Saturday, June 30, 2012

Armed Forces Day: With the UK troops in Afghanistan

BBC's Caroline Wyatt Defence correspondent, in Afghanistan

As the UK marks Armed Forces Day with a parade in Plymouth and events across the country, almost 10,000 British forces are still serving in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.

The men and women of 12 Mechanised Brigade are now halfway through their tour.

watch the video and read more on BBC site

It is morning and already sweltering in the bazaar in the town of Nad Ali, in central Helmand, with the temperature hitting the high 40s by midday.

On a rare British patrol through the town, Private Harry Turner is thronged by curious Afghan children, asking for pens and sweets.

He is pleased to be here, and keen to prove himself with his 1 Royal Anglian comrades.

He started training in September, two days after his 18th birthday, and initially did not expect to do a full six-month tour of Helmand.

"My mum was a little bit shocked, because she thought I'd only be out here for two weeks. But my mum and dad, and family are all supportive about me being here," he says.

"I was happy to stay out here. Obviously, you get the odd day where you just want to be home because you miss your bed and you're fed up of sleeping on rough beds, but I like it."

from BBC
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44 armed insurgents killed, 14 wounded and 3 others arrested by ANP



Publish Date: Jun 30, 2012
44 armed insurgents killed, 14 wounded and three others arrested by Afghan National Police

Counterterrorism:
During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces launched seven joint clearance operations in Kunar, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Logar, Khost and Herat provinces.

As a result of these operations, 44 armed insurgents were killed, 14 wounded and three others were arrested by Afghan National Police.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated some amount of light and heavy weapons.

In the meantime, Afghan National Police arrested a mine planter while he was planting an anti-vehicle mine in the Yahya Khil District of Paktika province.

During the same 24 hour period, Afghan National Police discovered and defused four anti-vehicle mines as a result of security operations in the Khas Uruzgan and Chora Districts of Uruzgan province.
 
Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained a man accused of theft in the 8th Districts of Kabul-City.

We encourage anyone who has information about suspicious activities to contact and protect the people.
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NATO airstrike kill Taliban leader in Logar province

Map showing Lowgar province in Afghanistan
Map showing Lowgar province in Afghanistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A Taliban leader Mawlawi Sadiq was killed following a NATO airstrike in eastern Logar province.

International Security Assistance Force following a statement on Friday announced, Afghan and coalition security force conducted a operation, in Charkh district, Logar province, Thursday.

The target of the operation was Maulawi Sadiq, a Taliban leader and explosives expert who coordinated the movement of insurgents, provided explosive materials and training to insurgents, and planned attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces in the region.

During the operation, the Afghan and coalition security force requested a precision airstrike. After the strike, the security force conducted a follow-on assessment and confirmed Sadiq had been killed.

The precision airstrike did not harm any civilians and did not damage any civilian property. Anti-government armed militant groups yet to comment regarding the report.

from KHAAMA
By Sajad - Fri Jun 29, 1:19 pm

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June 30., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan Provincial Response Company Ghazni, supported by coalition security forces, seized 6,800 kilograms (15,000 pounds) of potassium chloride during an operation in Nawah district, Ghazni province, yesterday.

Potassium chloride is used by insurgents as a principle component of the home-made explosives used in improvised explosive devices.

During the operation, the APRC-G also discovered four boxes of IED-making and packaging materials.

The combined force destroyed the chemicals in place, and recovered the IED components for further examination.

No civilians were harmed during the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban leader in Arghandab district, Kandahar province, today. The leader is responsible for conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout area. The security force detained three suspected insurgents during the operation.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation, in Watahpur district, Kunar province, yesterday. The target of the operation was Khatab Shafiq, a Lashkar-e-Taiba leader. Khatab Shafiq was the LeT’s senior leader in Kunar province. He was responsible for several attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and provided money, weapons and training to insurgents in the region. Khatab Shafiq also established multiple insurgent training camps in eastern Afghanistan, where insurgents learned how to use mortars, rockets and machine guns. Most recently, he was involved with teaching insurgents how to build and emplace improvised explosive devices. During the operation, the security force positively identified Khatab Shafiq among an armed group of insurgents. After determining there were no civilians in the area, the security force engaged the insurgents with a precision airstrike away from all civilian structures. After the strike, the Afghan and coalition security force conducted a follow-on assessment and confirmed Khatab Shafiq, along with multiple other insurgents, had been killed. The assessment also confirmed the strike had not harmed any civilians or damaged any civilian property. Following the initial airstrike, the security force identified several more armed insurgents in the immediate area and engaged them with a second precision airstrike. A follow-on assessment confirmed the second precision airstrike had killed several insurgents but had not harmed any civilians or damaged any civilian property.


