Thursday, September 6, 2012

Afghan police kill 38 Taliban fighters in 24 hours

KABUL, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police during series of operations have killed 38 Taliban fighters over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here Thursday.

"Units of national police backed the army and the NATO-led troops conducted seven cleanup operations in different provinces including the capital Kabul and Taliban former stronghold Kandahar over the past 24 hours during which 38 Taliban rebels were killed," the statement added.

Eight more Taliban fighters were injured and 15 others made captive, it contended.

However, it did not say if there were any casualties on the security forces. Taliban militants fighting the government have yet to comment.

from XINHUA
2012-09-06 13:28:16

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Somalia: Grenade Attack Kills Two in Mogadishu

MogadishuA grenade attack in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Wednesday has left two people dead, the latest in series of attacks against Somali and AU forces in the city since Al shabab's pull out, according to Eyewitnesses.

On Wednesday, unidentified assailants hurled a grenade into an army checkpoint at Bar-ubax junction in central Mogadishu, killing two.

"The soldiers fired back following the blast, killing two bystanders while several others sustained sever injures and were rushed to a hospital for proper treatment," a witness told Shabelle Media by phone from the scene.

Somali Security forces mounting in pick-ups have arrived at the scene and halted temporally the entire public movement and transportation during their operations in the area.

"The situation is now calm and things have returned into normal. No one was arrested over the explosion so far by the forces," another witness confirmed.

No group has yet claimed the responsibility for the attack.


from allAfrica / Shabelle
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R.I.P. - Lance Cpl. Alec R. Terwiske

DOD Identifies Marine Casualty
            The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            Lance Cpl. Alec R. Terwiske, 21, of Dubois, Ind., died Sept. 3 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

            The Marine’s parent command was Inspector/Instructor Staff, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve, Fort Knox, Ky.

            For more information media may contact Marine Forces Reserve Public Affairs Office at 504-697-8191.

---
from KPBS:
By Beth Ford Roth
Wednesday, September 5, 2012


14 News, WFIE, Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro

Lance Cpl. Alec R. Terwiske, 21, died September 3rd while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense.

Terwiske was assigned to the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

The Marine’s parent command was Inspector/Instructor Staff, 4th Tank Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Terwiske grew up in Dubois County, Indiana. Local television station WFIE-TV spoke with Terwiske's loved ones about the man they described as "a giant teddy bear."

The lance corporal was on his first deployment to Afghanistan when he was killed. He was scheduled to return home in two months to celebrate the holidays with his family.

Terwiske's sister, Ashlee Gramelspacher, told WFIE:

    "He was very optimistic about coming home, very sure of himself very sure he was coming home."



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Sep. 06., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition forces today confirmed the death of an al-Qaida operative following a precision airstrike in Watahpur district, Kunar province, Friday.

Abu Saif, also known as Haidar Baba, worked with Kunar al-Qaida leaders Yusuf and Mufti Assad, and was killed by Afghan and coalition forces Aug. 31, along with two other insurgents. Abu Saif was also a known associate of al-Qaida leader Hanzallah, who was killed along with several of his fighters in a July 1 operation in Kunar.

Abu Saif is believed to have served as cross-border facilitator and involved in moving al-Qaida’s media operation into Afghanistan. He also acted as a conduit between senior al-Qaida leaders, passing messages between terrorist leaders in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

During the operation, the security force observed several individuals engaged in terrorist activity. After ensuring no civilians were in the area, the security force conducted a precision airstrike killing the terrorists.

A post-strike assessment determined no civilian property was damaged and no civilians were harmed.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban network leader during an operation in Kandahar district, Kandahar province, today. The Taliban leader is believed to have directed the distribution of weapons and explosives throughout an insurgent network in central Kandahar. The arrested leader is also believed to have planned several high-profile attacks in the region, including those against Afghan and coalition security checkpoints. Prior to his arrest, the Taliban network leader was believed to be acquiring weapons and improvised explosive devices for an imminent attack. The security force also detained several suspected insurgents as a result of this operation.

