Oct 28, 2012 ~ Jim's Military News

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Three policemen killed in gunmen attacks in Iraq

10/28/2012 02:24:00 PM SgtJim No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome

BAQUBA, Iraq, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Three policemen were killed and five people wounded in two attacks by insurgents against Iraqi security forces in the eastern province of Diyala on Sunday, a provincial police source told Xinhua.

On early Sunday, gunmen attacked a police checkpoint on Imam Wais area, 115 km northeast of Baghdad, killing three policemen and wounding three others, the source said on condition of anonymity.

In a separate incident, two civilians were injured when two mortar rounds landed outside an Iraqi army checkpoint at a village located north of the provincial capital city of Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, the source said.

Sunday's attacks came a day after a series of attacks that killed a total of 23 Iraqis and wounded over 70 others.

Such attacks cast a pall over the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha festival. The four-day festival is also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice, which marks the end of the spiritual peak of the annual pilgrimage or Hajj in Arabic, when pilgrims descend from the hill of Arafat to the nearby holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

from XINHUA
2012-10-28 19:59:54

Two bomb planters killed by their own IED in Uruzgan

10/28/2012 02:17:00 PM SgtJim No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome

TIRINKOT (PAN): It was a fatal disaster for two bomb planters when their explosives went off prematurely, killing both in central Uruzgan province on Sunday, according to officials.

The blast occurred at around 5 am in Garmau Manda area, on the outskirts of Tirinkot, the provincial capital, when the suspects planted a bomb and were in the midst of fixing a second in a popular picnic area, police spokesman Farid Ail told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Hundreds of people had been gathering in the area during Eid holidays for picnics. Ali said thatif the bombs had exploded, a massive carnage might have taken place.

Police managed to defuse the second bomb.

No further details were revealed about the dead bombers.

from Pajhwok
by Ajmal WisalonOct 28, 2012 - 11:46

At least 4 killed, several injured in northern Nigeria church explosion

10/28/2012 02:12:00 PM SgtJim No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome

KADUNA, Nigeria, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least four persons have been killed and several others were injured in an early morning explosion which rocked St. Rita Catholic Church in Malaila area of northern Nigeria's Kaduna State during Sunday mass, a top Red cross official told Xinhua on Sunday.

Although the zonal coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the northwest region of Nigeria Musa Ilalah had told Xinhua on phone that casualty figures were yet to be established, a Red cross senior official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that four people have, so far, been confirmed dead.

"Three people, including the suicide bomber, died at the explosion site while one other person was confirmed dead in one of the hospitals where the victims were rushed to. Several people including the Reverend Fathers of the church were seriously injured and parts of the church were seriously damaged," said the Red Cross official.

The official casualty figures might increase before the end of the day as rescue officials have been shuttling between the explosion site and the health facilities were the victims are being treated, the official added.

"A number of casualties have been evacuated to hospitals in the state by our officials," said the national spokesperson of NEMA Yushau Shuaib who earlier confirmed the incident in a text message.

According to the NEMA official, the Sunday morning explosion occurred when a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into the church gate.

Security operatives have also been deployed to cordon-off the area, Shuaib added.

So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the Sunday morning bomb attack which occurred barely two days after Muslims in the country and worldwide celebrated the annual Eid-el-Kabir festival. However, similar attacks had been perpetrated by the Islamic Boko Haram sect which operates mainly in northern and central parts of Nigeria.

Over 1,500 people have been killed since 2009 when the sect launched its violent attacks in northern Nigeria, according to the latest report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW).

from XINHUA
Editor: Chen Zhi
2012-10-28 20:00:38

Wave of Deadly Attacks Reported Across Iraq

10/28/2012 02:09:00 PM SgtJim No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome

A wave of deadly attacks has shattered the peace in Iraq, where Muslims are marking the second day of the Eid al-Adha holiday.

Officials say at least 15 people were killed in a series of explosions and shootings on Saturday, many of them Shi'ite pilgrims marking the holiday.

The violence includes a bombing north of Baghdad that killed at least five Shi'ite pilgrims who were in a minibus that was carrying them to a mosque.

Investigators say another explosion at a popular open-air market near the capital killed at least five people, including several children, while a series of attacks elsewhere in Iraq left at least five others dead.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks. Sunni insurgents and al-Qaida militants have previously targeted Shi'ites in a bid to stir up sectarian strife in Iraq.

Violence across Iraq is down sharply from its peak in 2006 and 2007. However, 365 people were killed in unrest in September, making it the country's deadliest month in two years.

from VOA News
October 27, 2012

Three killed, 25 injured in Nowshera, Pakistan blast

10/28/2012 02:04:00 PM SgtJim No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome

(file photo)

PESHAWAR: Three people were killed and at least 25 injured when an explosion took place in the Ziarat Kaka Sahib area in Nowshera on Sunday.

According to the Nowshera police, a remote-controlled bomb had been planted on a bicycle in front of the main gate of the shrine of Kaka Sahib.

