Newly minted Taliban shadow governor in Afghan north capturedBy Bill Roggio
Jun 2, 2010
Afghan and Coalition forces have leveled another blow at the Taliban's top leadership in the northern province of Baghlan.
A joint Afghan and Coalition force captured the Taliban's newly appointed shadow governor of Baghlan during a May 31 raid in the Baghlan-i-Jadid district "after intelligence information revealed insurgent activity," the International Security Assistance Force stated in a press release today on its website.
The shadow governor of Baghlan, whose name was not provided by ISAF, was captured "as he prepared to leave for Pakistan." One of his associates was killed and an undisclosed number were captured during the raid.
The joint Afghan-Coalition special operations forces have put pressure on the Taliban to quickly promote new leaders, ISAF said. "
This capture marks the third time in as many weeks that the Taliban have had to replace named shadow governors for Baghlan province because of Coalition operations," the press release stated.
The unnamed captured shadow
governor spent only two days as the top Taliban leader for Baghlan. His predecessor, Mullah Rohullah, was killed in a Coalition airstrike on May 29. Rohullah was appointed the shadow governor of Baghlan in early May.
The Taliban's top leadership in the north has been hit hard over the past year, however. Afghan intelligence captured the shadow governor of Samangan province on May 20. Afghan officials claimed the shadow governor of Kunduz province was killed on April 26. Pakistani intelligence reportedly detained the shadow governors of Kunduz and Baghlan in February. And in September 2009, police detained the shadow governor of Bamyan province.
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/06/newly_minted_taliban.php
