Saturday, November 24, 2012

6 killed, 20 injured as blast hits religious procession in NW Pakistan

Map of Pakistan
Map of Pakistan (Photo credit: Omer Wazir)
ISLAMABAD, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed and 20 others injured when a blast hit a religious procession in Pakistan's northwest district of Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday morning, police said.

Qazi Jamil-ur-Rehman, deputy inspector general police of Dera Ismail Khan, a district lying some 300 km southwest of the country 's capital Islamabad, said four people were killed right on spot in the blast and two others later died at hospital.

The killed include two kids, he said, adding that four out of the 20 injured are in critical condition, indicating a possible further rise in the death toll.

The blast took place at about 9:55 a.m. local time when a bomb hidden under a roadside garbage heap in the suburban Thoya Fazil area of the district hit a small group of some 30 Shia Muslims passing by on the way to join a main procession to mark the 9th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar year.

The bomb was detonated by a remote control device, police said.

Bomb disposal squad officers said that the bomb contained an estimated eight to 10 kg of explosives placed inside a high pressure cooker and ball bearings were also used in the bomb.

The blast caused a great panic among the crowd, sending people flee in all directions, local media quoted eyewitnesses as saying.

All the injured have been shifted to the local district headquarters hospital. Some of the seriously wounded have been referred to a hospital in Multan city in central Punjab, with better medical facilities, hospital sources said

Following the blast, the army has been called in to maintain order in the district and a suspect has reportedly been arrested in the nearby area.

Both Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Ashraf condemned the attacked and called for the best possible medical treatment to the injured.

Saturday marks the eve of Ashura, an anniversary marking the death of the prophet's grandson Hussain Ibn-e-Ali who was killed some 1,300 years ago.

Muhrram is considered a very sensitive period in Pakistan. Many attacks on the Shia Muslims by extremist Sunnis have been reported in the country in the past.

Since the first day of Muhrram which fell upon Nov. 16, at least five major attacks on Shia Muslims have been reported in the country, which have killed over 38 people and wounded 121 others, according to Xinhua's tally.

On Wednesday night, a twin bomb attack hit a Shia mosque in the country's southern port city of Karachi, leaving three people dead and 13 injured. Hours late, a suicide bombing hit a Shia religious procession in Rawalpindi, a sister city of Islamabad, killing at least 24 people and wounding 63 others.

To avoid further attacks, the Pakistani government has ordered suspension of mobile services in 49 cities across the country starting from Friday to Sunday.

Militants and attackers often use mobile phones to coordinate their planned attacks, said Pakistani Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

from XINHUA
By Misbah Saba Malik
2012-11-24 15:08:38

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Pak Taliban says 'jamming cell phone services will not stop them'

(photo: telecompk.net)
A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban has claimed that suspending mobile phone services in the country will not stop them from carrying out their activities.

According to a private TV channel report, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, said in telephone conversation that the banned group did not carry out bombings using cellular phones as detonators.

"The Taliban cannot be stopped by jamming mobile phone services. We would achieve our targets in any case," Ehsan added.

The militant group's claim came on a day of cellular service suspension in several parts of the country, with the Interior Minister Rehman Malik announcing services would be blocked again Saturday morning for the next two days after a few hours of restoration Friday midnight, the Nation reports.

According to the paper, the move came as Malik recently claimed that 90 per cent of the bombs set off by militants in the country had been detonated using mobile phones.

The paper also said that Ehsan accused Malik of blocking cellular services for "his own personal business interests". (ANI)

from  Afghanistan News.Net
Saturday 24th November, 2012

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Nov. 24., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban direct action cell leader and detained a number of suspected insurgents in Helmand province today.

The arrested leader is believed to have facilitated movement of weapons and ammunition and coordinated insurgent attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces in the province.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

Afghan and coalition forces confirmed today the death of a senior member of the Tala Wah Barfek Taliban insurgent network in an operation in Baghlan province Wednesday. He was responsible for several attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in the province and was also a mentor for other insurgents. The combined force also killed a number of other insurgents during the operation.

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban attack coordinator in Helmand province Friday. He is suspected of being directly responsible for coordinating vehicle-borne improvised explosive device and suicide attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces in the province.


