Coalition and Afghan forces again targeted a leader of the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan during a raid in the northwestern province of Faryab. From the ISAF press release:

In Khwajah Sabz Posh district, Faryab province, an Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator today. The facilitator distributes funds, weapons and other equipment between IMU cells and manages the recruitment and movement of IMU insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition troops throughout Faryab province. As a result of this operation, the security force detained multiple suspected insurgents.

ISAF special operations forces have now conducted six raids against the IMU in Faryab this year; all of the raids have occurred since mid-March. The IMU's last two emirs for Afghanistan, Makhdum Nusrat and Osmani Sahib, were killed during those raids.

The IMU is known to have a presence in the districts of Almar, Khwajah Sabz Posh, Maimana, and Shirin Tagab, or four of the province's 12 districts.

The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan is a key ally of al Qaeda and the Taliban, and supports operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as plots attacks in Europe. The IMU is known to fight alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan and has integrated into the Taliban's shadow government in the north [for more information on the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, see LWJ report, IMU cleric urges Pakistanis to continue sheltering jihadis in Waziristan].