Afghan and coalition security forces captured a Haqqani Network facilitator who endangered the Afghan population by supplying weapons, ammunition and reportedly suicide bombers for attacks throughout Sabari district, during an overnight operation in Khost province.

The facilitator reportedly owned and worked out of a weapons shop in Sabari district.

Intelligence tips led the security force to a compound east of Khost City to search for the facilitator.

Coalition forces conducted a precision air strike in Faryab province Tuesday, killing Qari Ziauddin, the Taliban shadow governor in Faryab province.

The shadow governor was directly associated with and took direct operational orders from a Pakistan-based leader of the northern front.

Based on intelligence sources, coalition forces tracked the Taliban shadow governor to a remote area of Dowlatabad district. After careful planning to ensure no civilians were present, coalition aircraft conducted a precision air strike against the Taliban insurgent.

With a formal ceremony and live fire demonstration of the D-30 Howitzer, the Afghan National Army officially opened the Artillery Branch School at the Kabul Military Training Center, Oct. 4.

The school will serve as the foundation for the professionalization of the ANA artillery branch.

In addition to opening the new branch school and the awesome display of firepower demonstrated in the artillery live fire exercise, the new school will officially be partnering with the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, Okla.

Afghan and coalition security forces captured the Taliban district leader for Chahar Darah District of Kunduz province during an overnight operation in neighboring Takhar province.

The district leader was directly involved in the kidnapping of the British New York Times reporter, Stephen Farrell, in September 2009.

Afghan and coalition security forces captured a Taliban leader who facilitated improvised explosive devices and provided guidance to his subordinates conducting attacks in Yosuf Khel district.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan -- Airmen from the 510th Fighter Squadron here employed a guided bomb unit-54 laser joint directed attack munition for the first time in the Afghan area of operations recently.

The GBU-54 is the Air Force's newest 500-pound precision weapon, equipped with a special targeting system that uses a combination of Global Positioning System and laser guidance to accurately engage and destroy moving targets.

Afghan and coalition security forces detained four suspected Taliban insurgents in Zabul province Sunday while in pursuit of a Taliban facilitator for an improvised explosive device attack network operating in Qalat district.

The facilitator provides material support to the IED network, including IED components, money, fuel and other provisions, which ultimately endangers the Afghan populace in the area.

Afghan and coalition security forces captured two Taliban senior leaders operating in the city of Kandahar Sunday. The Taliban leaders commanded fighters in attacks against Afghan civilians, as well as Afghan and coalition forces.

They also facilitated Taliban attacks by providing weapons and funding to their fighters.

During an Iraqi Army led cordon and search in the Rashaad Valley near Kirkuk, Iraq, nearly 50 IA soldiers with 2nd Battalion and 4th Battalion of the 15th Brigade, discovered a cache with more than 800 rounds of heavy machine gun ammo buried throughout a field and detained four suspects, Sept. 25.