Wednesday, November 30, 2011

IMU names 87 'martyrs' killed during past year

a report Bill Roggio from LWJ
added some wikipedia and maps links

The al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan released a list of its commanders and fighters who have been killed over the past year. The commanders and fighters were from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and Pakistan.
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan released a statement today that is accompanied by short bios, and in some cases photographs, of their members who have been killed on their website, Furqoon. A translation of a portion of the statement and the names and images of the IMU operatives has been provided by the SITE Intelligence Group.
Afghans dominated the list; 64 of the IMU operatives killed were from Afghanistan. Of the fighters from Afghanistan, 23 were from Takhar province, 20 were from Baghlan, 9 were from Kunduz, 8 were from Samangan, 2 were from Faryab, and 1 each were from Sar-i-Pul and Badakhshan. In mid-October, the IMU said that five of its fighters from Kunduz executed the suicide assault on the US Provincial Reconstruction Team base in Panjshir. [See LWJ report, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan claims Panjshir suicide attack]
The Afghan provinces of Baghlan, Faryab, Kunduz, Sar-i-Pul, and Takhar are known strongholds of the IMU. The International Security Assistance Force noted the location of suicide camps in both Sar-i-Pul and Samangan earlier this year. The IMU is known to fight alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan and has integrated into the Taliban's shadow government in the north.
Twenty of the IMU operatives were from the former Soviet republics of Tajikistan (10), Kyrgyzstan (6), and Uzbekistan (4).
The Russian IMU fighter, Abdul Qayyum, is listed as coming from "Tataristan," which presumably is the predominately Muslim Russian republic of Tatarstan. The Pakistani is identified as Saifullah Wazir is said to have originated from Wana in South Waziristan.
Photograph of Abdullah Miqdad, or Abdullah the Essen, a German member of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan who was killed in Afghanistan this year.
The German is identified as "Abdullah 'Miqdad.'" The IMU had previously announced his death in June. Miqdad was identified as "Abdullah from Essen," and was killed while fighting US forces in Baghlan in March 2011. He was nicknamed "Afghan Lightning," and first arrived in Pakistan's tribal area of Waziristan in November 2010. "In 2011, he concluded his training in a training camp, and traveled shortly after that to northern Afghanistan," the IMU said. [See LWJ report, German jihadi killed in Afghanistan, claims Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan spokesman]
For more information on the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and its activities and Afghanistan and Pakistan, see LWJ report, IMU cleric urges Pakistanis to continue sheltering jihadis in Waziristan.
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R.I.P. - Sgt. 1st Class Dennis R. Murray

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
            Sgt. 1st Class Dennis R. Murray, 38, of Red Broiling Springs, Tenn., died Nov. 21 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device.  He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan.
            For more information the media may contact the Fort Riley public affairs by email at matthew.howard1@conus.army.mil or nathaniel.s.smith@us.army.mil or at 785-240-6359 or 785-307-0641.

Jack Daniel’s Operation Ride Home

from This ain't Hell

The good folks at the happiest place on earth, The Jack Daniels Distillery, in Lynchburg, TN, wrote to tell us about the launch of their program “Operation Ride Home” in which they’ve contributed $101,000 to help Fort Campbell soldiers spend the holidays with their families. You can watch the video here.



In honor of the decorated 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Jack Daniel’s has donated $101,000 to launch the campaign and is encouraging its friends to visit www.JDOperationRideHome.com and contribute what they can to assist in the effort. The Armed Services YMCA will be purchasing plane tickets and providing pre-paid debit cards for gas, lodging and food for soldiers and their families to travel to their family homes. The 101st Airborne Division has members serving from all over the U.S. and has been on multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
“There are so many enlisted soldiers with families who would love to go to their homes for the holidays, but just don’t have the means to do it,” said Jeff Arnett, Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller. “These heroes have been serving our country on multiple deployments overseas and we just want to do what we can to help reunite them with their families during this special season. After all, it’s not what is under the Christmas tree, but who is around it.”
So, if the feeling moves you, you can donate at this link.
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Terrorist attack foiled in Kabul

Police in the Afghan capital foiled a terrorist attack when they recovered a 20-kg explosive device from a city suburb, the government said Wednesday.

The explosive device was planted in Mulayan area in Sarubi district of Kabul, and was found by police Tuesday, Xinhua reported citing a statement from the interior ministry.

The Taliban have often relied on suicide and roadside bombings in the past couple of years.

One NATO soldier sustained injuries in a roadside bombing Tuesday in northern Baghlan province for which the Taliban claimed responsibility.

Acid thrown at three Afghan sisters

Three sisters were disfigured after acid was thrown at them in Afghanistan's Kunduz province.

The three girls - aged 8, 12 and 17 - were disfigured Tuesday night when attackers threw acid on their faces, Nadira Gia, director of Women Affairs Department in Kunduz province said Wednesday.