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June 29., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition forces killed two insurgents and detained one during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, June 29.

Khowst province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces killed one insurgent during a small arms engagement in Sperah district.

Kunar province
Afghan Local Police and coalition forces killed one insurgent during a small arms engagement in Khas district.

Paktika province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained one insurgent during an engagement in Yahya Khel district. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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R.I.P. - 1st Lt. Stephen C. Prasnicki, Sgt. James L. Skalberg Jr.

DOD Identifies Army Casualties
            The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            They died June 27, in Maidan Shahr, Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with an improvised explosive device.

            Killed were:

            1st Lt. Stephen C. Prasnicki, 24, of Lexington, Va., assigned to 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany, and

            Sgt. James L. Skalberg Jr., 25, of Cullman, Ala., assigned to 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

            For more information on Prasnicki, media may contact the U.S. Army Europe in Heidelberg, Germany, public affairs office at 011 49 6221-57-8628.

            For more information on Skalberg, media may contact the 1st Armored Division public affairs office at 254-371-5704.

---
1st Lt. Stephen C. Prasnicki, 24, of Lexington, Va., was assigned to 4th Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Warner Barracks, Bamberg, Germany.

Prasnicki was a highly recruited high school athlete and played football at West Point, serving as a backup quarterback and playing at free safety as a senior.

He had just arrived in Afghanistan Sunday.

He leaves behind his wife, Emily, his parents and siblings.



---
Sgt. James L. Skalberg Jr., 25, of Cullman, Ala., was assigned to 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

After graduating from Nishna Valley High School in 2005, Skalberg played football at Peru State College in Nebraska before enlisting in the Army in February 2007. His first duty station was in Germany, according to the Iowa National Guard.

As a soldier, Skalberg earned many awards and qualifications including the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Badge and the Air Assault Badge.

He has been posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

 Skalberg and his wife, Jessica, met as teenagers. Their son, Carter, is nearing his first birthday. 
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Friday, June 29, 2012

20 rebels killed in massive Nuristan assault

Kamdesh District in the Nuristan Province in A...
Kamdesh District in the Nuristan Province in Afghanistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
JALALABAD (PAN): Hundreds of heavily armed militants, mostly Pakistanis, attacked security posts in two villages in the Kamdish district of eastern Nuristan province, sparking a fierce gun-battle, officials said on Friday.

The skirmishes in Pirok and Binoz villages erupted early on Friday morning, with both sides claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties.

The governor's spokesman, Mohammad Zarin, told Pajhwok Afghan News hundreds of militants laced with heavy weapons attacked the two villages near the Pakistani border.

He claimed the Pirok village was completely torched during the clash and 20 attackers, most of them Pakistani fighters, have so far been killed.

He added bodies of the slain insurgents were still lying there. However, he had no information if civilians suffered any casualties because the clash in one of the villages was still ongoing.

Zarin said the clash in Pirok village had ended, but was ongoing in Binoz village. He added they had called for assistance from the defence and interior ministries and international troops.

A border police spokesman Mohammad Idrees Mohmand said a key Taliban commander identified as Maulvi Abbas was among 25 rebels killed in the clash.

But a Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told Pajhwok over the telephone that nine security check posts were seized and 15 security personnel were killed during clashes in Kamdish district.

He also confirmed that the clash was still ongoing, with the fighters occupying more security posts.

He acknowledged the death of only two fighters in the clash, but stopped short of giving information about who torched the Pirok village.

Security officials said an estimated 60 to 80 militants launched the massive attack on Afghan National Police (ANP) checkposts at around 3am.

The militants used small arm and rocket-propelled grenade during the hours-long clashes.


from Pajhwok
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Car bombing kills 5, wounds 32 in east Iraq

BAGHDAD, June 28 (Xinhua) -- A car bomb ripped through a popular rural market in eastern Iraq on Thursday night, leaving at least five dead and 32 wounded, a local police source said.

