R.I.P. - Staff Sgt. Eric D. Christian, Cpl. David M. Sonka, MWD Flex

DOD Identifies Marine Casualties

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

            They died May 4, while conducting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. They were both assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Lejeune, N.C.  This incident is under investigation.

            Killed were:

            Staff Sgt. Eric D. Christian, 39, of Warwick, N.Y., and

            Cpl. David M. Sonka, 23, of Parker, Colo.

            For more information media may contact the Marine Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-440-0770.

---
The Department of Defense issued a statement Monday saying that Christian, 39, and Cpl. David M. Sonka, 23, of Parker, Colo. were killed “while conducting combat operations” and that the incident is still under investigation.

News accounts say that the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Christian was a Staff Sergeant assigned to the 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and was working with a unit that was training an Afghan National Army soldier when the Afghani man allegedly turned his weapon on the Americans, killing the two Marines and a military dog, his brother said.

“We don’t have that many details because everything they do is very classified,” Phil Christian said.

The Afghani man was then shot and killed by the remaining members of his brother’s unit, he said.

from nbcnewyork.com
By Pei-Sze Cheng|Monday, May 6, 2013|Updated 4:50 PM EDT

Staff Sgt. Eric D. Christian of Warwick, N.Y. was one of two U.S. Marines killed in the Farah province of Afghanistan on Saturday, May 4, the Department of Defense said.

Christian, who grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Ramsey High School, was shot and killed in a "green on blue" attack, his brother Phillip told NBC 4 New York. It marks the second time in less than a year a soldier from the tri-state area was killed by an Afghani soldier whom he was training.

Christian was a decorated Marine with numerous medals and serving his fifth tour with the elite Marine Special Operations Command, his brother said. He left in the beginning of March and had just purchased a home in Wilmington, N.C.

His unit was based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Christian joined the Marines around 2003. He felt compelled to serve after Sept. 11 and after his younger brother Mark was called up to Iraq, Phillip Christian said.

The second oldest of four boys, Eric Christian was a star football player while at Ramsey High, according to Phillip.

Christian was not married and had no children.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered flags on state government buildings fly at half-staff on Thursday in Christian's honor.

---

Cpl. David M. Sonka, 23, of Parker, Colo., died May 4, while conducting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Dave was serving his second deployment and had just arrived in Afghanistan a few weeks prior.
His dog, MWD Flex killed too.

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Bomb attacks kills 4 in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and 13 wounded in bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on Monday, an Interior Ministry source said.
Two people were killed and six wounded in a roadside bomb explosion near a restaurant in Doura district in southern Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

In a separate incident, at least two people were killed and seven injured when two car bombs went off in al-Husseiniyah district in the northeastern part of Baghdad.

Violence is still common in the Iraqi cities despite a dramatic decrease since its peak in 2006 and 2007 when the country was engulfed in sectarian killings.

from XINHUA
2013-05-06 20:52:26

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15 Killed in Clashes Between Bangladesh Police, Islamists

Police try to detain an activist of Hifazat-e-Islam during a clash in front of the national mosque in Dhaka, May 5, 2013.

NEW DELHI — Fiery clashes between Bangladeshi security forces and Islamic hardliners demanding the implementation of anti-blasphemy laws have killed at least 15 people in and around the capital Dhaka since Sunday.
Police worked Monday to clear Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, of any remaining protesters, a day after tens of thousands of members of the radical Islamic group Hefajat-e-Islam took to the streets.

Islamists blocked roadways and fought with police late Sunday, while shouting “God is great” and calling for the Awami League-led government to enact stronger Islamic policies.

The newly formed Hifazat-e-Islam has put forth a list of 13 demands including mandatory Islamic education for all, the segregation of men and women, and death to so-called "atheists".

Former Bangladeshi law minister and current Supreme Court senior advocate Kamal Hossein said such demands will get little support in a country that - despite being 90 percent Muslim - has remained secular since independence.

“I can honestly say that there is complete consensus in the country on non-communal democracy and not getting communalism revived again, not seeing religion mixed up with politics," Hossein said. "Pakistan is having enough difficulties with it for people to just look across [and see how they are faring]. And I have spoken to people from Pakistan and they say ‘you are so fortunate to have been able to have non-communal politics.”

