Lashkar Gah (Afghanistan), May 28 (Xinhua-ANI): Two local Taliban leaders were detained in restive southern Afghanistan, authorities said on Monday.

A senior Taliban leader named Nematullha has been arrested by personnel of National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Helmand province during an operation recently, a spokesman with the NDS or intelligence agency, Shams-ul-Raman Noori told reporters in a press briefing here.

He said Nematullah is responsible for several subversive activities in provincial capital Lashkar Gah and the surrounding areas.

A handful of weapons and communication equipment were also seized by NDS, he said.

In a separate development, Afghan security forces, backed by NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) detained a Taliban leader in neighboring Kandahar province on Monday.

An Afghan-led security force, supported by coalition troops, detained a Taliban leader during an operation in Panjwai district, Kandahar province, today, the ISAF said in a press release issued here Monday morning.

The leader coordinated suicide bombings and attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan security forces and coalition troops throughout the district, the release said without disclosing the name of the captured man.

He also supervised the construction of suicide vests and other explosive devices and distributed them to the insurgents under his control,it said, adding that as a result of the operation, the security force detained two additional insurgents.

However, the Taliban insurgent group, which announced the launching of a spring offensive from May 3 against Afghan and NATO forces, has not to make comments yet. (Xinhua-ANI)