The blast happened in a village east of Baquba, the capital city of Diyala province, with children and women among the victims, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

Police have cordoned off the area and an investigation was underway, the source said. As some wounded were in serious conditions, the death toll could rise later, he added.

Diyala province, which borders on Iran, was once the hotbed of Sunni insurgents and Shiite militants. Violence has ebbed in recent years there, but shootings and bombings remain chronic.

from XINHUA
2012-06-29 05:34:12
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Blast targets Somali troops in Bal’ad town

BAL’AD (Sh.M.Network)- An explosion is reportedly targeted a coffee bar located  inside the town of Bal’ad that is frequented by Somali government soldiers, with some reports it caused casualties.

Mohammed Jinow, the governor of Middle Shabelle state for Somali government, confirmed to Shabelle Media the explosion, saying the attack was not caused any loss of life and wounds on the troops and civilians who were nearby at the Bomb site.

Eyewitnesses told Shabelle Media on condition of anonymity that the blast was a huge and could be heard across the district, killed several people at the café.

It could not be immediately verified the exact injured or killed persons in the attack. The governor called for locals to work with security forces to maintain peace and stability.

No group has said yet it carried out the attack in Bal’ad, an agricultural town sits 37 kilometers (22 miles) northeast of Mogadishu. The town fell to Somali and AMISOM forces June 26, 2012 after Al-Shabab fighters abandoned.

from Shabelle
June 29th, 2012
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June 29., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force conducted a operation, in Charkh district, Logar province, Thursday.

The target of the operation was Maulawi Sadiq, a Taliban leader and explosives expert who coordinated the movement of insurgents, provided explosive materials and training to insurgents, and planned attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces in the region.

During the operation, the Afghan and coalition security force requested a precision airstrike. After the strike, the security force conducted a follow-on assessment and confirmed Sadiq had been killed.

The precision airstrike did not harm any civilians and did not damage any civilian property.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban leader in Kandahar district, Kandahar province, today. The leader conducts direct fire and improvised explosive device attacks throughout the district. The security force detained several suspected insurgents as a result of this operation.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force apprehended a Haqqani leader in Sabari district, Khost province, today. The detained leader built improvised explosive devices, purchased weapons, and coordinated attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the region.

In Khugyani district, Nangarhar province an Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban leader, today. The leader is responsible for the movement of weapons and personnel throughout the region, and coordinates attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force detained numerous suspected insurgents and seized multiple AK-47s, shotguns and illegal narcotics during the operation.

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June 28., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition forces detained 12 and located one weapons cache during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, June 28.

Khowst province
Afghan Uniformed Police and coalition forces detained three insurgents during an engagement in Sabari district. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Afghan Border Police and coalition forces detained one insurgent during an engagement in Terezayi district. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Paktika province
Afghan Uniformed Police and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Yahya Khel district. The cache contained mortar rounds, mines and ammunition.

Paktiya province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces detained eight insurgents during an engagement in Gardez district. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Qirbi says Yemeni forces regained control of al-Qaeda strongholds

Map by Evan Centanni. (www.polgeonow.com)
The Yemeni forces were able to regain control of al-Qaeda’s strongholds in southern Yemen and other regions, Yemen’s Foreign Minister Abubakr al-Qirbi told Al Arabiya on Thursday.

“The Yemeni police and army forces were able to kick al-Qaeda militants from the regions that they used to control. They have fled to some mountainous areas,” he Qirbi said.

“It is not over yet. Our forces will continue to chase those operatives,” he told Al Arabiya on the sidelines of an anti-piracy conference in Dubai.

Meanwhile, he told Reuters in separate statements that some al-Qaeda-linked militants may have fled to neighboring states, including Oman, after being driven out of their strongholds in cities in southern Yemen.

Many had fled to mountainous parts of southern Yemen, while others could have fled to neighboring countries using land and sea routes. “There are reports that some of the militants went to Oman, which hasn't been formally confirmed to us.”

“The security services are coordinating with neighboring countries because the militants don’t only pose danger to Yemen but also to other countries.”

Any infiltration into Oman, which sits on one side of the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for one third of the world's seaborne oil exports, would raise fears of al-Qaeda setting up a new base in a region of strategic importance.

Yemeni security sources had already suggested some al-Qaeda members may have crossed into Oman, a relatively stable Arab monarchy bordering both Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Al-Qaeda-linked militants, emboldened by waning government control over the country during last year's protests that ousted former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, had seized several southern cities during the turmoil.

