Mar.26., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan (Mar. 26) — A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained two insurgents during an operation to capture an insurgent leader with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in Shirin Tagab district, Faryab province, today. 
The leader plans and conducts attacks against coalition troops throughout northern Afghanistan and is also suspected in plotting an attack against a senior Afghan official. During the operation, the combined security force was engaged by multiple insurgents with small arms fire. The security force returned fire, killing the attacking insurgents. The security force also destroyed a rocket-propelled grenade launcher with several rockets, multiple AK-47 rifles, and a number of grenades as a result of this operation.
 
In other ISAF news throughout Afghanistan:
 
South
 
In Nad ‘Ali district, Helmand province, a combined Afghan and coalition security patrol conducted an operation to capture a Taliban leader today. The leader directs roadside bomb attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces in Marjeh and Nad ‘Ali districts. The security force detained one suspected insurgent as a result of this operation.
 
East   

A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban facilitator during an operation in Zurmat district, Paktya province, today. The facilitator prepared suicide bombers to conduct attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces throughout the province.

Read More

Yemeni intelligence officer killed in ambush by suspected al-Qaida

Yemen division 2011-10-23 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ADEN, Yemen, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A senior military intelligence officer was killed late Saturday night when suspected al-Qaida gunmen ambushed his convoy in Yemen's restive southern province of Lahj, a Yemeni security official said Sunday.

The al-Qaida militants ambushed the military convoy of Major Kamal Ashwal near the Anad air force base east of Houta, the provincial capital of Lahj, killing him at the scene and injuring two of his bodyguards, the local security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

"After killing the intelligence officer, the al-Qaida gunmen clashed with police forces in downtown Lahj and there is a large presence of the terrorists in the suburbs of the city," the official said.

"Al-Qaida gunmen were attempting to seize a number of neighborhoods in Lahj, but they failed," he added.

Elsewhere in neighboring Abyan province, two al-Qaida gunmen were killed in Mudiyah district during armed clashes with pro- government tribesmen, according to local residents.

Security forces and intelligence officials are regularly targeted in the country's southern and eastern provinces as militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula ( AQAP) attempting to expand their foothold and take control over the lawless regions.

Read More

Militants kill 6 Afghan soldiers in Farah

Districts of Farah. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

KABUL, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Six Afghan soldiers lost their lives as the anti-government militants ambushed a military convoy in western Farah province, 695 km west of Kabul on Sunday, the Defense Ministry said in a statement released here.

"Six soldiers with the National Army were martyred as the enemies ambushed their convoy in Balablok district of Farah province today," the statement confirmed.

However, it did not say if there were any casualties on the insurgents.

Balablok has been regarded as a Taliban hotbed as the anti- government insurgents occasionally target government interests there.

Read More

Top militant commander held in Ghazni

GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers on Sunday detained a top Taliban commander during an operation in southern Ghazni province.

The militant leader was held with a motorbike and a walkie-talkie in the Kalakhel area between Qarabagh and Andar districts, the 203rd Thunder Military Corps commander said.

Gen. Daud Wafadar said commander Mullah Abdul Wahid -- operating in Andar and Qarabagh --was a resident of Waghaz district.
The detainee was shown to media people later in the evening.

by Mirwais Himmat / Pajhwok News

Read More

12 Rangers get Silver Stars for Afghan heroics

Twelve soldiers from 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, were awarded the Silver Star during a ceremony March 16 at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. Above, soldiers during the ceremony. Photo from armytimes.com

By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 25, 2012 9:35:27 EDT

ARMYTIMES.COM

Twelve soldiers from 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, were awarded the Silver Star during a ceremony March 16 at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. The soldiers were honored — two of them posthumously — with the nation’s third-highest award for valor for actions spanning two deployments to Afghanistan.

Here are their stories. -> http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/03/army-12-rangers-silver-stars-afghanistan-heroics-032512w

Read More

Mar.25., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Evening Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – A combined Afghan and coalition security force discovered a weapons cache during routine operations in Marjah district, Helmand province, today.

The force discovered numerous bags of ammonium nitrate for use in improvised explosive devices. The total weight of ammonium nitrate was approximately 4,500 pounds (2,045 kilograms). A small amount of the cache was confiscated to be analyzed and the rest was destroyed on site.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

In Musa Qal’ah district, Helmand province, a combined Afghan and coalition security force discovered multiple improvised explosive devices in an abandoned compound, yesterday. The first IED was discovered near a doorway and a subsequent search revealed four additional IEDs totaling 25 pounds (11 kilograms) of explosive material. An explosive ordnance disposal team was called to the scene and destroyed all the IEDs in-place.

East

A combined Afghan and coalition security force discovered multiple IEDs during routine operations in Dilah wa Khoshamand district, Paktika province, yesterday. Acting on tips from civilians, the combined patrol discovered six IEDs consisting of 95 pounds (43 kilograms) of home-made explosives. The combined patrol conducted controlled detonations on all of the devices, destroying them in-place.

Read More

1 Afghan soldier killed, 2 injured in Zabul and Logar

According to a statement released by the ministry of defense of Afghanistan, three Afghan national army soldiers were killed and injured during military operations in the past 24 hours.

The statement further added, at least 1 Afghan national army soldier was killed and another was injured at Charchino district of southern Zabul province while another Afghan soldier was injured at Charkh district of eastern Logar province.

Afghan defense officials did not disclose further information regarding the exact nature of the incident which killed and injured Afghan army service members.

Afghan national army soldiers discovered and seized 6 improvised explosive device during military operation at Khoshamand district of eastern Paktia province, the statement.