Afghan and coalition forces today confirmed the arrest of a Taliban explosives supplier during an operation in Panjwa’i district, Kandahar province, Thursday. The suspected explosives supplier is believed to have coordinated improvised explosive device attacks and provided bombs and weapons to insurgents operating in the region.

Southwest
An Afghan and coalition security force detained multiple suspected insurgents and seized several kilograms of explosive material during an operation in Nad ‘Ali district, Helmand province, today. The operation targeted a Taliban insurgent network conducting attacks throughout western Helmand.

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Sep. 06., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed eight insurgents, detained three, located two weapons caches and cleared six improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Sept. 5.

Ghazni province
Afghan National Police and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Wali Muhammad Shahid Khugyani district. The cache contained homemade explosives.

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Ghazni district. The cache contained 12 barrels of homemade explosives wired to be used as IEDs.

Laghman province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs, one in Mehtar Lam district and one in Alingar district.

Logar province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces killed three insurgents during engagements in Muhammad Aghah and Pul-E Alam districts.

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained two insurgents during engagements in Pul-E Alam district. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

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

Afghan Border Police and coalition forces killed five insurgents during a small arms engagement in Khugyani district.

Paktika province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs, one in Sharan district and one in Yahya Khel district.

Kunar province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Dzadran district. Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces detained an insurgent during an engagement in Dzadran district. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

NATO helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan, 2 troops killed

Districts of Logar. This image does not includ...
Districts of Logar. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A NATO helicopter crashed killing two troops in Eastern Afghanistan, the third time in 10 days that a coalition helicopter has come down.

NATO-led International Security Assistance Force following a statement on Wednesday announced, “Two International Security Assistance Force service members died following a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan today.”

The statement did not disclose further information regarding the exact location of the incident and nationalities of the deceased soldiers saying, “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.”

In the meantime reports suggest the incident happened in Logar province in Eastern Afghanistan, an area patrolled mostly by U.S. forces.

The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility, saying one of their fighters shot the aircraft down. Afghan sources in Logar say a heavy firefight broke out after the helicopter crashed.

Less than a week ago, a NATO helicopter crashed near Kandahar, killing two Australian troops. On August 26, another NATO helicopter crashed, described by ISAF as a “hard landing.” According to ISAF, no one on board was killed. The Taliban claimed responsibility for both incidents, saying their fighters shot the aircraft down.

from KHAAMA
By Sadaf Shinwari - Wed Sep 05, 3:44 pm

---
ISAF Joint Command release

KABUL, Afghanistan – Two International Security Assistance Force service members died following a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan today.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.

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Militants kill 4 Russian soldiers in Caucasus

North Caucasus regions within the Russian Fede...
North Caucasus regions within the Russian Federation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
(Reuters) - Militants attacked a convoy of Russian interior ministry troops in the violence-plagued North Caucasus province of Ingushetia on Wednesday, killing four soldiers, Russian news agencies said.

The attackers set off explosions as the convoy was passing and then opened fire with guns and grenade-launchers, state-run RIA reported, citing regional security officials. At least four other soldiers were wounded.

Russia is battling a persistent insurgency in the North Caucasus more than a decade after federal forces ousted a separatist government in Chechnya, adjacent to Ingushetia, in the second of two devastating post-Soviet wars there.

Rebels target police and security forces as well as government officials and mainstream Muslim leaders in frequent attacks in the region along Russia's southern edge.


from REUTERS
MOSCOW | Wed Sep 5, 2012 6:39am EDT
(Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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Hundreds of ANA soldiers held over insider attacks

KABUL (PAN): Hundreds of Afghan National Army soldiers have been detained or sacked over rising insider attacks on NATO-led troops in different parts of the country, a defence ministry official said on Wednesday.

Since the beginning of the current year, 45 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers, mostly American, have been killed in 33 green-on-blue attacks by Afghan security personnel.

Addressing a news conference in Kabul, defence ministry spokesman Gen. Zahir Azimi called the increasing attacks a source of serious concern for the government of President Hamid Karzai.

