring Kandahar province, 450 km south of Kabul, the joint forces captured a Taliban weapons and IED facilitator earlier Tuesday.
"The arrested facilitator is suspected of smuggling weapons throughout Kandahar province and acquiring homemade explosive and other IED-making materials for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces," it said.
The Taliban insurgents, who have been waging an insurgency of more than one decade, have yet to confirm the arrest of their men.
The insurgent group launched in May this year spring offensive against Afghan and NATO forces.
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