'Some unidentified men entered a house in Bulakawal village and after beating the members of the family threw acid on the faces of the three sisters,' Gia was quoted as saying.

The condition of the eldest sister is critical, reported Xinhua.

Gia said the attackers had beaten up the father of the girls before leaving the house.

Violence against women in Afghanistan is on the rise despite government efforts to protect women. More than 2,290 cases of violence against women including forced marriages, under-age marriages, and beating by in-laws and family members had been registered in 2010, according to the Afghan Human Rights Commission.

22 militants detained in Afghan military operations

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 –
 Officials in the ministry of defense of Afghanistan on Wednesday said, at least 22 militants were detained following a joint military operation by Afghan and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force across the country during the past 24 hours.


According to a statement issued by the media department of ministry of defense of Afghanistan, Afghan and NATO forces also seized some weapons including ammunitions and explosive devices during the operations.

The statement further added, the clean up military operations were conducted by Afghan and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Logar, Helmand, Khost, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni and Kandahar provinces.

The statement also added, at least 22 militants were captured and some weapons including 3 assault rifiles, 1 PK-47 machine gun, 7 hand grenades, 700 rounds of PK-47 machine gun ammunitions, 5 rounds of artillery missiles, 3 boxes of rocket launcher rounds and 6 improvised explosive devices were seized during the operations.

The officials also said, at least 4 Afghan national army service members were injured during the operations in southern Kandahar and northern Kunduz provinces.
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Nov. 30., 2011. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan — A Haqqani network leader was captured today by a combined Afghan and coalition security force in Pul-e ‘Alam district, Logar province

The leader conducted attacks against coalition forces and distributed weapons throughout the area.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

In Kandahar district, Kandahar province, a combined Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in search of a Taliban leader, today. The leader directs subordinate fighters in attacks against Afghan forces and distributes explosives in support of insurgent operations in Kandahar province. The security force detained multiple suspected insurgents.

A combined Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in search of a Taliban facilitator in Shah Wali Kot district, Kandahar province, today. The facilitator moves heavy weaponry throughout the Kandahar province. The security force detained multiple suspected insurgents during the operation.

A coalition security force discovered a weapons cache while conducting a patrol in Sangin district, Helmand province, yesterday. The cache consisted of one machine gun, one AK-47 rifle, approximately 154 pounds (70 kilograms) of homemade explosives, three meters of detonation cord and various improvised explosive device-making components. All of the weapons and explosives were destroyed on site.

In Maiwand district, Kandahar province, a combined Afghan and coalition security force discovered a drug cache, yesterday. The cache consisted of approximately 165 pounds (75 kilograms) of hashish. All of the drugs were destroyed at the scene and no civilians were harmed or property damaged during the operation.

A combined Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in search of a Taliban facilitator in Marjah district, Helmand province, today. The facilitator coordinates insurgent activities with Taliban leaders throughout Helmand province. During the operation, the security force detained multiple suspected insurgents.

East

Today, in Chak-e Wardak district, Wardak province, a combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban facilitator during an operation. The facilitator transported suicide vests, weapons and vehicles for use in spectacular attacks in Kabul city. The security force seized multiple weapons and detained three additional suspected insurgents during the operation.

A combined Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in search of a Taliban leader in Ghazni district, Ghazni province, today. The leader directs attacks against Afghan forces. Two suspected insurgents were detained during the operation.

In Sabari district, Kost province, a combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani leader, today. The leader coordinated attacks against Afghan forces. The security force detained two additional suspected insurgents during the operation.

The Salalah check post after NATO/ ISAF attacks

ISLAMABAD: Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday released a video footage showing Nato air strikes on two Pakistan check posts - Volcano and Boulder - located in Salala area of the Mohmand Agency.

The Salalah check post after NATO/ ISAF attacks footage released by ISPR

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Suspected suicide bomber killed in premature explosion


QUETTA:  A would-be suicide bomber was killed near Kuchlak, in the suburbs of Quetta, on Tuesday when an explosive that he was carrying detonated prematurely.

“The bomber had hired a cab and wanted to go to Chaman (a bordering town with Afghanistan) with the intention of targeting someone, but the explosives he had fixed to his body prematurely went off,” SP Malik Arshid told reporters, while confirming that the man was a suicide bomber.
According to the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), about two-and-a-half kilogrammes of explosive material were used in the bomb.
SP Arshid further said: “The cab driver stopped in Kuchlak to pick a family that also wanted to go to Chaman. However, the bomber got out of the cab soon after which the explosion took place.”
The police took the driver into custody for further investigation.
Kuchlak is a pre dominantly Pashto-speaking area and a stronghold of religious parties. The five foreigners who were gunned down near Kharotabad in May this year had also hired a cab for Quetta from Kuchlak.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2011.

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