Friday, January 6, 2012

Kenya's airstrikes kill over 60 Al-Shabaab fighters

Somalia's states, regions and districtsImage via Wikipedia
NAIROBI, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- More than 60 Somali militants have been killed in the latest airstrikes by Kenyan troops that targeted the militia's camp near Garbahare in southern Somalia.

Military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir confirmed on Friday the airstrikes which took place late on Thursday also saw more than 10 technical vehicles burnt down.

"Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) jets pounded Al-Shabaab camp south of Garbahare on Thursday night, killing over 60 Al-Shabaab, battle damage assessment to follow," Chirchir said in his official Twitter account on Friday.

Kenyan forces entered Somalia in October to push back Al- Shabaab, which controls large sections of southern and central Somalia and is blamed by Kenya for a series of cross-border kidnappings.

The militant group has also come under pressure from African Union peacekeepers, who pushed them out of the Somali capital Mogadishu in August, and from Ethiopia, which seized the town of Beledweyne on Saturday.

Chirchir said the late Thursday's airstrike could make the turning point in the dual military operation being undertaken with soldiers from the Transitional Federal Government.

"The latest airstrike may be the turning point in our military operation in Somalia. No KDF/TFG soldier was injured in the attack which was conducted by air. All troops are safe and in high spirit, " Chirchir told Xinhua by telephone.

Al-Shabaab is known for enforcing a strict brand of Islam in the areas under its rule and is believed to have links to al-Qaida.

The group has also blocked most international aid workers from accessing parts of Somalia suffering from drought and famine.

There has been a string of attacks by Al-Shabaab militants and their sympathizers since Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October to subdue the insurgents who were blamed for a series of murders and kidnappings on the Kenya soil with Daadab district which hosts the refugee camps being one of the worst hit by the attacks.

In total about seven security officers were killed in ten attacks that has occurred in Mandera town, while 19 people were killed in Garissa County, among them five were security officers.

from XINHUA
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Afghan police open fire on colleagues in Ghor province

According to local authorities in western Afghanistan, an Afghan police service member shot dead at least two Afghan police and an Afghan civilian in western Ghor province.

The officials further added, another Afghan police was also injured during the incident.

Provincial deputy police chief Abdul Rashid Bashir said, the incident took place at Shahrak district.

Mr. Bashir further added, the main motive behind the incident unclear and a delegation has been sent to Sharak district in a bid to launch a probe into the incident.

In the meantime, an Afghan security official speaking on the condition of anonymity said that the police was linked with the Taliban militants based on the preliminary investigation reports.

The source further added, the Afghan assailant police who was killed by other security forces wanted to put fire on arms depot belong to Shahrak district police commandment.

Taliban group yet to comment regarding the incident.

Ghor province located in western regions of Afghanistan is considered to be a relatively peaceful province however in a number of cases Afghan security forces have opened fire on their international counterparts specifically on foreign militry trainers who are training Afghan police and Afghan national army soldiers.

The latest incident by an Afghan police to kill their Afghan mates is rare in a situation where Afghan security forces are scheduled to hand over security responsibilities for additional regions in the country.
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US Navy rescues Iranians held hostage by pirates

A US Navy ship has rescued 13 Iranians held hostage by Somali pirates for weeks in the Arabian Sea, US military officers said Friday.
The USS Kidd, a destroyer, responded to a distress call from an Iranian-flagged fishing vessel and a Navy team boarded the boat, freeing the Iranian crew and detaining 15 suspected pirates, the Fifth Fleet said in a statement.

ARABIAN SEA (Jan. 5, 2012) The guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100) responds to a distress call from the master of the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai, who claimed he was being held captive by pirates. Kidd's visit, board, search and seizure team, boarded and detained 15 suspected pirates, who were reportedly holding the 13-member Iranian crew hostage for the last two months. Kidd is conducting counter-piracy and maritime security operations while deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)
hi-res

As described in the Navy press release, the VBSS team recovered the fishing dhow Al Molai from the 15 suspected pirates without resistance.
“After securing the ship and ensuring the safety of all persons on board, we began distributing food and water to both the crew and the suspected criminals as is our standard practice in Counter-Piracy operations,” said [NCIS agent Josh] Schminky. The pirates were detained on the Al Molai by the Kidd boarding party until the next morning when they could be transferred to the USS John C. Stennis where the matter will be reviewed for prosecution. The pirates currently remain on the Stennis.
“The Captain of the Al Molai expressed his sincere gratitude that we came to assist them. He was afraid that without our help, they could have been there for months,” said Schminky.