In May, the Yemeni army launched a large-scale U.S.-backed offensive against al Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate, Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law). The army drove out the militants from their main strongholds this month and regained control of several cities in the country’s south.

But Qirbi said Yemen’s fight against al-Qaeda was far from over. “The task has not finished yet; the security forces still have to chase militants to their hideouts,” he said. “The terrorist elements are on the run, but it’s hard to tell when will we uproot al-Qaeda.”

Qirbi said that fighting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), believed to be the most active branch of the global network which has plotted a number of botched attempts against U.S. targets, needed a multifaceted approach.

“If you look at the experiences of other countries from Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia and the United States, uprooting terrorism and extremism is complicated...it can't be dealt with only by military means,” he said.

He said his government would need to track down the sources of funding, identify Islamic clerics who propagated extremist views and create jobs for the country's young population.

“All these measures take time before they bear fruit,” he said.

U.S. officials say that President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi -- who came to power in February as part of a power-transfer deal brokered by the United States and Gulf states -- is more cooperative in the fight against al-Qaeda than his predecessor.

Analysts have suggested that Saleh deliberately gave al-Qaeda free rein in the south during protests against his 33 years in office in a cynical but failed attempt to convince Washington he should remain in power to deal with the threat.

The Yemeni foreign minister said that many of the militants fighting with Ansar al-Sharia were foreigners. Yemeni officials have repeatedly identified Somali fighters among the casualties of their offensive against militants.

By Al Arabiya with Reuters
Friday, 29 June 2012


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Captain, 7 soldiers die in Khyber

LANDI KOTAL, June 28: An army captain and seven soldiers were killed and three others injured when their vehicle was blown up in Bara on Thursday.

According to security officials, the vehicle hit an explosive device placed on the road at Qambarabad chowk near Bara bazaar.
Capt Manan, Tariq, Bahadar Shah, Nawaz Gul, Alibad Shah, Kamran Ali, Muhammad Yousuf and Jan Afzal of Mehsud Scouts were killed.

After the incident, security personnel started firing in all directions and launched a search operation. This was the deadliest attack on security forces in Bara since the launching of a military offensive in Shalobar area in November last year.

Intruding militants killed

Meanwhile, eight militants who tried to attack troops from across the Afghan border were killed and several others injured in a clash on Wednesday night, our correspondent adds from Upper Dir.

“Security forces clashed with militants along the border in Upper Dir when they tried to launch another attack from Afghanistan,” an official source said on Thursday.

The claim about militants’ casualties could not be confirmed from independent sources.

Meanwhile, local people are reported to have contacted militants across the border to get bodies of soldiers killed on Sunday in a similar attack.

At least 13 soldiers patrolling the border in Sunai darra area of Upper Dir were killed in the attack by militants believed to be belonging a group led by Maulana Fazlullah, a fugitive from Swat who is reported to have taken shelter in Kunar province of Afghanistan.

The militants took away the bodies of several slain soldiers.

According to unconfirmed reports, Taliban have demanded the release of some militants in return for the bodies.

A ‘grand jirga’ of Sunai darra and adjoining areas is leaving for Kunar for talks with the militants and a tribal elder has expressed the hope that the jirga would persuade the militants to hand over the bodies.

from DAWN
From the Newspaper | Ibrahim Shinwari | 11 hours ago

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Roadside Bomb Hits Ethiopian Troops in Beledweyne, Central Somalia

BALADWEYNE (Sh. M. Network) - Witnesses say a roadside bomb hit Ethiopian soldiers in Somalia’s central town of Beledweyne, causing heavy casualties.

According to the local residents, who spoke with Shabelle Media via phone under anonymity, said the blast was targeted on Ethiopian soldiers along with Somali troops who were passing a village in eastern part of Beledweyne town early hours on Thursday.

Following the attack which was used a remote-controlled line mine, Somali and Ethiopian forces opened fire at nearby civilians, but no deaths reported so far.

Casualties on Somali and Ethiopian troops are yet to be established. The Ethiopian military rarely comments on its ongoing operations.

Ahmed Abdulla Inji, a TFG security official in the town, confirmed the explosion to Shabelle Media, adding that the attack Ethiopian and TFG forces began a massive security operation in the area, taking several suspects into custody.