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Nov. 24., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed an insurgent, detained two, located two weapons caches and cleared 10 improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Nov. 23.

Ghazni province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared nine IEDs in Giro district.

Afghan National Police and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Ghazni district. The cache contained barrels of explosive materials.

Khowst province
Afghan Uniformed Police and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Tanai district.

Afghan Border Police and coalition forces detained two insurgents during an engagement in Khowst district. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Paktika province
A coalition airstrike killed an insurgent in Giyan district in response to an imminent threat towards Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces.

Paktiya province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Dzadran district. The cache contained four rockets.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.


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3 Yemeni soldiers kidnapped in south region

ADEN, Yemen, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- A group of secessionist gunmen captured three government soldiers in Yemen's southern province of al-Dhalea on Friday evening, a security official told Xinhua.

The three government soldiers were kidnapped by masked gunmen suspected of belonging to an armed faction of the pro-secession Southern Movement near a military post in al-Dhalea province, the local security official said on condition of anonymity.

"The secessionist gunmen broke into the military site and seized the three soldiers as they were sleeping," the security source said.

The abduction was confirmed by an army officer of the 35th Armored Brigade in al-Dhalea. Sources of the pro-secessionist Southern Movement could not immediately be reached for comment.

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.

Southerners have complained of being marginalized, particularly since they lost the four-month civil war in 1994.

Pro-secession protests have multiplied in the south amid a worsening economic situation in Yemen and charges of discrimination in favor of northerners.

Concerns have increased since the conflicts in southern Yemen are creating an unstable state where al-Qaida could more freely operate to gain foothold.


from XINHUA
2012-11-24 08:18:07

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Al Nusrah Front claims suicide attack at hospital, joint operation with Chechen fighters

The Al Nusrah Front shows the suicide car bomb used to attack
the French hospital in Aleppo. Images from the SITE Intelligence Group
By Bill Roggio - November 23, 2012 - LWJ

The Al Nusrah Front shows the suicide car bomb used to attack the French hospital in Aleppo. Images from the SITE Intelligence Group.

The Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, an al Qaeda-linked jihadist group that is fighting Bashir al Assad's regime in Syria, has claimed credit for yet another suicide attack as well as another joint operation with Chechen fighters.

Al Nusrah claimed the attacks in a series of three statements released on jihadist websites on Nov. 21. The statements were translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.

The suicide attack took place at a hospital in the contested city of Aleppo. Al Nusrah said the "French hospital" was being used as "the headquarters of the army and the tyrant's [thugs]." The terror group did not provide a date for the attack.

The suicide attack was executed by "the knight Abu 'Aun al Shamali," who used a car bomb "laden with 2 tons of explosives." The statement was accompanied by pictures of the car bomb as well as the explosion at the hospital. Al Nusrah then detonated a car bomb parked outside the hospital and launched "an armed attack by a group of mujahideen on what remained of the headquarters."

Al Nusrah has been the most active jihadist group in Syria. It has claimed credit for 36 of the 44 reported suicide bombings in Syria that the The Long War Journal has tallied since December 2011 [see list below]. Since the end of August, Al Nusrah has claimed credit for launching 18 suicide attacks.


Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/11/al_nusrah_front_clai_8.php#ixzz2D8j7xhm4
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6 wounded in suicide car bomb attack on Afghan-NATO base

JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least six Afghan security guards were wounded as a suicide car bomb went off outside an Afghan-NATO military base in eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar Friday evening, a provincial police spokesman said.

"The bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the wall of the base near the entrance of the compound at about 18:40 local time," Housain Mashriqiwall told Xinhua.

He could not confirm whether there was any foreign casualties in the blast.

The camp is located in Torkham, a town close to the border with Pakistan, he said.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, though the bombing bears the hallmark of Taliban insurgent group.

Earlier Friday, three civilians were killed and 90 others wounded when the Taliban carried out a suicide bombing on a police station in Wardak province 35 km west of Kabul.

from XINHUA
2012-11-23 23:41:58
Editor: Mu Xuequan

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taliban spokesman:

Al-Farooq| Martyrdom seeker (Khalid Nangarhari) detonates hatchback vehicle inside NATO base, 5pm, Torkham (Nangarhar)...
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