Yesterday, ISAF announced that security forces launched an operation to capture a Haqqani Network facilitator in Badakhshan, a province in the northeastern corner of Afghanistan that borders Tajikistan, China, and Pakistan. From the ISAF press release:
A combined Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in search of a Haqqani facilitator in Argo district, Badakshan [sic] province. The facilitator coordinates suicide attacks with other insurgent leaders in the area.
During the operation, a local national male failed to comply with repeated verbal warnings and displayed hostile intent toward the security force. The security force engaged the individual, resulting in his death.
The security force confiscated a shotgun and intelligence linking the local national to the Haqqani network. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents during the operation.
This is interesting, as this is the first time ISAF has reported on a raid that targeted a member of the Haqqani Network in Badakhshan. The raid shows that the Haqqani Network is expanding its operations further from its traditional areas in the southeast to more distant areas in the north. The Haqqanis are known to operate as far north as Kunduz.
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1 Comment
Very interesting…The first reported operation against HQN in Laghman a few days ago, now the first HQN targeting in Badakhshan. It certainly appears Haqqanis/Kabul Attack Network are going to continue targeting Kabul as they are setting up shop in Logar, Kapisa, etc., but why Badakshan in far north? Seems to fall outside this strategy.