ARABIAN SEA (Jan. 5, 2012) A Sailor aboard a safety boat observes a visit, board, search and seizure team, assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG 100), board the Iranian-flagged fishing dhow Al Molai. Kidd's visit, board, search and seizure team detained 15 suspected pirates, who were holding a 13-member Iranian crew hostage for the last two months, according to the members of the crew. Kidd is conducting counter-piracy and maritime security operations while deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo/Released) hi-res
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Suicide bomb kills 26 in Syria: interior minister (+video)

The Syrian government claimed that a "suicide terrorist" killed 25 people and wounded scores more in an attack in the capital of Damascus today. The blast took place near a school in the Maidan neighborhood, killing 25 people and wounding more than 40, according to Syrian news services. 


'Suicide terrorist' kills 25 in Damascus: Syrian state TV
By Bill Roggio - January 6, 2012, LWJ

The Syrian government claimed that a "suicide terrorist" killed 25 people and wounded scores more in an attack in the capital of Damascus today. The blast took place near a school in the Maidan neighborhood, killing 25 people and wounding more than 40, according to Syrian news services.

A screen grab from Syrian state television shows a car damaged by a suicide bomb that rocked Damascus on Friday. (AFP/HO/Syrian TV)
"Immediate information indicates that a suicide terrorist blew himself up at a traffic light in the Maidan neighborhood," state television said, according to Reuters. "There are dozens of dead and wounded, mostly civilians."

No group has claimed credit for today's attack. It could not be confirmed that the blast was carried out by a suicide bomber, as independent media outlets do not have access to the site.

In addition to today's attack, the Syrian government has claimed that two other suicide attacks have taken place in Damascus since late December 2011. The Syrian government said that twin blasts targeting security headquarters on Dec. 23 were the work of al Qaeda. Over 40 people were reported killed and scores more were wounded in the blasts.

But no group claimed credit for the Dec. 23 blasts. In fact, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, an al Qaeda affiliate that operates in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and throughout the Middle East, denied responsibility.

The Abdullah Azzam Brigades released an official statement denying any role in the Dec. 23 attacks and said the bombs were the work of the Mukhabarat, Syria's military intelligence branch, which is controlled by President Bashir al Assad.

"The mujahideen, in all their groups, have no connection to these vicious bombings, and accusing them of it is falsehood and lies. The one truly responsible for them is he who is benefiting from them, and it is the regime of al Assad and his intelligence agencies," the Abdullah Azzam Brigades said in a statement that was released on Dec. 27 and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.

Assad's regime is fighting a rebellion that has seen hundreds of his soldiers defect to the Free Syrian Army. Assad's security forces have ruthlessly put down protests in major cities and villages across Syria. His forces are said to have killed more than 5,000 Syrians since the uprising began last year, according to human rights groups.

Sources:
Deadly bombing hits Syrian capital, NOW Lebanon
Suicide bomb kills 25 in Damascus: Syrian TV, Reuters
Adbullah Azzam Brigades denies responsibility for Damascus suicide attacks, The Long War Journal

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/01/suicide_terrorist_ki.php#ixzz1iiPmls4r

***some graphic pictures in the video***



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5 NATO troops, 6 kids killed in Afghan attacks