In a seperate military operation Afghan army soldiers seized an improvised explosive device at Shinkai district of southern Zabul province and another roadside bomb was discovered and seized at Dilaram district of western Nimroz province.

Anti-government armed militant groups yet to comment regarding the operations.

from KHAAMA

Read More

Five Boko Haram Members Killed in Kano, Maiduguri

Location of the four cities in north eastern Nigeria where the Boko Haram conflict took place. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Fierce gun battles between the Joint Security Task Forces (JTF) in Kano and Maiduguri yesterday left five members of the Boko Haram sect dead. In Kano, two members of the sect died during a JTF bust on their hideout in Sabuwar Gandu Phase One area of Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.

Confirming the death of the two suspected Boko Haram members, the commander of the 3 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Kano, Brigadier General Iliyasu Abba, told reporters while conducting them round the scene of the incident, that the suspects wanted to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED) loaded in a car so that it could also kill the security forces that stormed their house following a tip off. "Unfortunately the IEDs inside the car exploded on them and shattered their bodies," he said.

Also in Bornu, the state JTF engaged members of the sect in a shootout that lasted for an hour. This followed the sect's attack on a task force location along the Abaganaram and railway quarters in the town between 5:30 and 7:15pm Saturday.

Though the total number of casualties was not clear last night, JTF claimed that three members of the sect were killed in the shootout with its men. JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa told THISDAY that the attack was repelled and three Boko Haram members were killed while an AK 47 rifle was recovered from the fundamentalists as well as 200 rounds of 6.722 mm special ammunition. He said the military was still in pursuit of the fleeing members of the sect, even as he claimed that the situation was under control and that the press would be furnished with more information as it unfolds. THISDAY learnt that apart from the men of the JTF who were attacked, the fundamentalists laid a siege on the Lamisula Police Station.

By Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano and Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
from allAfrica

Read More

South Waziristan: Troops kill 12 militants in ‘sting’ operation

Map showing location of North and South Waziristan in northern Pakistan and bordering on Afghanistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Security forces claim to have killed a dozen suspected militants in a ‘sting operation’ in the volatile South Waziristan region – the former stronghold of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakeemullah Mehsud.

“A brief operation was conducted in the Sheen Warsak Road area, eight kilometres west of Wana, the main town in the South Waziristan Agency,” a senior security official told The Express Tribune.

“Acting on intelligence information, security forces raided a compound in the region,” he said. A firefight ensued in which 12 militants and four security personnel were killed, he added.

Local residents told The Express Tribune that the security forces had cordoned off the area early Saturday morning and blocked the Wana-Sheen Warsak Road, which leads to the Angor Adda area.

Hours later, the area resounded with intense firing, they added.

Although security forces have wrenched back control of large swathes of land in South Waziristan from Taliban militants, pockets of resistance remain in the rugged mountains of the region bordering Afghanistan and the North Waziristan Agency.

On Friday, an official of the paramilitary Frontier Corps and his son were killed when a bomb, concealed in a radio set, went off in Wana – a town where the decapitated bodies of two security officials were also found.

Orakzai operation

The situation in Orakzai tribal Agency also remains volatile.

On Saturday, three security personnel were killed and four injured in an attack by Taliban insurgents on a security check post.

“Dozens of heavily armed militants stormed Johar post in the Khadezai area of Orakazai on Friday night,” an official told The Express Tribune.

The troops manning the post put up a fight. “At least three of them were killed and five others were injured,” he said.

“The security forces also killed militants in a retaliatory action,” the official said but did not say how many.

The dead security personnel were identified as Saleem Khan, Rasheed and Amanullah. The injured were airlifted to Peshawar for treatment.

Warplanes have been sporadically targeting militant positions in upper Orakzai for over a year – and security forces claim to have killed dozens of militants in air raids and artillery fire.

However, due to its strategic location – Orakzai borders Khyber and Kurram agencies – Taliban militants continue to sneak in from the restive Khyber Agency where rival extremists group hold sway.

“It’s difficult to eliminate militancy from Orakzai unless its mountainous borders with Khyber and Kurram are plugged,” one official said.

Since Orakzai offers an important route to militants for their inter-agencies movement, insurgents have repeatedly mounted attacks on security check posts in the region.

The remote Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency remains in the control of rival extremist factions who are fighting each other for dominance. On Friday, a Taliban bomber targeted a mosque of rival Lashkar-e-Islam group, killing over a dozen worshippers.

Read more: The Express Tribune

Read More

Bomb in Kandahar kills 9, including U.S. soldier

According to local authorities in southern Kandahar province, at least 9 people including 7 Afghan local police and 1 NATO soldier along with 1 Afghan interpreter were killed following a roadside bomb explosion in this province.

The officials further added the incident took place in Arghandab district of southern Kandahar province as a result of a remote controlled improvised explosive device explosion.

District chief for Arghandab Haji Shah Mohammad Ahmadi said, the incident took place while a convoy of the Afghan and NATO troops were crossing the area.

Mr. Ahmadi further added at least 2 Afghan local police forces commander, 2 Afghan local police forces, 3 Afghan national police forces, 1 NATO soldier along with one Afghan translator were killed and an Afghan national police service member was injured following the incident.

District chief Haji Shah Mohammad Ahmadi said Afghan security forces have launched an investigation and no suspect has detained in connection to the incident so far.

NATO-led International Security Assistance Force following a press release also confirmed the incident and said one of its service member was killed following an improvised explosive device explosion in southern Afghanistan however the source did not disclose further information regarding the exact location of the incident and nationality of the deceased soldier.

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

Taliban militants and other insurgents group in Afghanistan frequently use improvised explosive device as the weapon of their choice to target Afghan and coalition security forces in the country.

froma KHAAMA

Read More