At least 9 policemen killed, 13 others injured in northwest Kenya

TURKANA, Kenya, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 9 policemen were killed and 13 others seriously injured in an ambush in Samburu north in northwestern Kenya, police confirmed on Saturday.

The police officers said the armed bandits ambushed the police officers who were in a lorry that was pursuing cattle which had been stolen in a raid in Samburu Baragoi.

"Some 9 police officers were killed, 8 seriously injured and three escaped with minor injuries. The policemen were pursuing some cattle which had been stolen in Samburu Baragoi when unknown gunmen ambushed their lorry," the local police said who did not want to be named.

Regional police commander, John Mbijiwe confirmed the incident, saying the police officers were on a mission to recover stolen livestock when they were ambushed by the bandits who sprayed them with bullets.

"The officers were on a mission to recover more than 400 livestock stolen from Samburu by rustlers believed to be from a neighboring community," Mbijiwe said.

Sources said the armed bandits laid an ambush in Lomelok area before spraying the officers with bullets in an attack that baffled the local administration as well as residents of Baragoi.

"Five of the injured have been airlifted to Nairobi for specialized treatment. We have reinforced security in the area and also launched a major manhunt for the bandits," said Mbijiwe.

On Oct. 30, at least 13 people were killed and three others seriously injured in tribal clashes involving two communities a few kilometres from the same area.

Local leaders said the clashes occurred when heavily armed raiders from the Samburu community invaded a village and stole 205 camels and two donkeys during the early morning raid in Samburu County in northwestern Kenya.

Local councilor, Lawrence Lorunyei said the raiders attacked several manyattas and drove away the animals sparking a fierce shootout between the raiders and the residents.

Tension has remained high as the residents' fear that the attacks may continue as the Samburu and Turkana communities' plan of retaliatory attacks.

Divisional police commander, Maurice Makhano said security has been beefed up in the region to quell the violence in the area.

from XINHUA
Editor: Mu Xuequan
2012-11-11 06:01:33

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Afghan Blast Kills Family Including Newborn

Afghan officials say a roadside bomb blast has killed six members of a family, including a mother and her hours-old baby.

Police say the family was heading home from the hospital where the mother had given birth when their truck hit the bomb Sunday in eastern Khost province.

Meanwhile, three people were killed in southern Helmand province when their vehicle detonated a bomb.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts.  However, roadside bombs are the weapons of choice for Taliban insurgents fighting to bring down the Western-backed government in Kabul.  The bombs often miss their military targets and hit civilians who use the same roads.

from VOA NewsNovember 11, 2012
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from KHAAMA:
By Sayed Jawad - Sun Nov 11, 9:38 am

A heavy explosion rocked eastern Khost province of Afghanistan early Sunday morning. The incident took place in Sabari district.

There are no reports regarding the casualties however local residents said that it was a powerful explosion.

In the meantime provincial security chief Mohammad Yaqoob said at least 5 members of a family were killed after their vehicle struck with a mine in Sabari district.

The incident took place around 9 am local time and reports suggest that women and children are also among those killed following the blast.

No group including the Taliban militants has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

This comes as an Afghan woman was killed and 10 others were injured following an explosion in eastern Khost city on Saturday.

Khost province is a relatively peaceful region in eastern Afghanistan however militants are often carrying out insurgency activities in a number of its districts.

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Explosion in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan

According to local authorities in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, an explosion took place in the 4th district of southern Kandahar city on Sunday.

Provincial governor spokesman Javid Faisal confirming the report said the incident took place after explosives planted in a cart went off in the area.

There are no reports regarding the casualties as a result of the incident.

No group including the Taliban militants has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

In the meantime Eng. Habib a tribal elder said an Afghan woman along with a kid were killed and three others were injured following the blast.

He said the victims of today’s incident were looking to attend a wedding ceremony and were on their way from southern Helmand province to Kandahar province.

from KHAAMA
By Sajad - Sun Nov 11, 3:34 pm

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Nov. 11., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force killed Taliban direct-action cell leader Zafran during a security operation in Helmand province Saturday.

Zafran was believed responsible for conducting improvised explosive device and ambush-style attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Prior to his death he was preparing future IED attacks on combined forces, coalition officials said.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout
Afghanistan:

North
An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan IED and weapons facilitator in Kunduz province today. The detained facilitator is suspected of having organized the purchase and storage of rifles, machine guns, ammunition, mortar systems and fertilizer for IEDs used in attacks by IMU insurgents in the province. During the operation, the security force also seized numerous grenades and several assault-style rifles with large quantities of ammunition.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Ghazni province today. The detained Taliban leader is suspected of having organized and directed attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in the province.

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani leader in Paktiya province today. The detained Haqqani leader is believed to have conducted attack planning and organized the transfer and emplacement of IEDs. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized a stockpile of Afghan National Army uniforms, numerous grenades and a rifle with associated gear.

Afghan and coalition forces killed two heavily armed insurgents engaged in threatening activity during an operation in Paktiya province Saturday.

An Afghan and coalition force arrested an insurgent during a security operation in search of a Taliban leader in Logar province today. The leader is suspected of supplying Taliban fighters with IEDs and mortars used in attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces.