KABUL, Afghanistan — Explosives hidden in a trash heap killed six children in southern Afghanistan Friday, police said, and five NATO troops were killed in roadside bombings in the volatile region.
The children were rummaging through the trash for food scraps and bottles in the southern province of Uruzgon when the blast killed them, police spokesman Farid Ayal said. A civilian man also died in the blast.
Four other children were wounded by the explosion in Trinkot, the provincial capital about 250 miles southwest of Kabul.
The U.N. estimates improvised bombs and suicide attacks accounted for half of nearly 1,500 civilian deaths in the first six months of last year, the most recent statistics.
Elsewhere in the south, four NATO troops died in one of Friday's bombings, and one was killed in a separate blast. The alliance said both incidents occurred in southern Afghanistan but provided no further details. It did not identify the troops or disclose what countries they came from.
The deaths bring to nine the number of international troops killed in the first week of the year. At least 544 NATO troops died in Afghanistan in 2011, the second-deadliest year for the coalition in the decade-old war.
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Jan. 06., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan (Jan. 6) – A combined Afghan and coalition security force discovered a drug cache while conducting a routine patrol in Panjwa ‘i district, Kandahar province, yesterday. The cache consisted of approximately 2,420 pounds (1,100 kilograms) of hash and approximately 880 pounds (400 kilograms) of marijuana seeds.  Security forces destroyed all drugs and seeds on site without incident.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South
In Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, a coalition security force discovered a cache of improvised explosive device materials during a routine patrol yesterday. The security force confiscated 50 various IED components from the scene to be destroyed at a later date.
An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, today. The leader constructed roadside bombs and trained insurgent fighters for attacks against coalition forces. Two additional suspected insurgents were detained during the operation.

East
In Sabari district, Khost province, an Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani leader during an operation today. The leader procured weapons for insurgent fighters and conducted roadside bomb attacks. The security force seized weapons, bomb making materials and detained multiple insurgents during the operation.
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Army offensive kills 20 al-Qaida militants in southern Yemen

Yemen division 2011-10-23Image via Wikipedia
At least 20 al-Qaida militants were killed early Thursday when the Yemeni army forces attacked various positions of the terrorist group in the turbulent southern province of Abyan, a senior army officer said Xinhua reported

Various militant positions and fortifications on the northeastern outskirts of Zinjibar city, the provincial capital of Abyan, were targeted in the large-scale army offensive, leaving at least 20 terrorists killed, the local army officer engaged in the fighting told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Five foreign militants were among the killed, including three Africans, the officer said, adding that "the army forces escalated the military operations against the al-Qaida group in an attempt to put an end to the fighting and drive the militants out of the seized cities soon."
Sources close to the al-Qaida terrorist group confirmed to Xinhua the toll, saying that "their hideouts were pounded by unprecedented heavy artillery bombings."
The al-Qaida militants threatened to launch retaliatory attacks against the army troops, according to the sources.
The al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula controlled several regions in the south part of the country, where clashes between government forces and the militants became regular after months of domestic protests calling for Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh' s resignation.
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Rwandan FDLR rebels 'kill 26 in DR Congo'

At least 26 people have been killed in attacks by a Rwandan militia group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Congolese army says.
It says several remote villages in South Kivu province have been targeted since the start of January.
An army spokesman blamed the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) - which has a history of attacking Congolese civilians.
The army is sending reinforcements to the area.
All those killed were civilians, said army spokesman Sylvain Ekenge.
He said bands of rebels had attacked settlements and burned homes in Shabunda territory, a heavily forested area of South Kivu, on 2 and 3 January.
The villagers "said they were attacked because the population had been supporting [another] local militia", Col Ekenge said.
He said military operations were already taking place to try to flush the rebels out.
Kigali attack The violence is among the worst carried out by the FDLR for several months.
In December, one of the group's leaders, Callixte Mbarushimana, was freed by the International Criminal Court in The Hague after judges ruled there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him.
He had denied five counts of crimes against humanity and eight counts of war crimes, including charges of murder, torture, rape, inhumane acts and persecution, and destruction of property.
The group is one of several armed militias still active in the east of DR Congo, more than eight years after the civil war in the country ended.
FDLR fighters have been blamed for many rapes and killings, despite the presence of UN peacekeepers in the region.
The group was formed by ethnic Hutus who fled from neighbouring Rwanda following the genocide of 1994.
In a separate development, two people have been killed in a grenade attack in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
Sixteen others were wounded. The security forces have blamed previous similar grenade attacks on the FDLR.
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DOD Releases Defense Strategic Guidance

the links:


DOD Releases Defense Strategic Guidance

President Barack H. Obama, Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey released an unclassified version of the defense strategic guidance today at a Pentagon press conference.

