Insurgent commander killed attempting to shoot Australians

Insurgent commander killed attempting to shoot Australian troops

On 29 April 2011, Australian Special Forces killed a prominent Uruzgan insurgent during an Afghan National Police-led operation in Tarin Kot in Uruzgan province.

Hayat Ustad, a known insurgent leader, drew a pistol and attempted to shoot members of the Australian Special Forces. Acting in self defence, the Australian Special Forces then shot and killed the insurgent.

Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Task Force Lieutenant Colonel G (who cannot be named for security reasons) said Ustad was a key insurgent leader in Uruzgan.

“He was a highly influential insurgent and key logistician with links to other senior insurgent leaders in southern Afghanistan,” Lieutenant Colonel G said.

“Ustad was responsible for arms smuggling, transporting weapons and fighters, and improvised explosive device construction. He was also heavily involved in the coordination, direction and planning of suicide-bomb attacks.”

The death of Ustad marks the latest successful operation in which a key insurgent leader has been killed or captured by Provincial Response Company–Uruzgan officers and their SOTG partners since their concerted offensive campaign began last month.

The operation was conducted with strict adherence to Australian rules of engagement, and, as a result, there were no civilian casualties or collateral damage.

Provincial Response Company - Uruzgan (PRC-U) and Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) continue to attack the command and control networks of insurgent groups preparing for operations as the weather improves in Uruzgan.

Targeted operations are focused on insurgent networks known to be operating in Uruzgan province and along key access routes into the region. Operations are specifically designed to disrupt insurgent spring-time fighting preparations.

This recent series of successes was specifically designed to unhinge insurgent spring-time fighting preparations and has directly impacted on two district-level cells and a larger regional-level insurgent group.

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