Sep. 29., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition forces killed a known Haqqani leader during a security operation in Baraki Barak district, Logar province, Friday.

The Haqqani leader, Ghairat, was suspected of having coordinated numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Baraki Barak. In the days leading to the operation, he was believed to be preparing an improvised explosive device for an attack against Afghan and coalition forces within the district.

The security force positively identified Ghairat and another militant engaging in insurgent activity in an isolated area and conducted a precision airstrike, killing both Ghairat and the insurgent.

A post-strike assessment determined no civilians were harmed and no property was damaged as a result of the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

An Afghan and coalition security force detained multiple suspected insurgents during an operation in search of a Taliban leader in Sar-e Pul district, Sar-e Pul province, today. The leader is believed to be responsible for planning and executing improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the district.

South

Afghan Special Police and coalition forces seized more than 3,000 kilograms (6,600 pounds) of narcotics and removed multiple insurgents from the battlefield in an operation in Garm Ser district, Helmand province yesterday. The partnered forces interdicted a number of vehicles along a known narcotics smuggling route, recovering 2,360 kilograms of dry opium, 265 kilograms of hashish, 250 kilograms of brown heroin, 160 kilograms of wet opium, and weapons with ammunition. After stopping the vehicles, the combined force was fired upon by the occupants, who then returned fire, killing several insurgents and detaining the others. The value of the seizure is estimated at $2 million. The vehicles and drugs were destroyed on site. No civilians, ANSF or coalition forces were injured during the operation.

An Afghan-led security force, supported by coalition troops, arrested a number of suspected Taliban insurgents during an operation to arrest a Taliban facilitator in Kandahar district, Kandahar province, today. The facilitator is suspected of acquiring bomb-making materials while organizing the movement of weapons and explosives for insurgent attacks across Panjwa’i district, Kandahar.

East

Afghan and coalition forces conducted a security operation in search of an al-Qaida associated Taliban leader, resulting in the death of a number of armed insurgents, in Darah-ye Pech district, Kunar province, Friday. During the operation, the security force observed three armed individuals engaging in insurgent activity. After ensuring no civilians were in the area, the security force killed the insurgents with a precision airstrike. The al-Qaida associated leader is suspected of directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces while facilitating the movement of weapons throughout the region. A post-strike assessment determined no civilians were harmed and no property was damaged as a result of the operation.

During an operation in search of a Taliban attack leader, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a number of suspected insurgents in Pul-e ‘Alam district, Logar province, today. The Taliban leader is believed to provide weapons and rockets to insurgents while coordinating the re-supply of ammunition throughout the district.

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Sep. 29., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed an insurgent, detained one and cleared six improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Sept. 28.

Ghazni Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs, one in Ghazni District and one in Qarah Bagh District.

Paktika Province
Afghan National Army soldiers found and safely cleared an IED in Bermal District.

Afghan Uniformed Police killed an insurgent during an engagement in Zarghun Shar District.

Paktiya Province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces detained an insurgent during an engagement in Zurmat District. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

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

Wardak Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs, one in Maidan Shahr District and one in Sayyidabad District.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Kismayo Hasn’t Fallen Yet....

English: Kismaayo City, Somalia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Kismayo Hasn’t Fallen Yet; Even If It Had, It Wouldn’t Be the End of the Shabab

from the "Inside The Shabab Insurgency" blog
Posted on September 28, 2012

In the early hours of the morning today, reportedly mostly Somali forces – according to Somali sites – were dropped by Kenyan landing ships on the beaches on the outskirts of Kismayo, the southern Somali port city that is the main target of the Kenyan war against the Shabab.

Some Somali sites report that the amphibious force is in the hundreds, but whatever their number, one thing is clear: they have not taken Kismayo contrary to what most news sites are parroting.

The source of the false news that Kismayo had fallen was a Kenyan army spokesman, Cyrus Oguna who had said that the city had “fallen with minimum resistance”. It is easy to jump the gun when, you know, you are not the one really shooting the gun.

As I have written before, losing Kismayo is not such a big deal to the Shabab: they may actually end up making more from discreet “Jihad donations” that they will collect from businesses in the region once they are forced to fully withdraw than from the port itself.