The document, entitled “Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense,” is available here: http://www.defense.gov/news/Defense_Strategic_Guidance.pdf

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Statement as Prepared by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey on the Defense Strategic Guidance

“As Chairman, it is my responsibility to work with the Joint Chiefs to ensure that the armed forces of the United States keep America immune from coercion. The Strategy just described by the President and the Secretary of Defense enables us to fulfill that responsibility. It sustains the sacred trust put in us by the American people -- to defend them and our country.
 ...
Read more/full news: http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=14994
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 Statement as Prepared by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta on the Defense Strategic Guidance

I’d like to begin by thanking President Obama for coming here this morning, and for his vision, guidance and leadership as this Department went through the intensive review we undertook to develop the new strategic guidance we are releasing today.
            “This guidance recognizes that this country is at a strategic turning point after a decade of war and large increases in defense spending. As the President mentioned, the U.S. military’s mission in Iraq has now ended, continued progress in Afghanistan is enabling a transition to Afghan security responsibility, the NATO effort in Libya has concluded with the fall of Qaddafi, targeted counterterrorism efforts have significantly weakened al Qaeda and decimated its leadership, and now as these events are occurring, the Congress has mandated that we achieve significant defense savings.
 ...
Read more/full news: http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=14993
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Pakistan Taliban free 17 kidnapped youths from Bajaur

The Taliban have freed 17 young men from north-west Pakistan who they seized four months ago, officials say.
About 30 youths were abducted in early September after they inadvertently strayed across the Afghan border.
Several managed to escape over the past few months. At least eight more are still being held by the militants, an official in Bajaur tribal area said.
The Taliban said they kidnapped members of the Mamund tribe because it supported the Pakistani government.
Over the past few years, influential members of the Mamund tribe have sided with the Pakistani military and raised private militias to fight the Taliban. The Pakistani government says the co-operation has helped clear the area of Taliban influence.
The youths, reportedly ranging in age from 10 to about 30 years old, were at a picnic to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid and had mistakenly crossed the border from Bajaur to take a bath in a spring, when the militants seized them.
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Ansar al Islam names new leader

The al Qaeda-linked Ansar al Islam released a statement announcing the name of its new leader. The Iraqi terror group also announced that it would fly a new flag.
In a statement released on jihadist websites yesterday, Ansar al Islam named Abu Hashim Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman al Ibrahim as its leader. The brief statemen



By Thomas Joscelyn & Bill Roggio - January 5, 2012 - LWJ

Ansar al Islam's new flag. Image from the SITE Intelligence Group
The al Qaeda-linked Ansar al Islam released a statement announcing the name of its new leader. The Iraqi terror group also announced that it would fly a new flag.

In a statement released on jihadist websites yesterday, Ansar al Islam named Abu Hashim Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman al Ibrahim as its leader. The brief statement, which was translated by the SITE Intelligence Group, is dated Dec. 15, 2011 and was signed by the "Command of Ansar al Islam."

"Sheikh Abu Hashim Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman al Ibrahim was instituted as the general emir [leader] of Ansar al-Islam, and the group gave allegiance to him.... The giving of allegiance is a commitment for everyone who belongs to the group, and there is no quitting of it after signing it," according to the statement.

Ibrahim replaces Abu Abdullah al Shafi, the former leader of Ansar al Islam, who was detained along with seven "criminal associates" during raids in the Baghdad neighborhoods of Mansour and Adhamiyah on May 3, 2010. Shafi was captured less than one month after US and Iraqi forces killed Abu Ayyub al Masri, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, and Abu Omar al Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, al Qaeda's political front, during a raid near Tikrit.

In addition to naming Ibrahim as the leader of Ansar al Islam, the terror group announced the creation of a new flag for the central command and the "Military and Jihad Department."

"The group's banner, 'al Sahab' [the clouds], which is black with a white section in the middle, has written on it the words of the testimony, 'There is No God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,' in black, cursive script, and is fastened to a spear."

The Military and Jihad Department's banner is white and is called "al Jabal" [the mountain]. It also contains the same texts as the command's flag.


Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/01/ansar_al_islam_names.php#ixzz1idRXfl6J

US adds Al Qaeda Kurdish Battalions to list of terror groups

Today under Executive Order 13224, the US State Department added al Qaeda Kurdish Battalions (AQKB) to the list of specially designated global terrorist entities. The designation allows the US to freeze any assets owned by AQKB and prohibits others from engaging in financial transactions with the terror group.



