Islamic Movement Explosives Expert Arrested in Yangi Qal’ah

On February 8^th, a coalition and Afghan security force arrested a leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The arrest took place during an operation in the Yangi Qal’ah district of Afghanistan’s Takhar province. The insurgent leader was an explosives expert who was involved with an impending high-profile attack in the area, as well as overseeing the transportation and construction of numerous improvised explosive devices. A second suspected insurgent was also detained. Another man with extensive connections to IED operations in Afghanistan, Hamid Gul, was killed the previous day, February 7^th, in the Kunduz province’s Chahar district. The Taliban leader oversaw as many as 25 insurgents, with each insurgent taking part in operations against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces. Gul was killed by a precision strike.