Kismayo is the second biggest city in southern Somalia, after Mogadishu. Holding it has more of a psychological effect than anything.

The battle for Kismayo is not the decisive battle that would decide the fate of the Shabab in southern Somalia, and it is not their “last stronghold” as some news sites report. The Shabab control another port city, Barawe, and many important towns in south and central Somalia. Simply put: the Shabab can drive from Kismayo all the way to near Galka’yo in central Somalia without going through enemy territory. How is that for a “last stronghold”?

it's not finished yet, read more on the blog:
"Inside The Shabab Insurgency"

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R.I.P. - Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks, Sgt. Jonathan A. Gollnitz

DOD Identifies Army Casualties

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

            They died Sept. 26, in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated the device near their patrol. These Soldiers were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Schweinfurt, Germany.

            Killed were:

            Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks, 29, of Tucson, Ariz., and

            Sgt. Jonathan A. Gollnitz, 28, of Lakehurst, N.J.

            For more information, please contact the U.S. Army Europe public affairs office in Heidelberg, Germany at 011-49-162-271-6685.

---

from TucsonSentinel.com:

by Dylan Smith

A Tucson soldier, Army Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks, was killed Wednesday in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense said Friday.

Sparks, 29, and another soldier were killed in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan, when an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated the bomb near their patrol.

The soldiers were serving with the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. The Schweinfurt, Germany-based unit was deployed in Logar province in eastern Afghanistan.

Including Sparks' death, 52 troops with Southern Arizona connections have been killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars—20 in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion of that country.

The other soldier who was killed in the incident was identified as Sgt. Jonathan A. Gollnitz, 28, of Lakehurst, N.J.

Both men were members of Anvil Troop, according to the 1st Squadron's Facebook page.

Sparks "touched the lives of many soldiers during his time in Anvil. He is remembered as a contagious optimist who was always in good spirits. Someone that could relate to soldiers on a personal level and helped guide them through life. Orion was an outstanding trainer of soldiers and a leader who was not afraid to get his hands dirty and lead from the front. A true NCO to the end. He was a cornerstone in Anvil Troop," said a statement posted by Lt. Col. Whit Wright, the 173rd Airborne's commander.

"Several other paratroopers were wounded, one severely, in the same incident," Wright wrote.

---

from app.com:
By Charles Webster

A soldier from the Buffalo, N.Y. area originally reported to be from Lakehurst was killed Wednesday in Afghanistan, according to an announcement Friday by the Department of Defense.

Sgt. Jonathan A. Gollnitz, 28, of Fedonia, N.Y. and Staff Sgt. Orion N. Sparks, 29, of Tucson, Ariz. died Wednesday in Pul-E Alam, Afghanistan of injuries suffered when an insurgent wearing a suicide vest detonated the device near their patrol. The two soldiers were assigned to the 1st Squadron, 91st Cavalry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, headquartered in Schweinfurt, Germany, according to the department announcement.

The department listed Gollnitz’s hometown as Lakehurst but he was actually a Fredonia, N.Y. native, according to his Aunt Kimberly Gollnitz.

Gollnitz was stationed, at one time, at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, now Joint Base: McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, prior to his enlistment in the U.S. Army more than three years ago, she explained.

Lt. Col. Whit Wright, commander of the airborne cavalry unit, characterized the deaths in a prepared statement as the tragic loss of two talented, young leaders.

“Sgt. Gollnitz quickly filled a gap in the platoon's junior leadership. Bringing a quiet professionalism to his work, he was able to build a strong team of soldiers that trusted and respected him. Jonathan was also able to communicate with soldiers on a personal level and would often speak of his son and his plans for the future,”

Several other paratroopers were wounded, one severely, in the same incident, Wright added.

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Sep. 28., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An International Security Assistance Force patrol rescued three Afghans who were being held hostage by Taliban in Panjwa'i district, Kandahar province yesterday.

The ISAF unit, Task Force Arrowhead, observed a number of insurgents load three men, bound and blindfolded, onto a trailer towed by a tractor and move toward a small village. The ISAF patrol pursued and stopped the tractor, at which point the insurgents attempted to flee.

Task Force Arrowhead troops freed the hostages and detained three of their captors, who were later identified as Taliban members.

ISAF learned the three men had been held by the Taliban for up to six days.