Today under Executive Order 13224, the US State Department added al Qaeda Kurdish Battalions (AQKB) to the list of specially designated global terrorist entities. The designation allows the US to freeze any assets owned by AQKB and prohibits others from engaging in financial transactions with the terror group.
Al Qaeda Kurdish Battalions was "established in 2007 from the remnants of other Kurdish terrorist organizations," and "has sworn allegiance publicly to other terrorist groups, including al Qaeda and al Qaeda in Iraq," according to the State Department's press release.
"AQKB is comprised of former elements of Ansar al Islam, and other Kurdish Islamic movements loyal to the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) - also known as AQI [al Qaeda in Iraq]," Jason Blazakis, the Director of the Bureau of Counterterrorism's Office of Terrorist Designations and Sanctions, told The Long War Journal.
The name of the leader of AQKB has not been disclosed. The terror group has released statements in the past but has not named its leader.
AQKB operates "along the border between Iran and Iraq," the press release said. The terror group "believes the leaders of the Kurdistan Regional Government are traitors and has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks against Kurdish targets in Iraq."
...
Read more....: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/01/us_adds_al_qaeda_kur.php#ixzz1idPTzSgW
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British Aid Worker Kidnapped in Pakistan

Khalil Dale ( Dr. Khalil Asa Jadi Yemeni), a British aid worker employed by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), was kidnapped today at gunpoint while he was driving home from his office in Quetta, Pakistan.
According to witnesses, eight masked gunmen were waiting for Dale in a Toyota Land Cruiser outside of the ICRC’s office in a well-protected neighborhood, home to many international organizations.
A security guard enters the building of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Quetta, in 2010 (AFP/File, Banaras Khan)
A longtime humanitarian aid worker, Dale is no stranger to the dangers inherent in his line of work. From 1991 to 1993, he worked in field hospitals and distributed aid in an area of Somalia where, at the time, 350 people were dying every day from the Biblical-scale famine.   He spoke to FRONTLINE for our 1998 film Ambush in Mogadishu about how the experience became a turning point for the Red Cross:
Usually the Red Cross never ever deals with people with guns. We never carry guns in our vehicles. But in Somalia we had to employ guards and escorts to see us through the dangerous areas and to cross frontlines. I think Somalia was the first for many things, not just for UN armed intervention — peace keepers they call them — but obviously for the Red Cross. Times are changing and the Red Cross isn’t protected as it used to be.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for Dale’s kidnapping. Quetta is located in Pakistan’s restive Baluchistan province, which has been the scene of a decades-long ethnic insurgency; it’s also believed to be where senior Taliban leadership resides. A number of Westerners have been kidnapped in the city in recent years, by both Baluch separatists and Islamic militants.



Read more:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/afghanistan-pakistan/british-aid-worker-kidnapped-in-pakistan/
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Bombings targeting Shiites kill 72 across Iraq

BAGHDAD — A wave of bombings targeting Shiites in Iraq killed 72 people on Thursday, deepening sectarian tensions that exploded just after the last American troops left the country in mid-December.
The coordinated attacks targeting Shiites bore the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents linked to al-Qaida, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility.