Tensions were very high, and many security personnel lined the streets, restricting the movements of residents and vehicles for a while after the attack. No one or group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

from Shabelle
June 28th, 2012

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Afghan soldier killed digger: inquiry

LCPL Andrew Jones
previously served as a cook with Townsville's 1RAR
A MILITARY inquiry has concluded that Australian soldier Lance Corporal Andrew Jones was murdered by a rogue member of the Afghan National Army in a "cowardly act".

On the morning of May 30 last year, Shafied Ullah Guhlamon shot LCPL Jones near the latrines at Combat Outpost Mashal (Mashal) in Afghanistan's Chora Valley.

He was treated at the scene and had surgery at Tarin Kowt but doctors were unable to revive him.

The Afghan soldier himself was shot dead by US special forces troops - who had been assisted in their investigation by the Afghan military - near his home village of Khost three weeks later after refusing an order to surrender and drawing his pistol.

Defence force vice-chief Air Marshal Mark Binskin on Friday announced the inquiry into Lance Cpl Jones' death had been completed.

"He was murdered by a rogue member of the ANA (Afghan National Army)," Air Marshal Binskin told reporters in Canberra.

"His killing was a cowardly act of murder."

Air Marshal Binskin said LCPL Jones had worked closely with ANA members at the patrol base and there was no indication the man who shot him knew him or sought him out.

While there were no witnesses to the shooting, the defence force inquiry concluded on all available evidence that LCPL Jones was deliberately shot by Shafied Ullah Guhlamon.

Inquiries have also been completed into the deaths of Sergeant Brett Wood, 32, who was killed by a roadside bomb in May, and Sergeant Todd Langley, 35, who died from a gunshot wound to the head during a battle in southern Afghanistan in July.

The reports into the deaths of the two sergeants will not be released publicly because of privacy and operational issues.

Sergeant Wood, a member of the special forces task force, was a distinguished and highly experienced soldier who had been deployed to Afghanistan three times.

The inquiry found there was no need for a further inquiry into his death.

Sergeant Langley was "an exceptionally experienced soldier" who was on his fifth deployment to Afghanistan, Air Marshal Binskin said.

He was killed instantly on July 4 last year while co-ordinating support for a fellow soldier who was wounded.

While there have been no combat deaths so far in 2012, Afghanistan remained a "complex and dangerous" environment, Air Marshal Binskin said.

"It is a dangerous place and Australians are in harm's way every day," Air Marshal Binskin said.

"But their courage and professionalism is what I think is getting us through at the moment."


from townsvillwbulletin.com.au
June 29th, 2012
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One dead, 5 injured in Baghlan blast

PUL-I-KHUMRI (PAN): One person was killed and five others were injured when a bomb attached to a fuel tanker went off in Pul-i-Khumri, the capital of northern Baghlan province, on Thursday, police said.

With the explosion, a nearby market caught fire, gutting 15 shops, police officer Sikandar told Pajhwok Afghan News. One person was killed and four others were injured in the incident, he said.

But the Pul-i-Khumri civil hospital in-charge Dr. Gul Mohammad Wardak said they had received a dead body and five injured people at the hospital from the blast site. One of the injured persons was discharged after treatment and the four were admitted.

Police said fire fighters had launched efforts to douse the huge blaze.

Mohammad Azam, who owns a mobile phone shop, said the fire quickly engulfed his shop and turned into ashes all his commercial goods worth one million afghanis.

Police said they were investigating the incident, for which no group has so far asserted responsibility.

from Pajhwok
by Habibullah Sherzai on Jun 28, 2012 - 19:04

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

13 Taliban killed in Parwan operation

Districts of Parwan.
Districts of Parwan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
CHARIKAR/GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Over a dozen Taliban fighters were killed on Thursday during an operation by the security forces in central province of Parwan, officials said.

Thirteen Taliban fighters were killed and four others wounded in the operation carried out by Afghan forces, backed by NATO air cover, in the Sya Gard district of Ghorband valley, governor’s spokesperson Roshna Khalid told Pajhwok Afghan News.

The Owkan, Qamchaq and Dashtak areas of the district were freed from Taliban presence during the operation, launched two days ago, said district chief Mohammad Sayed Siddiqui.

But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed they killed eight Afghan soldiers and injured several others during the two-hour clash in the Wazghar area of the district.

During the clash foreign troops bombed the area but there was no casualties on Taliban fighters, he added.