Worried by the incidents, the US military said earlier in the week that its special forces had put on ice training for 1,000 Afghan police recruits to vet existing members.

“So far, hundreds of people have either been arrested or expelled from the army. We have found evidence against some people and some suspicious people have been arrested,” Gen. Azimi said.

Investigations over the past seven months had led to the detention and termination of hundreds of suspects, the spokesman said, explaining that there were no foreigners among the detainees.

He alleged some regional countries, unhappy over the growing capacity of local security forces, especially the army, were trying to create mistrust between Afghan and ISAF troops.

Without naming anyone, the spokesman claimed that the regional countries were in an effort to disrupt the training programme for Afghan forces.

The process of transferring inmates from the Bagram detention centre to Afghan-controlled prisons was about to be completed, he said.

Of the 3,082 Bagram detention centre inmates, 3006 have been shifted to Afghan jails, with 34 still in US custody. The rest were released before the inmates were handed over to Afghan authorities.

from Pajhwok
by Hasan Khitab on Sep 5, 2012 - 14:28   

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Eight dead in north Iraq attacks

Bombings and shootings in northern Iraq, mostly targeting security forces, left eight people dead on Tuesday, including six soldiers and a police general, security and medical officials said.

In the deadliest attack, two near-simultaneous roadside bombs detonated as a military convoy was passing along the road between the town of Tuz Khurmatu, 175 kilometers (110 miles) north of Baghdad, and nearby Al-Adhaim.

The blasts killed six soldiers and wounded two others, according to a military intelligence officer and Dr. Mehdi Abdullah al-Bayati of Tuz Khurmatu hospital.

In the ethnically-mixed northern city of Kirkuk, gunmen killed a police adviser to the provincial council and wounded two of his bodyguards while they were in a shop, a police official and Sadiq Omar Rasul, head of the provincial health department, said.

Major General Adnan al-Bayati died instantly when the attackers opened fire with machine guns, and his bodyguards were seriously wounded, the officials said.

Just northwest of Kirkuk, authorities found the mutilated corpse of a teenage boy, who police believe was killed earlier on Tuesday, according to Colonel Othman Hama Amin, a local police chief.

Ali Mohammed Ali, whose identity papers listed him as a 16-year-old Arab, was found with his hands, feet and head cut off, and with two gunshot wounds to his body.

Tuesday’s violence came two days after two bomb attacks against security forces killed four -- two policemen and two soldiers -- in Tuz Khurmatu and the northern city of Kirkuk.

Violence in Iraq is down dramatically from its peaks in 2006 and 2008, but attacks remain common -- 278 people were killed in August, according to an AFP tally based on reports from security and medical officials.

from AL ARABIYA
Wednesday, 05 September 2012

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U.S. drone attack kills 5 in Yemen

(Reuters) - Five suspected Islamist militants were killed in a U.S. drone attack on Wednesday in Yemen's eastern province of Hadramout, a Yemeni security official said.
The strike targeted a house where the suspected militants were hiding in the Wadi al-Ain area, said the security official. "Five militants were dead and three were injured and managed to escape".

The United States, which fears the spread of militants in Yemen, has stepped up attacks by unmanned aircraft this year. This is the fourth strike in two weeks in Hadramout province.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is based in Yemen and has mounted operations in neighboring Saudi Arabia as well as attempting to launch attacks against the United States.

On Sunday, ten civilians including a 10-year-old girl were killed by a Yemeni government air strike that apparently had missed its target.

Tribal heads met with government officials in the central city of Redaa where the attack happened, officials said.

"It's been agreed that compensation will be paid to the families of the victims," said a tribal source.

Islamist militants gained ground in Yemen and took control of several towns in the south during an uprising which forced President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down in February.

The army, with backing from the United States, forced them out of some areas this year but they have hit back with a series of suicide bombings targeting government institutions.


from REUTERS
ADEN, Yemen, Sept 5 | Wed Sep 5, 2012 5:25am EDT
(Reporting by Dhuyazen Mukhashaf; Editing by Diana Abdallah)

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