By Sameer N. Yacoub - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 5, 2012 9:51:40 EST
Map by/from VOANews
BAGHDAD — A wave of bombings targeting Shiites in Iraq killed 72 people on Thursday, deepening sectarian tensions that exploded just after the last American troops left the country in mid-December.
The coordinated attacks targeting Shiites bore the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents linked to al-Qaida, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The bombings began early in the morning when explosions struck two Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad, killing at least 27 people. A few hours later, a suicide attack hit Shiite pilgrims heading to the holy Shiite city of Karbala, killing 45, said provincial official Quosay al-Abadi. The explosions took place near Nasiriyah, about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad. Hospital officials confirmed the causalities.
The blasts occurred in the run-up to Arbaeen, a Shiite holy day which marks the end of 40 days of mourning that follow the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure. During this time, Shiite pilgrims from across Iraq make their way to Karbala, south of Baghdad.
Baghdad military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said the aim of the attacks is "to create turmoil among the Iraqi people." He said it was too early to say who was behind the bombings.
The new violence will only exacerbate the country's political crisis pitting politicians from the Shiite majority who dominate the government against the Sunni minority, which reigned supreme under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.
Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government issued an arrest warrant for the country's top Sunni politician last month. The Sunni official, Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, is holed up in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region in the north — effectively out of reach of state security forces.
Fears have already been running high that the sectarian tensions could re-ignite Shiite-Sunni warfare that just a few years ago pushed Iraq to the brink of civil war.
The attacks began in Baghdad with the explosion of a bomb attached to a motorcycle near a bus stop where day laborers gather to look for work in the Shiite Sadr City neighborhood. One of those who witnessed the attack said it filled the area with thick black smoke.
"People have real fears that the cycle of violence might be revived in this country," said Tariq Annad, a 52-year-old government employee who lives nearby.
That attack was followed by the explosion of a roadside bomb. Police found a third bomb nearby and defused it.
The two Sadr City blasts killed 12 people, according to police and medical officials.
Less than two hours later, two explosions rocked the Shiite neighborhood of Kazimiyah in the north of the capital, killing 15 people.
Officials said the Kazimiyah blasts occurred almost simultaneously, with at least one caused by a car bomb. Simultaneous explosions are a tactic frequently used by the Sunni insurgents against Shiites.
Hospital officials confirmed the causalities from the four blasts, which included more than 60 wounded.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
The attacks were the deadliest in Baghdad since Dec. 22, when a series of blasts killed 69 people in mostly Shiite neighborhoods. An al-Qaida front group in Iraq claimed responsibility for those attacks.
The last U.S. soldiers left Iraq on Dec. 18, ending a nearly nine-year war. Iraqi leaders feared a resurgence of Sunni and Shiite militants and an increase in violence following the departure of U.S. troops, a fear that is coming to be realized.
On Wednesday, attacks targeted the homes of police officers and a member of a government-allied militia. Those attacks, in the cities of Baqouba and Abu Ghraib outside Baghdad, killed four people, including two children, officials said.
Iraqi politicians remain deadlocked in a festering political crisis that threatens to re-ignite simmering sectarian tensions in the country.
Al-Maliki's main political rival, the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, is boycotting parliament sessions and Cabinet meetings to protest what they say are efforts by the government to consolidate power and marginalize them.
Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Adam Schreck and Mazin Yahya contributed to this report.
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Apache strikes senior Taliban commander

Soldiers from D Company, 5th Battalion The Rifles (5 RIFLES), and their partners from the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have been taking the fight to the insurgents in the south of the Nahr-e Saraj district for the last few weeks.
In the past two months, the combined forces have pushed the insurgency out of the Babaji area of the district, helping the Afgh

A Military Operations news article

5 Jan 12

A senior Taliban commander has been killed by an Apache helicopter strike during an operation conducted by British and Afghan soldiers to disrupt activity in an insurgent 'safe haven' in Helmand province.

Soldiers from D Company, 5th Battalion The Rifles (5 RIFLES), and their partners from the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have been taking the fight to the insurgents in the south of the Nahr-e Saraj district for the last few weeks.
In the past two months, the combined forces have pushed the insurgency out of the Babaji area of the district, helping the Afghan police to build new checkpoints and cut off routes used by insurgents to infiltrate the area, and increase security.
Now the British soldiers and the ANSF have handed over responsibility for security for Babaji to Afghan police and are turning their attention to the Kopak region in the north of their area of operations - an insurgent 'safe haven'.
A Hellfire missile from a British Army Apache helicopter strikes an insurgent firing position
[Picture: Sergeant Wes Calder, Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]
In Operation KAPCHA SHKAR KAWEL, or 'Cobra Hunt', more than 40 Riflemen and members of the ANSF set out to disrupt the insurgency and gather intelligence on Taliban leaders in the area.

After two hours Taliban fighters began to fire on the troops and were spotted in the act by intelligence assets.
One of the fighters was tracked by a supporting Apache gunship, and when he opened fire on the patrol again the Apache was cleared to engage and fired a Hellfire missile at his position.
The 5 RIFLES soldiers and the Afghan National Army troops were then able to finish their mission and gather crucial intelligence.
It was later discovered that the insurgent killed in the Apache strike was a senior commander in the local area.
Captain Ben Worley is the D Company fire support team commander, who co-ordinates between the infantry on the ground and support assets like the Apache. He said the strike will have damaged the insurgent command structure in the area, adding:
"An insurgent of this calibre is hard to find, and this has been a decisive blow to the insurgency here. It was a great start to the operation and will set the conditions for the future of D Company in the Kopak area."
Bombardier Joe Harris is the tactical air controller for D Company and is responsible for the co-ordination of air assets in the area. He said:
"We had tracked this guy for some time before finally getting into position to strike. It was a relief to finally get him as he had been firing at our lads on the ground and could have caused casualties."
Major Matt Baker, Officer Commanding D Company, said:
"We clearly took them by surprise because after we hit them with the Apache they just didn't want to know anymore, and were in a state of shock for about 30 minutes.