Separately, security personnel seized an explosives-laden car on Wednesday in a market in the district, but none detained in connection with the incident, said the spokeswoman.

In southern Ghazni province, 10 people were injured on Wednesday evening after Taliban fired rockets landed in a bazaar in Maqur district, said governor’s spokesman Sabawoon.

Traders were among the victims, said a shopkeeper Akhtar Mohammad, and he urged Taliban not to harm innocent civilians.

However, Taliban spokesman Mujhaid claimed they attacked the Provincial Reconstruction Team building in the district -- killing three Afghan soldiers.

from Pajhwok
by Farid Tanha & Saifullah Maftoon on Jun 28, 2012 - 13:39

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12 armed insurgents killed, 3 wounded and 28 others arrested by ANP



Publish Date: Jun 28, 2012
12 armed insurgents killed, three wounded and 28 others arrested by Afghan National Police

Counterterrorism:
During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces launched nine joint clearance operations in Kabul, Kandahar, Baghlan, Sar-e-Pul, Helmand, Zabul, Paktika and Farah provinces.

As a result of these operations, 12 armed insurgents were killed, three wounded and 28 others were arrested by Afghan National Police.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated 519 kilograms of opium, 92 kilograms of crystal, 200 heavy rounds, 3400 kilograms of chemical materials, nine different types of mines and one motorcycle.

During the same 24 hour period, Afghan National Police discovered and defused four anti-vehicle and remote control mines as a result of security operations in Faryab and Maidan Wardak provinces.
 
Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained 11 individuals accused of theft, seizing government properties and assault in the Istalif, 8th, 15th and 17th Districts of Kabul-City.

The ANP encourages all citizens to report suspicious activities and criminal acts
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Hand-grenade attack injures 3 policemen in Yemen's Aden

ADEN, Yemen, June 28 (Xinhua) -- At least three policemen were injured when unknown armed men hurled two hand-grenades at a government building in Yemen's southern port city of Aden Thursday morning, a security official said.

A group of unidentified assailants suspected of belonging to an armed faction of separatist Southern Movement threw two home-made grenades on the headquarters of the local government in Mualla district in Aden, the local security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

"Police troops stationed around the government building were attacked by grenades, injuring three policemen," the security official said.

"The unknown gunmen managed to escape after a short shootout with police troops," he added.

Local residents said that "two huge blasts were heard nearby the local council building in Mualla district. Several armored vehicles were deployed instantly across the neighborhood."

"Police cordoned off two main roads and set up checkpoints to search for suspects," they told Xinhua.

Earlier this week, the Yemeni police forces shot dead three southern activists during a pro-secession protest in Aden, which is a main stronghold of youth activists demanding independence for the south.

North and South Yemen unified peacefully in 1990, but the relationship deteriorated in 1994. Calls for separation in the country's southern regions were renewed in 2007.

from XINHUA
2012-06-28 16:21:04
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Bombs kill 13 in Iraq, wound more than 50

(Reuters) - Three bombings in and around Baghdad killed 13 people and wounded more than 50 on Thursday, hospital sources and police said, the latest in a wave of attacks to raise fears of a return to widespread sectarian violence in Iraq.

In the deadliest of Thursday's attacks, at least eight people were killed and 30 wounded when a bomb in a parked car exploded at the entrance of a Baghdad market in the mainly Shi'ite Muslim district of Washash, hospital sources and police said.

A separate car bomb attack in Taji, a town 20 km (12 miles) north of the capital, killed four and wounded 20 in the early hours of the morning, police said. The bomb in the mainly Sunni town was targeting a government building, which was severely damaged.

A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol killed one and wounded five in Abu Dsheer, a Shi'ite area in southern Baghdad, police said.

Violence in Iraq has fallen since a peak in 2006-07, but insurgents remain capable of lethal attacks.

More than 150 people have been killed in June across the country in a spike in attacks targeting mainly Shi'ite pilgrims and shrines.

Iraq's Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions have been locked in political disputes since the last U.S. troops withdrew in December, aggravating existing tensions.

(Reporting by Kareem Raheem, Writing by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Alessandra Rizzo)

from REUTERS
BAGHDAD | Thu Jun 28, 2012 9:43am BST

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Afghan villagers fighting Taliban militants killed in Ghazni

According to local authorities in eastern Ghazni province an unknown gunmen shot dead five local residents of Andar district in this province who resisted to fight the Taliban militants.