South
An Afghan and coalition force arrested three insurgents during a security operation in search of a Taliban IED facilitator in Kandahar province Saturday.

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Nov. 11., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents, detained three, located a weapons cache and cleared seven improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Nov. 10.

Ghazni Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs in Muqer District.

Khowst Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared three IEDs, two in Khowst District and one in Sabari District.

Afghan Uniformed Police and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Terezayi District. The cache contained wire, a jug for producing homemade explosives and a push-button initiator.

Nangarhar Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Bati Kot District.

Nuristan Province
Afghan Uniformed Police wounded an insurgent during an engagement in Nurgaram District. The wounded insurgent received medical care and was transferred to a base for questioning.

Paktika Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces killed an insurgent during an engagement in Bermal District.

Wardak Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sayyidabad District.

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces killed two insurgents, wounded one and detained one during an engagement in Sayyidabad District. The wounded insurgent received medical care and was, along with the detained, transferred to a base for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Suicide bombers kills 20 Syria troops

By Bill Roggio - November 10, 2012 - LWJ

A pair of suicide bombers killed an estimated 20 Syrian soldiers in an attack in the city of Daraa, near the Jordanian border. Today's suicide attack is the 40th of its kind in Syria in less than a year.
The suicide bombers attacked a military camp in Daraa that is used by the military and intelligence forces fighting for Syrian President Bashir al Assad. Members of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told Al Jazeera and Reuters that the dual suicide attack was followed up with mortars and gunfire.
The Syrian Arab News Agency, the state-run news service loyal to Assad, claimed that "terrorists on Saturday detonated three car bombs in the city of Daraa, causing the martyrdom of 7 citizens." SANA claimed that the bombings took place in two separate areas, against civilians.
The suicide attack is the second reported in Syria in the past week. On Oct. 5, a suicide bomber reportedly killed 50 Syrian soldiers in an attack on a military base in Hama in the north.
No terrorist group has claimed credit for today's suicide attack in Daraa or Monday's bombing in Hama.
Several Islamist groups operate in Syria, including the Al Nusrah Front, Al Qaeda in Iraq, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, the Al Baraa Ibn Malik Martyrdom Brigade, and the Omar al Farouq Brigade.
The al Qaeda-linked Al Nusrah Front has been the most active in Syria. It has has claimed credit for 31 of the 40 known suicide bombings in Syria that the The Long War Journal has tallied since December 2011. Since the end of August, Al Nusrah has claimed credit for launching 13 suicide attacks. For more information on the suicide attacks in Syria, see LWJ report, Suicide bombings become commonplace in Syria , and Threat Matrix report Al Nusrah Front claims 4 more suicide attacks in Syria.
The Al Nusrah Front is known to conduct joint operations with the Free Syrian Army, which is often upheld as the secular resistance to Assad's regime. Recently, on Oct. 11, Al Nusrah, the Free Syrian Army, and Chechen fighters overran a Syrian air defense and Scud missile base in Aleppo. Al Nusrah has become more appealing to Syrian rebels as they are better organized and have expertise from waging jihad in Iraq and elsewhere, and have integrated their operations with the Free Syrian Army.
Foreign jihadists have begun to pour into Syria to wage jihad against Assad's regime. Fighters from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Territories are known to have been killed in Syria. Recently, two of Abu Musab al Zarqawi's cousins were detained by Jordanian security forces after fighting in Syria.
Jihadists from the UK may be flocking to the Syrian battlefields as well. Earlier this week, The Times reported that authorities had identified a Bangladeshi resident of London as the leader of a group of British jihadists seeking to fight in Syria. Scotland Yard has seized computers and mobile phones from members of the group, which consists mainly of Londoners and includes seasoned Chechen fighters.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/11/suicide_bombers_kill_9.php#ixzz2BrutKyU6

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Afghan soldier attacks Spanish troops in Badghis

Spanish Soldiers in Afghanistan (file photo)

HERAT CITY (PAN): An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier on Saturday fired on Spanish soldiers protecting the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in northwestern Badghis province, an official said.

The attacker and a 12-year-old boy were wounded in return fire from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops, who suffered no casualties in the latest "green-on-blue" assault.

A spokesman for the Badghis governor told Pajhwok Afghan News the insider attack took place at 10am in Maqur district, where the Spanish soldiers were inspecting reconstruction projects.

Syed Sharafuddin Majidi said the attacker, who was detained after being injured, was suffering from a mental disorder. But a security official, who did not want to be named, revealed the assailant was killed in retaliatory fire. He gave no further details about the incident.

In response to an emailed query from Pajhwok, the multinational force confirmed that two individuals wearing ANA uniforms turned their weapons against ISAF service members, wounding one.

“There were no fatalities. ISAF service members returned fire, wounding one of the shooters. Both attackers are currently in ANA custody. ISAF and Afghan officials are assessing the incident,” it added.

Since the beginning of the current year, at least 57 NATO-led troops have been killed in 37 insider attacks in different parts of the country.

from  Pajhwok
By Pajhwok Report Nov 10, 2012 - 15:00

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