Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Boko Haram release kidnapped former oil minister in Nigeria

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Abducted former Nigeria's minister of Petroleum, Shettima Ali Monguno, has been released by his abductor Boko Haram in northeast Borno State, a competent security source told Xinhua on Monday.

The source told Xinhua on phone that the elder statesman was released in an undisclosed location, three days after he was seized by four gunmen in Maiduguri, Borno State.

His abductors, believed to be members of the sect, Boko Haram, were said to be awaiting ransom from the family of the 92-year-old elder statesman.

A Xinhua reporter in the restive city said governor Kashim Shettima met with the former minister in his residence amidst tight security.

The governor on Sunday begged those who abducted Monguno, to release the elder statesman, saying Monguno's health may deteriorate if his abductors, who are suspected to be Boko Haram members, do not free him.

The governor also warned the abductors of the spiritual gravity of contributing to the death of a 92-year-old man, who is known for helping orphans, widows and the needy.

Monguno was abducted on Friday shortly after prayers in a mosque in northeast city of Maiduguri.

Maiduguri, located in Nigeria's northeastern region, is a Boko Haram flashpoint, where the Nigerian government had declared and lifted some curfews due to wave of attacks.

from XINHUA
2013-05-06 20:46:04

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11 injured in Faryab blast

MAIMANA, Afghanistan, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Up to 11 civilians were wounded Tuesday in a bomb explosion in northern Afghan province of Faryab, authorities said.
"An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attached to a motorcycle was detonated in Ganja Bazaar area of Qaisar district at around 10 a.m. local time, injuring 11 civilian men," the provincial governor Mohammadullah Baktash told Xinhua.

The obvious target of the attack was not clear at this span of time.

The injured were shifted to hospitals in provincial capital Maimana, lying 425 km northwest of national capital Kabul, he said, adding the injuries were not life-threatening.
Afghans help a wounded man to go to hospital after a blast in Faryab province in northern Afghanistan on May 7, 2013. (Xinhua/Arui)

It is the third explosion to take place in northern part of war- hit Afghanistan since early Tuesday morning.

Earlier Tuesday, two policemen were killed and six people including a teenage girl wounded when two separate blasts hit Kunduz province, some 250 km north of Kabul.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Taliban was suspected of carrying out such attack.

The Taliban insurgents, who ruled the country before they were ousted by a U.S.-led invasion in late 2001, renewed armed insurgency, staging ambush and suicide attacks, killing combatants as well as civilians.

The Taliban has intensified attacks since late last month when they launched an annual rebel offensive against Afghan and about 100,000 NATO-led forces stationed in the country.

from XINHUA
2013-05-07 17:44:21

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New militant magazine appeals for help against drones

A new magazine set up by militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan has appealed to Muslims around the world to come up with a new technology to hack or manipulate drones.

The magazine has mentioned this as their most important priorities.

According to the Express Tribune, the first issue of the English-language online magazine, called 'Azan', was published on May 5, the SITE intelligence monitoring group said.

It compared Azan to the 'Inspire' magazine, which has been set up by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

The magazine said that drone strikes were affecting the war in the Waziristan tribal areas of Pakistan - where al Qaeda is based along with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Afghan Taliban fighters.

Western officials have said drone strikes have been highly effective in disrupting the activities of al Qaeda and its allies in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

According to the report, Azan magazine accused the Pakistan Army of continuing to work with the United States.

'Azan' covers many areas where al Qaeda is active, from Syria to Mali, and celebrates Afghanistan as the base for the start of global jihad, its focus, however, is on Pakistan.

One section in the magazine is devoted to criticising Malala Yousufzai, the schoolgirl who survived being shot by the Pakistani Taliban last year after she spoke out for her right to an education.

Another segment attacks the Pakistan Army for turning its back on traditional enemy India to fight in the tribal areas.

from afghanistannews.netTuesday 7th May, 2013
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Read the full article from REUTERS here

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In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 19 Armed Taliban Killed (May 07.2013.)



