Afghan suicide bomber wounds 14 in Kandahar attack

An aerial view of the Kandahar Airport in Kandahar, Afghanistan, June 22, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jerry T. Combes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

from KMIC:

VBIED attack targeting ISAF convoy on Kandahar-Buldak highway at around 05:00 pm today. 3 ISAF and 10 civilian wounded.
— KMIC (@KandaharMedia) December 13, 2012

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from denverpost:

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan—An Afghan official says a suicide bomber on a motorcycle has wounded three NATO troops and 11 civilians in an attack against the main gate of Kandahar Airfield, the main U.S. military base in the south.
Javeed Faisal, who is a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the attack took place just after nightfall Thursday and targeted the gate that provides access to the military side of the city's airport.
Suicide attacks are not uncommon in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban.

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UPDATE1 from TOLONEWS:

Kandahar Car Bomb Kills 2 Civilians
Thursday, 13 December 2012 19:37
Last Updated on Thursday, 13 December 2012 19:53

At least two civilians have been killed in a suicide car bomb attack near the entrance to the airport and military base in southern Kandahar province, police said.
The blast happened around 5:00 PM local time when a bomber in landcruiser car laden with explosives detonated the bomb near a joint Afghan and Isaf forces convoy, provincial police chief General Abdul Raziq told TOLOnews.

He also added that 16 others, including four foreign troops, have been wounded in the incident.

The attack comes on the same day that US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta was visiting troops in the province.

Unconfirmed reports said that at least one foreign soldier was killed. A spokesperson at Isaf headquarters said she was not able to confirm or deny the reports at this point.

No group including the Taliban has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
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UPDATE2 from KHAAMA:

By Sayed Jawad - Thu Dec 13, 7:45 pm

Suicide blast near Kandahar airport, 2 killed 16 injured

A relatively heavy explosion rocked southern Kandahar province on Thursday evening. The incident took place at the entrance gate of Kandahar airport.

Dr. Syed Azim Hussaini chief of the Afghan national army hospital in Kandahar province said at least 10 people who were injured following the blast were taken to the hospital.

He said all those injured including an Afghan child were Afghan civilians.

In the meantime provincial security chief Gen. Abdul Razaq said the incident took place after a suicide bomber detonated epxlosives packed in a vehicle, killing at least two Afghan civilians and injuring 11 others.

Gen. Abdul Razaq further added at least 1 Afghan national army soldier and three NATO service members were injured following the blast.

The attack occurred after Defense Secretary Leon Panetta had left Kandahar, Airfield his press secretary said. Panetta is on a visit to Afghanistan and was to meet later in Kabul with President Hamid Karzai.

Panetta was at Kandahar Airfield for about three hours, receiving an update briefing on the region by U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Robert Abrams, the region’s top coalition commander. Panetta also spoke to about 350 U.S. troops and took a few questions from them before flying back to Kabul.

No group including the Taliban militants has so far claimed resonponsibility behind the incident.
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more updates coming up later.....

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16 Killed in Damascus Car Bombing

A damaged area is pictured after a car bomb in Qatana, near Damascus December 13, 2012 in this handout photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA.

A car bomb has killed 16 people in a suburb outside the Syrian capital, Damascus, while a senior Russian diplomat says Syria's opposition may win in its battle against President Bashar al-Assad.

The bombing Thursday in Qatana comes a day after an explosion targeting the main entrance of Syria's interior ministry in Damascus killed five people.

In Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov acknowledged for the first time that Assad is increasingly losing control of the country's territory, and that an opposition victory cannot be ruled out.

Quoted by Russian media, he also accused Western nations of distorting Russia's position on Syria in order to weaken its influence in the Middle East.

Moscow opposes Western demands to impose regime change on the Syrian president, a longtime Russian ally.

On Wednesday, a senior U.S. official said the Syrian government recently fired Scud missiles at insurgents.  There was no indication as to whether the missiles carried chemical weapons. 

The use of Scud missiles could be seen as an escalation of the nearly two-year conflict in Syria.

Meanwhile, a group of more than 100 nations calling for Assad to step down formally recognized a newly formed opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

The director of the Brookings Doha Center, Salman Shaikh, told VOA from Morocco that the new coalition's leadership was "satisfied" with the outcome of the so-called Friends of Syria meeting.

"It's safe to say this is the most significant Friends [of Syria] meeting there's been.  In fact, it's probably the first significant Friends [of Syria] meeting there has been," Shaikh said.

He said various countries taking part pledged $143 million in aid for the Syrian opposition, including a $100-million aid package from Saudi Arabia.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said in Morocco the sooner the Syrian president "steps aside, the better for all Syrians."

from VOA News
December 13, 2012

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Dec. 13., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed four insurgents, detained two, located three weapons caches and cleared three improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours Dec. 12.

Ghazni province

Afghan Uniformed Police and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Ghazni district. The cache contained small arms ammunition, grenades, rockets and multiple mortar rounds being used for IEDs.

Kapisa province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces killed four insurgents during an engagement in Tagab district.

Khowst province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Terezayi district.

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Nadir Shah Kot district. The cache contained small arms and ammunition.

Logar province

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Charkh district.

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Baraki Barak district. The cache contained homemade explosives.


Nangarhar province

Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared one IED in Shinwar district.

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

Operations in RC-East are ongoing.

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Tajik Special Ops Team Seizes Afghan Drugs

DUSHANBE, December 13 (RIA Novosti) – Tajik special services seized some 500 lbs (226 kilograms) of drugs in a three-day operation against traffickers from Afghanistan this week.

