Actions of Special Agent Sellers

Special Agent (SSA) Sellers initiated an investigation which led to the arrest of fourteen Hizb-I Islam Gulbidden and Taliban terrorists, who claimed responsibility for the homicide bombing and murder of five Afghanistan National Directorate of Security (NDS) agents in late 2003. SA Sellers and SA Jeffrey Higgins prevented a planned attack on U.S. and NATO forces by tackling a homicide bomber as he was boarding a bus loaded with innocent Afghans, blocks from US and NATO military headquarters, the Presidential Palace, and the American Embassy.
On April 21, 2004 a source reported that a group of terrorists were preparing to deliver an improvised explosive device (IED) to unidentified terrorists for use against American and Coalition forces. The bomb manufacturer, Abdul Shaheed was to deliver the IED, armed with a remote controlled detonation device.
U.S. military and Norwegian Special Forces (NSF) volunteered to assist the DEA. Agents found Shaheed walking in a crowd near the mosque. Shaheed spotted the NSF, and attempted to flee. Shaheed was carrying the IED in an opaque plastic sack. The reaction force was unable to respond, stopped by the crowds and traffic.
SA Sellers requested permission to arrest Shaheed before he disappeared in the crowd. The command center ordered the agents to stand down and await the arrival of the reaction force. Shaheed became lost in the crowd. Suddenly, he reappeared and began walking towards a loaded bus. SA Sellers and Higgins feared that Shaheed would commandeer the bus, blow it up, or use the bus as a missile on nearby facilities.
SA Sellers, fearing significant loss of life, exited the vehicle, and tackled the bomber as he boarded the bus. SA Sellers fought with the bomber, struggling to keep Shaheed from detonating the IED. SA Jeff Higgins ran through the crowd and jumped in to aid SA Sellers. Together, they fought violently with Shaheed.
A large, agitated crowd formed, threatening to interfere. The reaction force arrived and secured Shaheed and the IED. The IED, a pressure cooker, was indeed fused and loaded with three kilograms of high explosives and projectiles. Shaheed was armed with the remote detonator. (It should be noted that this kind of device was used to kill the five NDS agents). SA Sellers sustained a fractured leg in the altercation.
That evening, SAs Sellers and Higgins led NSF into the terrorist compound, and arrested the leader, Mohammed Ashraf, and twelve additional terrorists. A cache of bomb-making materials was found in the compound.
Prior to this incident, the people of Kabul believed that coalition forces were only interested in securing their own safety and were disillusioned about their presence. Coalition leaders praised this event as a turning point in the relations between the people of Kabul and members of the coalition.
This was the first military operation conducted by Norwegian forces outside of Norway in over 100 years. It was deemed a heroic success, encouraging Norway and other members of NATO to continue their support of American efforts in Afghanistan.
Doubtless, many American, Allied, and Afghan lives were saved because of the apprehension of these perpetrators of heinous acts against the Afghan people, which in turn uplifted and renewed the Afghan’s support of the United States.

Actions of Supervisory Special Agent Timothy Sellers