ISAF confirms capture of IMU commander behind kidnappings of aid workers

In addition to killing an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan commander in Badakhshan on Monday who was involved in the kidnapping of four medical aid workers last month, ISAF and Afghan special operations teams captured another IMU leader who was also involved in the kidnappings. From today’s operational update by ISAF:

Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed today that the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader responsible for the May 22 kidnapping of four aid workers in Badakhshan was one of the insurgents detained during an operation in Yaftal-e Sufla district, Badakhshan province, Monday. The IMU leader is currently in the custody of security forces.

There were two raids against the IMU in Badakhshan on Monday. The unnamed IMU leader mentioned above was one of “several” operatives captured in Yaftal-e Sufia. The other raid consisted of an airstrike in the Shahr-e-Buzurg district that resulted in the death of the IMU leader. [See LWJ report, ISAF kills IMU, al Qaeda-linked Taliban commanders in airstrikes for more information on recent raids against the al Qaeda-linked IMU in Badakhshan.]

This spring, ISAF killed the two previous IMU leaders for Afghanistan, in raids just a few weeks apart in Faryab province. [See LWJ report, Special operations forces kill newly appointed IMU leader for Afghanistan, for more information.]

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

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2 Comments

  • mike merlo says:

    definitely some good work done in identifying & capturing IMU personnel. I wonder how large of a role the Germans have played or are playing in apprehending & disrupting the IMU seeing how they’re the Lead Nation in Regional Command North?

  • Devin Leonard says:

    well done.

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