A total of 388 lbs (176 kilograms) of hashish was seized in a raid on Monday against a group of Afghan traffickers in Tajikistan’s Panj district, 124 miles (200 kilometers) south of Dushanbe, a spokesman for Tajikistan's State National Security Committee said on Thursday.

A suspected drug trafficker was killed and several others were injured in the operation, Security Committee spokesman Nozir Buriyev said, adding a search for them is underway in neighboring districts.

Another Afghan citizen was detained in an operation in Kumsangir district, 112 miles (180 kilometers) south of Dushanbe, in which some 22 lbs (10 kilograms) of opium was seized.

Three other suspects were detained in another raid in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital, and some 87 lbs (40 kilograms) of hashish was seized, Buriyev said.

More than 3 tons (6,000 lbs) of drugs have been confiscated by Tajikistan's special services since the beginning of 2012, he said.

Afghanistan is the world's leading producer of opium, the raw ingredient of heroin, and is "one of the most important countries worldwide in terms of cannabis resin production," according to the UN's 2012 World Drug Report.

from RIA Novosti
Rakhmatullaev Khushnud, 10:36 13/12/2012

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Policeman killed, rebel detained in Herat clash

HERAT CITY (PAN): One policeman was killed, a second injured and an armed rebel arrested as a result of a clash in the capital of western Herat province on Thursday, officials said.
The incident took place at around 7:30am in Biland Aab area, where a group of insurgents attacked the guards of Col. Abdul Rashid, an officer with the 606th Ansar police zone.

Police spokesman Col. Noor Khan Nekzad told Pajhwok Afghan News Abdul Rashid, who was inside his house, did not suffer any injuries in the clash, but his driver was killed.

Security guards of the provincial council head, who was passing the area, helped arrest one of the attackers, according to Nekzad. Two others have managed to flee.

Nekzad said the detainees were under investigations, and the incident was a result of personal enmity between the attackers and the police official.

from Pajhwok
By Stanikzai Dec 13, 2012 - 11:37

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Norway citizens join militants to fight NATO troops

According to reports several Norwegian citizens have joined militants groups based in Afghanistan and Pakistan to fight NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Norwegian intelligence officials have confirmed the report and said the citizens fought on the side of insurgents and even shot at NATO-led international troops that have included Norwegian soldiers.

Lt Gen Kjell Grandhagen, who heads the military’s intelligence gathering unit (Etterretningstjenesten, also known as E-tjenesten) quoted by Newspaper Aftenposten confirmed that the unit “for several years” has followed the movements of Norwegians “who travel to Afghanistan and Pakistan to take part in armed battle or terror-related training.”

He said there were “very few cases,” but in a few of them, “Norwegians were directly tied to carrying out or attempting armed attacks against Afghan authorities and/or the (NATO-led) ISAF (International Security Assistance Force), where Norwegian soldiers are also involved.”

He did not disclose further information regarding when or where the attacks in Afghanistan were carried out or attempted.

According to the fresh reports obtained by Norwegian authorities an identified Norwegian Islamic man who, as late as a few weeks ago, is said to have participated in an attack targeted at ISAF soldiers in Afghanistan, Aftenposten reported.

Norway has been in the process of withdrawing its troops but around 200 remain and the government is evaluating requests from Afghan authorities that others return.

Norway has maintained around 500 troops on average in Afghanistan, a fraction of those supplied by countries like the US and Great Britain but still relatively large given Norway’s small population and overall military force. Many will remain, but in administrative and command roles, not engaged in active fighting.

The defense ministry’s operative headquarters (Forsvarets operative hovedkvarter, FOH) describes the move as from being active in the field, to a more “strategic” role. The plan will also reduce costs and “wear and tear” on the military at home in Norway.

from KHAAMA
By Sayed Jawad - Thu Dec 13, 11:56 am

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Syrian jihadists, including al Qaeda's Al Nusrah Front, form Mujahideen Shura Council

picture from http://www.trackingterrorism.org

By Bill Roggio - December 12, 2012 - LWJ

On the same day the US government announced that al Qaeda in Iraq's Al Nusrah Front was a terrorist organization, Al Nusrah and nine other jihadist groups banded together in the Syrian province of Deir al Zour and formed a Mujahideen Shura Council.
The 10 jihadist groups, headed by the Al Nusrah Front, released a statement yesterday announcing the council's formation "on jihadist forums and pro-Syrian resistance social networking sites," according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which obtained and translated the message.
"The jihadi Islamic brigades in the city of proud Deir al Zour in the Levant of Islam and garrison announce the establishment of the Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al-Zour," the statement said, according to SITE. The groups that joined the Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al Zour are listed at the beginning of the statement, in the following order:

1. Al Nusrah Front
2. Al Ansar Brigades
3. Al Abbas Brigades
4. La Ilaha Ila Allah [There is No God but Allah] Battalion
5. Al Hamza Brigade
6. Al Sa'qah Brigade
7. Jund al Aziz Brigade
8. Izzuddin al Qassam Brigade
9. Abu al Qassam Brigade
10. Brigade of the Da'wa [Preaching] and Jihad Front

The Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al Zour was formed to "unite the ranks of the jihadi brigades in the Cause of Allah, organize the efforts and the attacks against the soldiers of disbelief and apostasy, and distinguish the ranks of truth from falsehood," the group stated.
"We call upon our sincere mujahideen brothers all over the strong Levant to unite their ranks in groups, pure of the filth of suspicious groups and the infiltration of people who have no qualities or faith, in order to clarify their banner and purify their path," the statement continued.

Read more and the full report: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/12/syrian_jihadists_inc.php#ixzz2EvsFoYyh

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