Somali, AU forces secure more southern towns from rebels

The retreat of the Al Shabaab Islamist
militant group in Somalia since 2011.
Original map by Evan Centanni.
www.polgeonow.com

MOGADISHU, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Somali government forces backed by African Union (AU) peacekeeping forces are spreading their control over territory run by Al-Shabaab rebels in the south of the Horn of Africa country.

The allied forces this week consolidated their control over the Wanla Weyn town, 93 km south of the Somali capital Mogadishu, as well as a former Somali air force base, 15 km away from the Wanla Wein.

The newly taken areas are strategically located along the main corridor linking Mogadishu to the southern town of Baidao, which is also under the control of AU and Somali government forces.

Wanla Weyn falls at a strategic junction linking the two Shabelle regions to Baidoa in the south and Beletweyne in the north of Somalia.

Officials say the capture of Wanla Weyn facilitates the aim of connecting Mogadishu to Baidoa.

Somali Defense Minister Hussein Arab Isse was among officials who paid a visit to the regained military base near Wanla Weyn. He said the capture of the town was a victory for Somalia and called on Al-Shabaab fighters to join the government troops.

"To Al-Shabaab fighters I call upon them to lay down their arms and join the ranks of their brothers. This is your country, these are your brothers welcome to open arms. There is no other door open for you. Somalia is sovereign nation so come and join in building the future of your country," the Somali defense chief said in the newly taken area.

AU and Somali government officials say the advance would to deny fleeing Al-Shabaab insurgents from seeking refuge and destabilizing other regions of Somalia.

The officials believe that the capture of this town denies Al- Shabaab another source of illegal income after a string of defeats and the loss of other major sources of revenue in a number of seaports along the coastal towns.

Al-Shabaab has lost a number of key towns in central and southern regions, in particular, the port city of Kismayo, the stronghold of the rebels.

from XINHUA
2012-10-14 17:34:17
Editor: Tang Danlu

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Gunmen kill 20 at mosque in northern Nigeria

KADUNA (Reuters) - Gunmen opened fire on Muslim worshippers as they were leaving a mosque in northern Nigeria on Sunday, killing at least 20 people, a local official said.

The attack happened in a remote village called Dogo Dawa, in Kaduna state, said Abdullahi Muhammad, the traditional ruler and councillor of Birnin Gwari, a local government area next door to the village.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Like much of northern Nigeria, Kaduna is plagued by an insurgency led by radical Islamist sect Boko Haram. They usually attack security forces, government officials or Christians, but have hit Muslim clerics and mosques in the past, especially ones that do not follow their hardline brand of Islam.

Kaduna also lies close to Nigeria's volatile "Middle Belt", where Nigeria's mostly Muslim north and largely Christian south meet, and where tensions over land and ethnicity often erupt into violence.

But Abdulladhi said the attack was most likely carried out by a local criminal gang.

"We are suspecting a reprisal attack by gangs of armed robbers who lost some of their members after a recent exchange of fire with the villagers and the vigilantes," he said.

"The village had been terrorised by an armed group operating from camps in the forest. These armed men mostly attack villages and motorists along the busy Kaduna to Lagos highway."

The state police commissioner Olufemi Adenaike confirmed the incident, but said he could not yet confirm the death toll.

The Islamist insurgency in northern Nigeria and weapons flooding in from its neighbours on the threshold of the Sahara have aggravated levels of violence in the region. Armed robberies and local disputes degenerating into deadly shootouts are increasingly common across the impoverished north.

from REUTERS
Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:31am GMT

Related articles

• Gunmen kill 20 in north Nigeria (bbc.co.uk)
• Gunmen kill 20 Muslims at mosque in northern Nigeria (worldbulletin.net)

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Oct. 14., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Daily Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force killed Haqqani leader Rahmatullah during a security operation in Logar province Saturday.

Rahmatullah, also known as Qari Moktar or Mohammad Qasim Qari, was responsible for coordinating direct-fire and improvised-explosive-device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Pul-e Alam district.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

East

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani leader in Ghazni province today. The detained Haqqani leader is believed to be directly associated with suicide and IED attack operations.

Afghan and coalition forces confirmed the death of a Taliban leader, Shafiullah, in an operation in Ghazni province Sunday. Shafiullah was a Taliban leader accused of planning and executing the May 29, 2011, attack that killed three coalition members.

Afghan and coalition forces confirmed the death of Taliban leader, Zafar Khan, in a security operation in Ghazni province Wednesday. Khan, a Taliban leader who exercised command and control of the insurgency in a portion of Ghazni province, was also believed to be involved in the Sept. 9 attack on Jaghatu District Center.

An Afghan and coalition force arrested number of insurgents during a security operation in search of a Taliban senior leader in Paktiya province today. The Taliban leader is believed to oversee IED operations throughout Paktiya province.

South

An Afghan and coalition force arrested several insurgents and seized 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of illegal narcotics during a security operation in search of a Taliban leader in Helmand province today. The Taliban leader operates in close coordination with Taliban senior leaders and conducts direct-action attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Afghan and coalition forces confirmed the arrest of a Taliban leader during a security operation in Helmand province Friday. He is allegedly responsible for directing multiple attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces throughout Helmand province.

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Oct. 14., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained an insurgent, located a weapons cache and cleared eight improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours Oct. 13.

Ghazni province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared three IEDs, one in Khaja Omari district, one in Qarah Bagh district and one in Gelan district.

Kapisa province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Tagab district.

Khowst province

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Nadir Shah Kot district.

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Nadir Shah Kot district. The cache contained rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Logar province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained an insurgent during an engagement in Pul-E Alam district. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Paktika province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs, one in Sar Rowzah district and one in Zerok district.

Wardak province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sayyidabad district.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Taliban suicide bomber kills 4 NDS, 2 ISAF personnel in southern Afghanistan

By Bill Roggio - October 13, 2012 - LWJ

The Taliban claimed credit for a suicide attack in southern Afghanistan that killed four Afghan intelligence officers and two ISAF personnel. Today's bombing is the second this week that targeted the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan's intelligence service, in the south.

The Taliban suicide bomber targeted the Afghan and Coalition personnel just inside the first gate of the provincial NDS headquarters in Kandahar's Maruf district, according to TOLONews. Four NDS personnel, an International Security Assistance Force soldier, and an ISAF civilian were killed in the blast. Three NDS officers were also wounded in the blast.

ISAF confirmed in a press release that "one coalition forces servicemember and one coalition forces civilian died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today." The nationalities of the two Westerners killed in the attack were not disclosed.

The Taliban claimed credit for today's suicide attack in a statement released at their website, Voice of Jihad. The Taliban identified the suicide bomber as "Abdul Jabbar from Kandahar," and said he targeted "foreign invaders along with the hireling deputy provincial intelligence chief" as they "arrived at the district center in 2 helicopters and were walking into a nearby base." The Taliban claimed the suicide bomber was "wearing an explosives vest and riding an explosive-laden motorbike."

Today's suicide attack is the second in southern Afghanistan in six days that targeted the National Directorate of Security. On Oct. 8, a Taliban suicide bomber killed two NDS officers in an attack at the unit's provincial headquarters in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand; the attack also wounded another NDS officer, two policemen, and 12 civilians.

the report continues here -->
           Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/10/taliban_suicide_bomb_41.php

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