Continue & Read more on VOA News

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by Aru Pande

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6 killed, 25 injured in bomb blast in NW Pakistan

Pakistani soldiers patrol on road ahead of parliamentary elections in southern Pakistan's Hyderabad, May 6, 2013.(XINHUA/Jan Ali)

ISLAMABAD, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed and 25 others injured on Monday afternoon in a bomb blast that hit a public gathering in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of Kurram Agency, hospital sources said.

Local media gave higher figures of the casualties in the blast but there was no official confirmation reported by the media.

According to the reports, the bomb blast took place in the public gathering of a religious-political party of Jamiat Ulema-e- Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in the Makhrani area of Kurram Agency, one of Pakistan's northwestern tribal regions.

The Medial Superintendent of Agency Hospital of the area said that at least six bodies and 25 injured were shifted to the hospital.

According to a hospital official, the number of causalities could rise as many people were in critical condition.

Rescuers and security forces rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and the injured to the hospital.

At the time of the blast, hundreds of people were present to listen to their leaders contesting for the country's May 11 elections.

The bomb exploded with a big bang at the conclusion of the public gathering near the stage where two JUI-F leaders were sitting but they remained unhurt in the attack.

The nature of the blast was not confirmed yet but a higher officer said that the blast was conducted with an improvised explosive device.

No group or militant organization has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

from XINHUA
2013-05-06 19:46:30
Editor: Yang Yi

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3 insurgents blown up by own explosives in Ghazni

GHAZNI CITY/ SHARAN (PAN): Three Taliban insurgents were killed and as many others wounded when the explosive device they were planting in the Qarabagh district of southern Ghazni province went off prematurely, an official said on Monday.

Fazal Rahman Nazarwal, the Qarabagh district chief, confirmed the overnight incident to Pajhwok Afghan News. However, he gave no further details of the explosion.

But a witness, who did not want to be named, confided the strong explosion had killed five militants. Their bodies were mutilated beyond recognition, he added.

According to another report, a suicide bomber was detained by security forces before he reached his target in the Sra Rawza district of southeastern Paktika province.

Azizullah Karwan, the Afghan Local Police commander, said the bomber wore a suicide vest and wanted to attack a member of the US-backed force in his house.

from Pajhwok
By Saifullah Maftoon & Ali Mohammad Nazari May 6, 2013 - 15:36   

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In Several Joint Clearance Operations, Four Armed Taliban Killed (May 06.2013.)

Publish Date: May 06, 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, Parwan, Baghlan, Kunduz, Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak,Ghazni, Logar, Khost, Farah, Ghor and Helmand provinces, as a result four armed Taliban were killed, four wounded and seven 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 and IEDs.

Counter Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained three suspects accused of selling alcoholic beverages and drug trafficking in the 5th and 7th Districts of Kabul-City.

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May 06., 2013. - ISAF Joint Command Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Taliban leader and one other insurgent during an operation in Khugyani district, Nangarhar province, today.

The leader is responsible for a wide range of insurgent activities in Khugyani district. He has planned and directed assassinations against government officials, conducted multiple attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces, and has facilitated the movement of money, weapons and insurgent fighters throughout 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 senior Taliban leader in Nahrin district, Baghlan province, today. The leader is the ranking Taliban military official in Nahrin district. He and his cell of insurgent fighters have conducted a campaign of assassinations in the district, collected illegal taxes from local civilians, and participated in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is instrumental in training and familiarizing new fighters in the area and has a history of coordinating suicide attacks with local Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist groups. As the security force approached the leader’s suspected location, one insurgent maneuvered against the Afghan and coalition troops. After positively identifying the lethal threat, the security force fired upon the insurgent, killing him. The security force also seized a light machine gun and ammunition as a result of the operation.

An Afghan and coalition security force killed one insurgent during an operation in search of an insurgent leader with ties to the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in Baghlan-e Jadid district, Baghlan province, yesterday. The leader directs improvised explosive device operations targeting senior government officials and Afghan and coalition forces in multiple districts throughout Baghlan province. He also works directly with Taliban senior leadership to disseminate information to low-level fighters and is vital in facilitating money and weapons to insurgent groups in the local area.

Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed today the arrest of a senior insurgent leader with ties to both the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan during an operation in Burkah district, Baghlan province, yesterday. The leader has operational control over a group of fighters responsible for multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is vital in facilitating the movement of weapons, particularly rocket-propelled grenades, to insurgent fighters in the area. He and his group also collect illegal taxes from the local populace in order to fund terrorist activity.

Responding to an attack on another ANSF unit, Provincial Response Company Baghlan enabled by coalition forces responded as a quick reaction force, killed six insurgents in Baghlan E Jadad district, Baghlan province, yesterday. The joint force engaged several insurgents armed with small arms and RPGs shortly after being dispatched by the Provincial Chief of Police.

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator and one other insurgent during an operation in Maiwand district, Kandahar province, today. The facilitator is responsible for providing weapons and fighters to multiple insurgent groups in the local area. He has a history of distributing IEDs, grenades, machine guns, ammunition and other military supplies for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized two pounds of opium as a result of the operation.

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator and four other insurgents during an operation in Nawah-ye Barakzai district, Helmand province, today. The facilitator has a history of distributing IEDs to various insurgent cells throughout Helmand province. He has also participated in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed today the death of Taliban leader, Shafiq, during an operation in Shah Wali Kot district, Kandahar province, Wednesday. Shafiq, also known as Khan, was responsible for numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout Kandahar province. He and his subordinates were involved in IED operations, poppy cultivation and distribution, and the facilitation of weapons in the local area. He also instructed his insurgent cell to kidnap members of the Afghan National Security Forces when conducting operations.

Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed today the death of Taliban leader, Mazloom, during an operation in Nawah-ye Barakzai district, Helmand province, April 25. Mazloom was involved in IED operations and direct fire attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He was also responsible for kidnapping an Afghan National Security Force soldier, training subordinate insurgent fighters and coordinating the movement of ammunition and weapons to Taliban forces.

WEST

Provincial Response Company Farah, enabled by coalition forces, detained six insurgents and seized a cache of weapons, drugs and ammunition while conducting a high risk arrest in Pusht E Rod District, Farah Province, yesterday. The cache consisted of four RPG rockets, two pressure plates, 110 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 5.5 kg (11 pounds) of opium and .5 Kg (5 Pounds) of hashish. All evidence was collected and transferred along with the six detainees to Afghan law enforcement officials.

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May 06., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan National Security and coalition forces killed three insurgents, detained eight suspected insurgents, discovered and destroyed one weapons cache, recovered one explosives vest and found and safely cleared 23 improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, May 5.

Ghazni province
Afghan National Security and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs during operations in the Ab Band district.

Kunar province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared one IED and detained seven suspected insurgents during operations in the Sar Kani district. The suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Paktika province
Afghan National Security Forces killed three insurgents and found and safely cleared 14 IEDs during operations in the Bermal district.

Afghan National Security Forces detained one suspected insurgent and recovered one explosive vest during operations in the Sar Hawza district. The suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Parwan province
Afghan National Security and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs during operations in the Bagram district.

Wardak province
Afghan National Security and coalition forces discovered and destroyed one weapons cache containing more than 1,200 pounds of homemade explosives during operations in the Nerkh district.

Afghan National Security and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs during operations in the Mayden Shahr district.

Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared two IEDs during operations in the Sayyidabad district.

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R.I.P. - Capt. Mark T. Voss, Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualties

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of three airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            They died May 3, near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, in the crash of a KC-135 aircraft.  The airmen were assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.  The cause of the crash is under investigation.

            Killed were:

            Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo., 

            Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, 27, of Palmdale, Calif., and

            Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, Calif. 

            For more information, media may contact the 92nd Air Refueling Wing public affairs office at 509-247-5705.

---

SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Department of Defense identified the victims of a deadly KC-135 crash on Sunday. Three airmen based out of Fairchild Air Force Base died on Friday while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan. Killed were:
Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo.,
Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, 27, of Palmdale, Calif., and
Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, Calif.

The airmen were assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. The cause of the crash is under investigation according to the Department of Defense.

Col. Brian Newberry, 92d Air Refueling Wing Commander, announced Sunday that he will hold a press conference at 3 p.m. to discuss the three Fairchild Airmen who died.