Provincial governor spokesman Fazal Mohammad Sabawoon confirming the report said the assailant militant was killed in cross fire.

Mr. Sabawoon further added the assailant militant had disguised himself among the local residents in Andar district and assassinated five people.

According to reports the deceased individuals started to resist fighting the Taliban militants around two months ago and forced Taliban militants to flee the area.

Taliban militants group claimed responsibility behind the assassination of the local residents and said one of their fighters opened fire on them from Badano village.

In the meantime reports suggest that a number of Taliban representatives have started negotiations with the local residents who are fighting against the Taliban militants.

Local residents in Ghazni province said they have started fight against the Taliban militants to reopen schools, clinics and resume other social activities which were blocked by Taliban fighters. They also said that no one has motivated them for the action.

from KHAAMA
By Sajad - Wed Jun 27, 7:08 pm
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Pakistani Taliban release video of beheaded Pakistani soldiers

By


The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan has released video showing the remains of 17 Pakistani soldiers who were beheaded after being captured and executed during fighting in the northwestern district of Dir just three days ago.

The graphic video, which was obtained by The Long War Journal, was sent to journalists by Ihsanullah Ihsan, a spokesman for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan.

The videotape includes a statement by Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. Hakeemullah promises that the Taliban will continue to fight the Pakistani military until the government enforces sharia, or Islamic law, and stops supporting the US in the region.

In the video, the Taliban show the heads of 17 Pakistani soldiers displayed on a white sheet; the Taliban claim that 18 soldiers were killed during the fighting. The Taliban fighters are standing around the gruesome display, holding weapons as the camera pans back and forth to show the soldiers' remains. The Taliban then show the military identification cards of the slain soldiers.

The 17 soldiers were killed after more than 100 Taliban fighters crossed the border from Kunar province in Afghanistan and attacked the Pakistani troops. Sirajuddin Ahmad, a spokesman for the Malakand Taliban, which operates under the command of Mullah Fazlullah, initially claimed credit for the attack and said 17 soldiers were killed.

"Our fight will continue until the establishment of sharia law in Pakistan .... We will fight whoever tries to stand in our way," Ahmad told Reuters the day after the battle.

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June 28., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban leader during an operation in Kandahar district, Kandahar province, today.

The apprehended Taliban leader directed a cell of insurgents during multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and was a specialist in the use of improvised explosive devices.

The security force detained multiple suspected insurgents and seized several small-arms weapons and ammunition during the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force seized more than 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds) of opium during an operation to apprehend a Taliban leader in Now Zad district, Helmand province, today. The leader directs attacks against Afghan National Security Forces and acts as a Taliban enforcer in the district. The security force detained numerous insurgents and seized multiple AK-47s during the operation.

East

In Sabari district, Khost province an Afghan and coalition security force detained a Haqqani leader today. The leader planned and coordinated attacks and distributed weapons and improvised explosive device components throughout the region. Prior to his apprehension, the leader coordinated the delivery of explosives to be used in insurgent attacks.

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R.I.P. - Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Leach

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Leach, 29, of Ferndale, Mich., died June 26, in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to the 1/334th Regiment, 1st Brigade, 104th Training Division (Leader Training), Fraser, Mich.

            For more information the media may contact 104th Training Division public affairs office at 360-607-5261.

---
from ferndale.patch.com:
By Jessica Schrader,June 27, 2012
 

Ferndale Soldier Dies in Afghanistan

Cause of death unknown for Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Leach, 29, who died Tuesday in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

A 29-year-old soldier from Ferndale died Tuesday while on duty in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense confirmed on Wednesday.

Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Leach, of Ferndale, died June 26 in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Leach was assigned to the 1/334th Regiment, 1st Brigade, 104th Training Division (Leader Training), based in Fraser.

Major Alex Johnson, public affairs officer for the 104th Training Division, said Leach was found unconscious and unresponsive on the floor of the facility where he was stationed and did not recover.

"The cause of death is not yet determined," Johnson said.

Leach joined the military in 2003 and served on active duty until 2008, including two tours in Iraq - one from 2005 to 2006 and another from 2007 to 2008, Johnson said. He then went into the Army Reserves and this was his first deployment from the Reserves.

Leach is survived by a wife and son, Johnson said.



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