Publish Date: May 07, 2013

Counterterrorism:
In past 24 hours, Afghan National Police conducted several joint clearance operations with the cooperation of Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces to clean some of the areas from terrorists and enemies of peace and stability of Afghanistan.
 
The operations were conducted in Nangarhar, Baghlan, Kandahar, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni, Herat, Farah and Helmand provinces, as a result 19 armed Taliban were killed and 12 other armed Taliban were arrested by Afghan National Security Forces.                                                                                   
 
Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated some amount of light and heavy round ammunitions, IEDs and 456 kilos of opium.

Counter Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained three suspects accused of murder and theft in the 5th and 13th Districts of Kabul-City.
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R.I.P. - 1Lt. Brandon J. Landrum, SSgt. Francis G. Phillips IV, Spc. Kevin Cardoza, Spc. Thomas P. Murach, Spc. Brandon J. Prescott

DOD Identifies Army Casualties

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of five soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            They died May 4, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when their vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device.  The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36thInfantry, 1stBrigade Combat Team, 1stArmored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

            Killed were:

                        1stLt. Brandon J. Landrum, 26, of Lawton, Okla.,

                        Staff Sgt. Francis G. Phillips IV, 28, of Meridian, N.Y.,

                         Spc. Kevin Cardoza, 19, of Mercedes, Texas,

                         Spc. Thomas P. Murach, 22, of Meridian, Idaho, and

                         Spc. Brandon J. Prescott, 24, of Bend, Ore.

             For more information please contact the Fort Bliss public affairs office at 915-472-0287.


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1st Lt. Brandon J. Landrum, 26, of Lawton, Okla., died May 4, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. After graduating from Cameron University with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Infantry Branch. He enlisted in the Army on 10 November 2005 and deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from December 2008 through August 2009. Upon receiving his commission on May 2011, he graduated the Infantry Basic Officer Leaders Course and Airborne School. First Lt Landrum arrived to Fort Bliss, Texas, in January 2012, where he assumed the leadership of a Rifle Platoon in Company A, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment until September 2012. In September 2012, he was selected above his peers to be the Reconnaissance Platoon Leader and in December 2012, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the Afghan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
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Staff Sgt. Francis G. Phillips IV, 28, of Meridian, N.Y., died May 4, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. Frankie enlisted in the Army on 29 April 2004 in Syracuse, New York. He attended the fourteen-week long Infantry Training Course and Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Staff Sergeant Phillips’ first duty assignment was to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where on 16 August 2004, he was assigned to 3/504 Infantry Battalion as a Gunner. In September 2005, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In January 2007, he served in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom for fifteen months. In August 2009, he returned to Afghanistan as a Section Leader for twelve months. Staff Sergeant Phillips completed Ranger School in January 2011 prior to arriving at Fort Bliss, Texas. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment and was immediately selected to be a Team Leader in the Reconnaissance Platoon. He deployed in December 2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, the Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Good Conduct Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the Afghan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the NATO Medal, Expert Infantry Badge, Parachutist Badge and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
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Spc. Kevin Cardoza, 19, of Mercedes, Texas died May 4, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He graduated from Edinburg High School in June 2011. Specialist Cardoza enlisted in the Army on 12 July 2011. He attended the fourteen-week long Infantry Training Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Specialist Cardoza’s first duty assignment was Fort Bliss, Texas where he was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment. One month later he was selected to be a member of the Reconnaissance Platoon. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as the driver for his Platoon Leader. Specialist Cardoza’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
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Spc. Thomas P. Murach, 22, of Meridian, Idaho died May 4, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He graduated from High School in Meridian, Idaho, in 2008. Specialist Murach enlisted in the Army on 24 August 2010. He attended the fourteen-week long Infantry Training Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Specialist Murach’s first duty assignment was Fort Bliss, Texas, where he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment and was selected to be a member of the Reconnaissance Platoon as a Sniper. He deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as the Senior Sniper for his Platoon. Specialist Murach’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Specialist Murach is survived by his mother, and his brother.
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Spc. Brandon J. Prescott, 24, of Bend, Ore., died May 4, in Maiwand, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked by an enemy improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. He attended the fourteen-week long Infantry Training Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Specialist Prescott’s first duty assignment was Fort Bliss, Texas, where he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment as a member of the Reconnaissance Platoon. Shortly after arriving to Fort Bliss, he set himself apart from his peers in the platoon and was assigned as the Assistant Team Leader. He deployed to Afghanistan on 12 December 2012 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal with Valor, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal with a Campaign Star, the NATO Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
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May 07., 2013. - ISAF Joint Command Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and three other insurgents during an operation in Lashkar Gah district, Helmand province, today.

