A joint Afghan-coalition security force conducted an air strike in Kunar
province, killing a senior Taliban leader and his deputy, military
officials said.

Maulawi Nur Mohammad -- also known as Turabi -- and deputy Atiqulla --
known as Khalid -- were killed in the air strike Saturday in a remote
area of Chapah Darah district, the International Security Assistance
Force said in a release Sunday.

Turabi was a senior leader in the district and planned and directed all
Taliban activity in the area, including attacks on civilians and Afghan
and coalition forces, the release said.

Security forces observed a large group of armed insurgents in the area
and after determining no civilians were nearby, engaged in a precision
air strike, ISAF said. A follow-up assessment of the strike area
revealed no civilians were harmed and no civilian property was damaged.

Other combined forces operations in the Helmand, Kandahar, Khost, Kunar
and Laghman provinces led to the arrests of several suspected
insurgents in each province.