The freed men were released by ISAF to Panjwa'i district officials.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force detained a number of suspected insurgents during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader in Maiwand district, Kandahar province, today. The Taliban leader is suspected of facilitating the movement of weapons throughout the region and reported directly to senior Taliban leaders in order to coordinate insurgent attacks.

An Afghan and coalition security force detained one suspected insurgent and seized several kilograms of illegal narcotics during an operation in search of a Taliban leader in Washer district, Helmand province, today. The leader is alleged to serve as a link between senior Taliban leaders and local attack cells, directing insurgent activity throughout the district.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force killed multiple armed insurgents during an operation to arrest a senior Haqqani facilitator in Gelan district, Ghazni province, today. As the security force approached the Haqqani facilitator’s suspected location, armed insurgents attacked the Afghan and coalition troops with heavy machine gun fire. The coalition troops returned fire, killing several armed insurgents. No civilians were harmed in the exchange. The senior Haqqani facilitator is believed to be directly involved in several attacks throughout the region, many involving improvised explosive devices, and suicide bombers, resulting in civilian casualties. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized multiple assault rifles, a heavy machine gun and several explosives, including rocket-propelled grenades, as a result of the operation. The weapons and explosives were safely destroyed away from all civilian structures.

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested one of the leaders of the Haqqani insurgent network for Sharan district, Paktika province, today. The arrested leader is suspected of being directly involved in the planning of multiple insurgent attacks, in addition to acquiring weapons and explosives for Haqqani fighters. At the time of his arrest, the Haqqani leader was believed to have been planning an imminent suicide attack in the district. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents as a result of the operation.

An Afghan-led security force, supported by coalition troops, arrested a Haqqani explosives facilitator in Bak district, Khost province, today. The arrested facilitator is alleged to be directly involved in the acquisition and emplacement of improvised explosive devices and rockets for attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces in the district. Prior to his arrest, the Haqqani facilitator was believed to have transported several IEDs intended for future attacks in the region. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent and seized IED-making equipment as a result of the operation.

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a number of suspected insurgents and seized several firearms during an operation to detain a senior Haqqani leader in Sayyid Karam district, Paktiya province, today. The senior Haqqani leader is suspected of directing attacks and coordinating the acquisition of weapons and funding for insurgent activity throughout the province.

An Afghan and coalition security force detained a number of suspected insurgents and seized multiple firearms during an operation in search of a Haqqani improvised explosive device attack leader in Sharan district, Paktika province, today. The Haqqani leader is believed to be directly involved in the acquisition and emplacement of IEDs for insurgent attacks throughout the region.

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Sep. 28., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained an insurgent, located a weapons cache and cleared two improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Sept. 27.

Ghazni province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Ghazni district.

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces wounded an insurgent during an engagement in Andar district. The wounded received medical care and then was transferred to a base for questioning.

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

Nangarhar province
Afghan Uniformed Police found and safely cleared an IED in Surkh Rod district.

Paktika province
Afghan Border Police discovered a weapons cache in Terwo district. The cache contained seven anti-vehicle IEDs and IED making materials.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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13 Iraqi police killed in Tikrit prison clashes

Clashes killed at least 13 policemen at a prison in the Iraqi city of Tikrit that was seized by militants but has since been retaken by security forces, officials said on Friday.

And at least 83 prisoners were able to escape during the unrest, the officials said.

The violence at the prison comes after al-Qaeda’s Iraqi front group announced a campaign to regain territory and said it aimed to help its jailed members escape.

Salaheddin provincial deputy governor Ahmed Abdul Jabbar told AFP by telephone that the Tikrit prison had been retaken from militants who seized it on Thursday night, but that 83 prisoners escaped.

A hospital official in Tikrit, the ancestral home of slain dictator Saddam Hussein, said 13 police were killed and 34 wounded in the violence.

A source in the Salaheddin police command meanwhile said 15 policemen and seven prisoners were killed, and put the number of escaped prisoners at about 100.

“We took control of the prison, and the gunmen handed over their weapons,” the official said.

Accounts differed on the specifics of the unrest, but it appears militants attacked from outside the prison, while inmates may have seized weapons from guards inside.