The leader is in charge of a group of fighters responsible for a significant number of attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also regularly provides operational updates to senior Taliban leadership and distributes weapons to other insurgent cells in the local area.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

An Afghan and coalition security force killed one insurgent during an operation in search of a Taliban leader in Shirin Tagab district, Faryab province, yesterday. The leader is in charge of a cell of 15 fighters responsible for directing attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in Jowzjan province. He arranges the purchase of weapons for Taliban operations and coordinates training for new insurgents. He and his fighters are also responsible for multiple improvised explosive device attacks in the local area.

Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed today the death of Khialuddin, an insurgent leader with ties to the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, during an operation in Baghlan-e Jadid district, Baghlan province, Sunday. Khialuddin, also known as Shahbudin or Karwan, directed improvised explosive device operations targeting senior government officials and Afghan and coalition forces in multiple districts throughout Baghlan province. He also worked directly with Taliban senior leadership to disseminate information to low-level fighters and was vital in facilitating money and weapons to insurgent groups in the local area.

South

Afghan National Army Special Forces and Afghan National Police, enabled by coalition forces, detained an improvised explosive device-maker and discovered an insurgent weapons cache while conducting a clearing operation in Katu village, Shinkai district, Zabul province, yesterday. The weapons cache consisted of three tactical vests, two rifles, several IED making materials and an unknown quantity of ammonium nitrate. All seized items were collected as evidence and remain in the custody of the Afghan National Police.

An Afghan and coalition security force seized a large quantity of narcotics at a vehicle search checkpoint in the western Dashte area of Helmand province, Sunday. The combined force searched several vehicles throughout the day and night, discovering 450 kg of wet opium and 6 kg of pure heroin with an estimated street value of $200,000. The security force also found and seized numerous small arms weapons as a result of the vehicle searches. All seized narcotics were destroyed onsite and the small arms weapons were recovered for further processing.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force wounded one insurgent during an operation in search of a Haqqani leader in Musa Khel district, Khost province, yesterday. The leader is responsible for weapons facilitation and plans direct fire attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is known to conduct attacks on a regular basis, and he has coordinated the movement of improvised explosive devices, mortar rounds and other weapons throughout Musa Khel district.

An Afghan Local Police member apprehended a suicide bomber after an attempted attack on another ALP member in his home in Sar Howzah district, Paktika province, yesterday. Reportedly, the man entered the home, attempted to shoot the occupants with an AK-47 that misfired, and then attempted to detonate his suicide vest. The ALP member transferred custody of the attacker to the Afghan Uniformed Police for further processing.

Provincial Response Company Wardak, enabled by coalition forces, seized a large cache of explosives while conducting a recovery mission in Nerkh district, Wardak province, Sunday. Acting on Afghan intelligence sources the members of Provincial Response Company Wardak located and destroyed 544 kg (1,200 pounds) of homemade explosive.

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May 07., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan National Security and coalition forces killed one insurgent, detained one suspected insurgent and found and safely cleared two improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, May 6.

Khowst province
Afghan National Security Forces detained one suspected insurgent during operations in the Khowst district. The suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Afghan National Security Forces killed one insurgent during operations in the Saberi district.

Paktika province
Afghan National Security and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED during operations in the Sar Hawza district.

Wardak province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared one IED during operations in the Sayed Abad district.

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