"The Afghan Police are now in a position to take lead responsibility for security in Babaji. I've been genuinely impressed by them and know they are ready to take over."
Major Chris Bisset, Army Air Corps (AAC), Officer Commanding the UK Apache Squadron on Op HERRICK, said:
"This is a good example of why the Apache attack helicopter is deployed to support troops on the ground in Afghanistan.
"The British AAC Apaches are flown by Army pilots who have a very good understanding of what the ground commander is trying to achieve.
"This insurgent had been attempting to shoot at coalition troops over a sustained period. By closely co-ordinating with the ground forces, we were able to engage him in a safe area, which then allowed the troops on the ground to return to their primary job of reassuring and protecting the local population."

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Pakistani Taliban execute 15 Frontier Corps troops

Map showing location of North and South Waziri...Image via Wikipedia
The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan claimed credit for executing 15 paramilitary Frontier Corps who were captured two weeks ago.
The naked bodies of the 15 Frontier Corps soldiers were dumped in the town of Shiwa in the Miramshah area of Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan,

By , LWJ

The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan claimed credit for executing 15 paramilitary Frontier Corps who were captured two weeks ago.
The naked bodies of the 15 Frontier Corps soldiers were dumped in the town of Shiwa in the Miramshah area of Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan, according to The Associated Press.
The spokesman for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, Ihsanullah Ihsan, said that the 15 soldiers were executed in retaliation for a Pakistani military operation in the Khyber tribal agency on Jan. 1 that killed 12 Taliban. Among those killed in Khyber was Qari Kamran, a senior commander in Nowshera who was responsible for the the murders of scores of Pakistani soldiers, policemen, and civilians in the northwest [see LWJ report, Pakistani troops kill dangerous Taliban commander].
The 15 soldiers executed by the Taliban were initially captured on Dec. 22 after a Taliban force assaulted a fort in the settled district of Tank, which borders South Waziristan. One soldiers was killed during the assault. The next day, seven Frontier Corps troopers were killed in a suicide attack in the settled district of Bannu [see LWJ report, Taliban suicide bomber kills 7 Pakistani troops].
Ihsanullah Ihsan said the Dec. 22 and 23 attacks were carried out to avenge the death of Taj Gul Mehsud, a senior deputy to Hakeemullah Mehsud, the emir of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. Taj Gul was killed along with 12 other fighters in a US airstrike in South Waziristan on Oct. 26 [see LWJ report, Taliban avenge death of commander killed in October drone strike].
The execution of the Pakistani troops took place just days after four major Taliban factions joined a council known as the Shura-e-Murakeba [see LWJ report, Al Qaeda brokers new anti-US Taliban alliance in Pakistan and Afghanistan]. The new alliance consists of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, the Haqqani Network, and the independent Taliban factions led by Mullah Nazir and Hafiz Gul Bahadar. The alliance was brokered by al Qaeda's Abu Yahya al Libi and Siraj Haqqani, the operational commander of the Haqqani Network. Mullah Omar, the head of all of the Taliban, pushed for the formation of the group.
According to a pamphlet released in North Waziristan that announced the formation of the Shura-e-Murakeba, the members would cease attacks on security forces, and end criminal activities such as kidnapping and extortion. But Ihsanullah Ihsan denied that the shura said that attacks on Pakistani troops must cease, and he vowed to continue to strike at security forces.
In the past, the Taliban have executed large numbers of captured Pakistani soldiers. The most infamous execution took place in early June 2011 in the Shaltalu area of the district of Dir in northwestern Pakistan, when the Taliban executed 16 Pakistani policemen. The execution was videotaped; the policemen were lined up and then gunned down by Taliban fighters wielding AK-47s. Those who survived the initial volley of fire were gunned down as Taliban fighters yelled Allahu Akbar, or god is greatest [see LWJ report, Video of brutal Taliban execution of Pakistani policemen emerges].
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