Afghan soldiers called in deadly NATO airstrike

By Rahim Faiez and Sebastian Abbot - The Associated Press Posted : Sunday Nov 27, 2011 10:26:46 ESTISLAMABAD — Afghan troops and coalition forces came under fire from the direction of two Pakistan army border posts, prompting them to call in NATO airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, Afghan officials said Sunday. The account challenges Islamabad’s claims that the...

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Soldier from 5 RIFLES killed in Afghanistan

It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must announce that a soldier from the 5th Battalion The Rifles (5 RIFLES) was killed on 27 November 2011 in the Babaji area of the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province.   Serving as a part of Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (South), the soldier was a member of an International Security Assistance Force foot patrol...

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More than 12 militants killed in Afghan operations

Sunday, November 27, 2011 – Officials in the ministry of defense of Afghanistan following a statement on Sunday said, at least twelve militant insurgents were killed following military operations by Afghan security forces during the past 24 hours.   The statement further added, the operations were conducted in various regions of the country during the past 24...

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At least 2 militants killed in Zabul province

Image via WikipediaSunday, November 27, 2011 – According to local authorities in southern Afghanistan, at least two Taliban militants were killed and 9 others were injured following a joint military operation by Afghan national security forces and NATO-led International Security Force in southern Zabul province. Deputy provincial governor for southern Zabul province...

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Marines to Wind Down Afghan Combat in 2012

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan (AP) — U.S. Marines will march out of Afghanistan by the thousands next year, winding down combat in the Taliban heartland and testing the U.S. view that Afghan forces are capable of leading the fight against a battered but not yet beaten insurgency in the country's southwestern reaches, American military officers say. At the same time,...

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Iran Threatens to Hit Turkey if US, Israel Attack

Image via WikipediaTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran will target NATO's missile defense installations in Turkey if the U.S. or Israel attacks the Islamic Republic, a senior commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said Saturday. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Guards' aerospace division, said the warning is part of a new defense strategy to counter what he described...

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Suspected Al Shabaab Rebels Raid Kenya Police Post

GARISSA, Kenya (Reuters) - Suspected Somali al Shabaab rebel fighters raided a police post near Mandera in northern Kenya Saturday, seizing weapons and burning a mobile phone transmission mast, security officials said. The group of fighters attacked Arabiya, a trading centre 60 kilometres from Mandera, and engaged police in a firefight before overpowering them and taking...

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Mali: German Killed; Dutch, SAfrican, Swede Seized

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Gunmen killed a German man in Mali's most famous city of Timbuktu and seized three men from the Netherlands, South Africa and Sweden, officials and witnesses said, as officials on Saturday ordered a plane to evacuate foreigners from the tourist destination. The Dutch and Swedish governments confirmed Saturday that their citizens had been taken. A fellow...

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Colombian Rebels Kill 4 Hostages

Image via WikipediaBOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian FARC rebels executed four members of the security forces during a botched mission to free them from a decade as hostages, the most violent act by the group since troops killed its leader Alfonso Cano this month.   The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which has a policy of killing hostages if troops approach their...

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Arab League Prepares Syria Sanctions

Image by AlMustashriqa via FlickrArab League members have prepared a list of economic restrictions to impose on Syria, the BBC reported. The sanctions include ceasing business with the Syrian central bank, suspending commercial flights and banning the travel of top officials. Arab ministers will vote on the proposals on Sunday. They are seeking to punish the Syrian authorities...

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Japan provides $17 million in fresh aid package to Afghanistan

Thursday, November 26, 2011 – The state of Japan announced a fresh aid package of $17 million for Afghanistan, which will assist Afghanistan in providing drinking water and electricity. This comes as the residents of capital Kabuland its suburbs are facing critical issues and lacks access to pure drinking water while residents in the central Bamyan province are facing...

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Taliban paid £100 a month to stop fighting

Members of the Taliban who give up their fight are being paid £100 a month and will be allowed to keep their guns in a new initiative to end the insurgency.   The “reintegration” programme, which has the full support of Nato, is intended to keep them from attacking troops from the International Stabilisation and Assistance Force (ISAF). Those who have...

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Chavez Takes His Gold Back

Image via Wikipedia The government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has begun repatriating gold reserves that had been held in European banks. The gold bars were unloaded at Venezuela's Maiquetia airport Friday and later transferred to armored vehicles for shipping to the Central Bank in Caracas. Officials did not say how much gold was brought back in the shipment....

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Somali Pirates Reportedly Trade Ransom for Italian Ship

An Italian shipping company and Italian media say Somali pirates have released an Italian merchant ship and its crew seized seven months ago. The MV Rosalia D'Amato had been sailing from Brazil to Iran with a cargo of soybeans when pirates commandeered the boat April 21 in the Arabian Sea, off the coast of Oman. The boat's operator, Naples-based Perseveranza Navigazione,...

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Nov. 27., 2011. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

2011-11-S-045 For Immediate Release KABUL, Afghanistan (Nov. 27, 2011) —  A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani network facilitator during an operation in Nadir Shah Kot district, Khost province, Saturday. The facilitator distributed roadside bombs, weapons and provided a safe haven for Haqqani leaders in Nadir Shah Kot  district. The...

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