Three policemen killed, 13 wounded in attacks in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Three policemen were killed and 13 people injured Tuesday in separate bomb attacks near and in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the police said.

Near Baghdad, gunmen in their car opened fire on the outer checkpoint of al-Tahrir police station in the town of al-Khaldiyah, some 80 km west of Baghdad, killing two policemen and wounding three others, a local police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

In a separate incident, gunmen planted bombs in the house of a policeman and blew them up in Abu Ghraib area, some 20 km west of Baghdad, killing him and wounding his wife and three of his children, the source said.

In Baghdad, six civilians were wounded when a roadside bomb detonated in Adhamiyah district in northern the capital, an Interior Ministry source anonymously told Xinhua.

Earlier in the day, the police reported that a total of ten people were killed and some 66 others wounded in four car bomb explosions in the morning at Baghdad's Shi'ite bastions of Sadr City, Shula and Hurriyah districts.

Iraqi cities have been plagued by several attacks, including suicide bombings, since the U.S. troops pulled out of the country earlier last month.

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17 Insurgents Killed in Kapisa Operation

At least 17 insurgents were killed in joint Afghan and Nato forces' ongoing operation in eastern Kapisa province four days ago, local officials said.

The operation was launched on Thursday in Alasai district of Kapisa province to clear it of insurgents in which seven others were wounded, Mohammad Noman Hatifi, Media Officer of the 201 Selab military corps, said.

A local insurgent commander named Mohammad Asif Faizan is among those killed.

Neither Afghan and Nato forces, nor civilians suffered any casualties during the operation, he added.

Alasai is one of the insecure districts in Kapisa province in which insurgents have often carried out attacks targeting Afghan police checkpoints.


from TOLONEWS

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Afghan security personnel overrun Taliban stronghold

Image via Wikipedia

Afghan security personnel have overrun the Taliban-held Nawa district and established government control there after four years, a police official said Tuesday.

"Finally, Afghan army and police after several days of operation evicted Taliban rebels and captured Nawa district Monday night," provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid told Xinhua.

He did not provide more details.

Juma Khan Taraki, a member of Ghazni Provincial Council, said launching reconstruction process in Nawa would remain a challenge for government as it would take more time than expected to reopen schools and build clinics to serve the people.

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Terrorist Event Prevented In Kabul

Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Kabul (BNA) - The national police personnel has prevented a terrorist event in the suburb of Kabul city yesterday.

According to 101 police zone commandment office, the police personnel discovered a car full of explosive material from Surobi district.

Six 82mm mortar mines, 5 Kg of explosive materials and 15 detonators were placed in a car for suicide attack.

The suspects of this even had not identified yet and investigation continues for arresting of the culprits.

Translated by Suraya-Yarzada - BakhtarNews

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Combined operations kill 5, detain 8 in eastern Afghanistan

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition forces killed five insurgents and detained eight suspected individuals in eastern Afghanistan during operations throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 23.

A coalition airstrike killed five insurgents after troops positively identified them with weapons in Tagab district, Kapisa province.

Afghan National Police detained four individuals in Methar Lam district, Laghman province after a small-arms fire engagement. The individuals were safely transported to local headquarters for processing.

Afghan National Police detained four individuals wanted for questioning in Sabari district, Khowst province. They were transported to local headquarters for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.


Commbined Joint Task Force 1 - Afghanistan

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British al Qaeda/Shaabab leader may have been killed after calling home

By Bill Roggio - January 23, 2012 3:04 PM - LWJ

Yesterday the Guardian provided a clue on how Bilal al Berjawi, the al Qaeda commander who was killed in a US drone strike on Jan. 21, may have been tracked:

The 27-year-old's wife is understood to have given birth to a child in a London hospital a few hours before the missile strike, prompting suspicions among relatives that his location had been pinpointed as a result of a telephone conversation between the couple.

If true, it would be interesting to know if the Brits helped in gathering the signals intelligence. Additionally, the report has a few more details on Berjawi:

Berjawi grew up in west London, travelling to Somalia around three years ago. There were unconfirmed reports that he had been injured in a drone attack last June, after which his wife was said to have returned to the UK. He was stripped of his British citizenship under the 2006 Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act using powers the Home Office has been deploying with increasing frequency since the last election.
Berjawi is understood to have sought to appeal against the order, but lawyers representing his family were unable to take instructions from him amid concerns that any telephone contact could precipitate a drone attack.

The Guardian goes on to say that family members claimed he is innocent and was not involved with al Qaeda. But our sources are 100 percent certain that Berjawi was a senior leader in both al Qaeda and Shabaab.
"We've been looking for him for some time now," a US intelligence official told The Long War Journal yesterday. The official would not comment on how Berjawi was traced, however.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2012/01/british_al_qaedashaabab_leader.php

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