A police lieutenant colonel said Thursday that a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at the gate of the prison, after which it was assaulted by gunmen.

And a traffic police lieutenant colonel who was near the scene of the attack said militants blew up a portion of the prison fence, and that between 30 and 40 prisoners were able to escape.

A police colonel meanwhile said that riots broke out in the prison, while witnesses in the area said prisoners seized the guards’ weapons, and that more than 100 of them escaped and fought security forces in the surrounding area.

The tactics reportedly employed in the assault were reminiscent of those used in attacks in July and August.

Gunmen attempted to use bombs to breach a prison gate in Taji, north of Baghdad, on Aug. 1, after using similar tactics on the anti-terrorism directorate in the capital the day before in an attack the interior ministry said was an attempt to free inmates.

Al-Qaeda’s front group the Islamic State of Iraq said in July that it was launching a “new military campaign aimed at recovering territory.”

An earlier message posted on jihadist forums said the ISI would begin targeting judges and prosecutors, and try to help its prisoners break out of jails.

from AL ARABIYA 
Last Updated: Fri Sep 28, 2012 12:23 pm (KSA) 09:23 am (GMT)

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Somalia: KDF Finally Takes Over Kismayu Port

Nairobi — Kenyan Defense Forces have finally taken control of Kismayu port in Somalia following heavy battle with the militants on Friday morning.

Military Spokesman Col Cyrus Oguna said the town was liberated at 2 am with jets and ground forces.

"We have taken control of the town. Our forces are already Kismayu," Oguna said.

Several Al Shabaab militants were killed in the attack but the exact casualty figures are yet to be released. "The damage will be assessed and we will give you all the information available."

KDF is now urging residents of Kismayu to move out of the battle ground to avoid falling casualty.

"Residents are advised to avoid areas where KDF & SNA troops are to avoid collateral damage," a tweet posted by the Kenyan Military said with a blaring message "KDF TROOPS HAVE TAKEN CONTROL OF KISMAYU!!!"

More details to follow…

from allAfrica/Capital FM
By Bernard Momanyi, 28 September 2012

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Young rebel surrenders after killing comrades

SHIBERGHAN (PAN): A young rebel on Thursday surrendered to security forces after shooting dead his two senior comrades in the Qush Tapa district of northern Jawzjan province.

The 19-year-old Mahazuddin, who surrendered himself in Traghali village, said he killed the two group leaders after they attempted to sexually abuse him.

"The two asked me for a sex favour this morning, something that made me very angry and I turn my gun on them and killed them," he said, identifying the dead as Mullah Kamal, a local Taliban leader, and Mullah Shafiq, a resident of Quetta city of Pakistan.

Mahazuddin said the slain individuals were loyal to a rebel commander in the district, Maulvi Janan.

An intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mahazuddin had turned in a Kalashnikov, a pistol and a motorbike to security forces.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed Mahazuddin was a member of the movement, calling him a short-tempered person. He said Mahazuddun's claim was aimed at disgracing the Taliban as they had no leaders in the name of Mullah Kamal and Mullah Shafiq in the district.

from Pajhwok
by Muhammad Jan Tamkin on Sep 27, 2012 - 20:21

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45 militants killed in one-day Afghan operations: gov't

KABUL, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A total of 45 Taliban militants were killed during military operations in different Afghan provinces within the past 24 hours, the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs said Thursday.

"Afghan National Police in collaboration with the army and the NATO-led coalition forces launched six joint cleanup operations in Kunduz, Uruzgan, Wardak, Ghazni, Ghor and Helmand provinces, killing 45 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining 32 other suspects over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates to the media.

They also found and seized weapons, the statement said, without saying if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.

The Taliban insurgents, who have been waging an insurgency for more than one decade, have yet to confirm the death of their men.

The Afghan forces and some 100,000 NATO-led coalition troops have intensified cleanup operations against Taliban and other militants throughout the country recently but the insurgents in retaliation responded by carrying out suicide attacks and roadside bombings especially in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

Two civilians were killed and two other civilians were wounded when an explosive device fixed in a motorcycle went off in a bazaar in Musa Qala district of southern Helmand province on Wednesday afternoon, provincial police spokesman Farid Ahmad Farhang told Xinhua on Thursday morning.

from XINHUA
2012-09-27 13:25:11

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