“We will forever honor Tyler, Tori and Tre as patriots and heroes. Team Fairchild will do everything we can to support their families and friends during this profoundly difficult time. These Airmen leave behind an incredible legacy of service and honor in protecting our nation and the world. They show what we all know, freedom is not free,” said Newberry.


On Sunday morning, Spokane Mayor David Condon offered his condolences by saying the three victims are in his thoughts and prayers.

“We are reminded of the sacrifice members of the military make every day for all of us, and offer our heartfelt condolences to the entire military family who is grieving their loss. Spokane stands ready to support our Fairchild family,” said Condon.

The KC-135 plane crashed Friday afternoon about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of the air base. Emergencies Minister Kubatbek Boronov told The Associated Press that Kyrgyz search teams found the two fragmented bodies Saturday morning. Dozens of U.S. military personnel scoured the area on Saturday and set up a security cordon around the crash site.

Parts of the plane were scattered across a wide area near the village of Chaldovar. Some pieces, including the tail, came down in a grassy valley bordered by steep mountains, but others landed in spots much more difficult for search teams to reach.

Residents of the rural, sheep-herding region described hearing the plane explode in the air and seeing it break apart as it fell.

"I heard a very loud explosion," Emil Bokochev, a member of the village council, told an AP reporter at the site. "Literally six or seven seconds afterward there was another explosion and the plane broke apart into four or five pieces and at that moment we thought it was going to fall on the village Chaldovar."

The plane was on a refueling mission for Afghanistan war operations at the time of the crash, a U.S. defense official in Washington said, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss the details of an ongoing investigation.

by KREM.com
Posted on May 5, 2013 at 9:51 AM
Updated today at 12:42 PM

Capt. Mark T. Voss

Air Force Captain Victoria A. "Tori" Pinckney, 27, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, shown pictured here with her now 7-month-old son Gabriel

Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III

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Al-Shabaab claims suicide car bomb attack in Somali capital

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

MOGADISHU, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Al-Qaida linked Somali radical group of Al-Shabaab on Sunday claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb assault, which killed 10 people and injured several others.

The attack targeted a convoy carrying foreign officials, who survived the explosion, according to official sources.

The death toll from the blast at the busy main K4 intersection in the capital Mogadishu has risen to 10 and several others, mostly civilians, sustained injures.

A pro-Al-Shabaab website quoted its commanders as saying the extremist group's fighters were behind the deadly attack, vowing to continue such attacks.

State media say the targeted convoy of Somali government vehicles carrying Qatari officials and that none of the Qataris or government official was hurt in the blast.

The interior minister's vehicle was in the convoy when the explosives were detonated, but the official was not in the car. "The criminal drove the car towards the government vehicles and it exploded after it hit one of them," police officer Mohamoud Gurey told Xinhua, disclosing bystanders were among the dead.

The area was cordoned off by security forces and ambulances rushed to the scene to take the injured to nearby hospitals.

"We heard loud explosion from the K4 junction and when we came out we saw smoke coming out of burning vehicles and people lying in the street and pavement, some dead and some injured. It was terrible scene," resident Yahya Ali told Xinhua.

The attack came four days after a security lockdown at the main streets near government installations, which was just lifted on Saturday.

Somali government officials said the security measure was aimed at preventing "terrorist attacks" that may harm people and their property.

Al-Shabaab is held responsible for a series of similar attacks against the Somali government and African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia (AMISOM).

Last month, Al-Shabaab fighters raided the Mogadishu court building and the regional administration office, killing at least 20 people including nine attackers.

Al-Shabaab has been attempting bomb attacks in Mogadishu in a bid to demonstrate its presence after losing ground to AMISOM in August 2011.

The attacks are considered nowhere to hamper the momentum to regain law and order in the city and elsewhere in a country suffering a long-standing nightmare.

On May 7, an international conference will be held in London to support Somalia in its process of restoring stability and peace after decades of conflict.

The Horn of Africa country has witnessed instability without a strong central government since 1991 after the overthrow of the late Somali leader, Mohamed Siyad Barre.

from XINHUA
2013-05-05 19:09:40
Editor: Yang Lina

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