Posted on 05/19/2006 9:50:37 AM PDT by Squawk 8888
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - Coalition forces captured a rebel fighter with only one leg in a battle this week in southern Afghanistan, and it was possible the insurgent could be a top Taliban leader, an Afghan general said Friday.
The militant was captured in a joint operation by Canadian and Afghan forces in Kandahar province on Wednesday, said Gen. Rehmatullah Raufi, head of the Afghan military's southern region.
Mullah Dadullah, who lost a leg fighting for the Taliban during its rise to power in the mid-1990s, is one of the hardline militia's top commanders, responsible for operations in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan.
Neither the coalition nor the Afghan government in Kabul said they could immediately confirm that Dadullah had been captured.
"We currently do not have any information but are looking into the claim," said Lieut. Tamara Lawrence, a U.S. military spokeswoman. "Right now we don't have any information that would support it."
Raufi said coalition troops captured the insurgent during a battle in the Panjwayi district of Kandahar province on Wednesday, fighting that led to the deaths of 18 militants and a female Canadian soldier, Capt. Nichola Goddard. About 35 rebels were reported captured in the battle.
Raufi said the captive with the missing leg was seriously wounded and unconscious in a military hospital. There was a "good chance" the fighter was Dadullah but Raufi said he didn't know for sure.
Both Dadullah and Taliban leader Mullah Omar are Pashtun, and Dadullah is one of the most trusted followers of Omar.
In a satellite phone interview with The Associated Press in December, Dadullah said more than 200 rebel fighters were willing to become suicide attackers against U.S. forces and their allies. Since then, there have been repeated suicide bombings, particularly in the south of the country.
Dadullah ruled out reconciliation and talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government, saying it "owed its existence" to non-Muslims, and to do so would amount to "joining Christianity and working for Christians."
The 18 rebels killed in Kandahar province on Wednesday during the joint Afghan-Canadian mission were part of a 24-hour storm of violence Wednesday and Thursday in which 100 people were reported killed, including about 90 insurgents, 18 Afghan police officers, an American civilian and the Canadian soldier.
(((.)))
And then again, he could be an idiot with only one leg.
We need the guy with only one eye.
The taliban is using one-legged men as it's fighters. They must be in just as bad shape as AQ.
Guess he could not out run them.
I swear, you can't make this sh##t up...
We sure do. I in now way wish to belittle catching all these "number three's" but we sure could use a capture of of a two or one!
Get back to me when you catch the Taliban commander with one eye...
Imagine how many they would have captured if they'd used both legs.
Mullah Dadullah! LOL! No comment needed.
yes, we are keeping an eye out for Mullah Omar.
Mullah Dadullah? Any relation to Magilla Gorilla?
One legged guy Ping
One leg?
Let's chop off the other leg - and his arms too.
We can throw him in an Afghan lake and call him Bob.
And a name like Mullah Dadullah.
I will be easy to keep him from running away........
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