The shrine houses the grave of a famous Pashtun Sufi saint Kasteer Gul, who is known as Kaka Saheb. The shrine is often frequented by locals and a large number of people were also gathered there today on the occasion of Eid.

Security forces had cordoned off the area and the injured were shifted to local hospitals.

Among the 25 injured, five were reported to be in a critical condition.

SHO Nowshera Mumtaz Khan stated that the bomb weighed between 3-5kg and had been hidden inside a bag of fruits kept on the bicycle.

Mian Iftikhar Hussain, information minister for the Khyber Pakhthunkhwa province where the attack occurred, also confirmed the incident and casualties.

He said: “According to our initial information it was a remote-controlled bomb but we are waiting for a final report from the bomb disposal officials.”

from DAWN
by Zahir Shah Sherazi , 10/28/2012.

Indonesia Arrests 11 in Terror Plot to Bomb US Embassy

10/28/2012 02:01:00 PM SgtJim No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome

Indonesian police officers stand guard outside a building after a raid in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012.

Indonesian police say 11 people have been arrested in a suspected plot to attack the U.S. embassy in Jakarta and other domestic and foreign targets.

National police spokesman Suhardi Alius said Saturday the arrests by a special anti-terror unit took place in four provinces.

Alius said the suspects, members of the newly-formed Harakah Sunni Movement for Indonesian Society, were preparing to launch a series of strikes. He said targets also included a plaza near the Australian embassy in Jakarta, a local office of the American mining giant Freeport-McMoRan and the U.S. consulate in Surabaya. A police facility in Central Java was also targeted.

Authorities say evidence from arrest sites include bombs, ammunition, detonators, bomb-making manuals and other explosives materials.

Neither the U.S. nor Australian embassies has commented on the arrests, and it was not immediately disclosed how far the attack plans had advanced.

Earlier this month, Indonesian police said they had uncovered evidence of a planned terrorist attack on dignitaries attending ceremonies on the resort island of Bali marking the 10th anniversary of bombings that killed 202 people.

The October 2002 attacks on two Bali nightclubs were carried out by militants from the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group. The bombings were followed by a wave of terror attacks across Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country.

from VOA News
October 27, 2012

British troops deaths in Afghanistan ‘not due to friendly fire’

10/28/2012 01:57:00 PM SgtJim No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome

An initial review into the deaths of a Royal Marine and an army medic in Afghanistan has revealed the killings were not caused by “friendly fire”, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Corporal Channing Day, 25, who served with the 3 Medical Regiment, and Corporal David O’Connor, 27, of 40 Commando, were fatally injured while on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on Wednesday.

An Afghan man, who is believed to have been a member of the Afghan Uniformed Police but who was not wearing uniform at the time, also died during the incident, an MOD spokesperson confirmed.

Cpl O’Connor, from Havant in Hampshire, and Cpl Day, from Comber in County Down, came under fire near the village of Char Kutsa, in the Nahr-e Saraj district.

The MoD says its analysis of the deaths is still continuing and “further investigation into the involvement or otherwise of the dead Afghan male is ongoing.”

British defense ministry officials said, “A joint incident assessment team, comprising specialists from International Security Assistance Force (Isaf), along with representatives from the government of Afghanistan, have conducted an initial review at the scene and have concluded that this was not a blue-on-blue ["friendly fire"] incident, and that the deaths of Corporal O’Connor and Corporal Day were caused by a third party or parties whose identities have yet to be established but who are not UK personnel.

“Further investigation into the involvement or otherwise of the dead Afghan male is ongoing”, the officials said adding that analysis of the event was “likely to take some time” while forensic examinations were carried out. A parallel Royal Military Police investigation was also being undertaken.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the deaths were “a terrible tragedy” and it was still unclear what exactly had happened.

“We know there were three people dead, one of them wearing civilian clothes,” he said.

Asked if it was another so-called green on blue attack – where Afghans turn on their Isaf partners – Mr Hammond said: “There is a possibility that that is what has happened but it is not clear at this stage who the shooter actually was.”

from KHAAMA
By Sajad - Sat Oct 27, 3:33 pm

Oct. 28., 2012. - RC-East operational update

10/28/2012 01:47:00 PM SgtJim No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained an insurgent and cleared two improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Oct. 27.

Khowst Province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared two IEDs, one in Gurbuz District and one in Terezayi District.

Afghan Border Police and coalition forces detained an insurgent during an engagement in Terezayi District. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

R.I.P. - Staff Sgt. Kashif M. Memon, Sgt. Clinton K. Ruiz

10/28/2012 01:45:00 PM SgtJim 2 comments, check it!

DOD Identifies Army Casualties
          The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

          They died of wounds suffered Oct. 25 when their unit was attacked by small arms fire in Khas Uruzgan, Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

Killed were:

          Staff Sgt. Kashif M. Memon, 31, of Houston, Texas. He was assigned to the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

          Sgt. Clinton K. Ruiz, 22, of Murrieta, Calif. He was assigned to the 9th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), 8th Military Information Support Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.

          For more information media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005 (duty hours) or 910-494-1589 (after hours).

---

Sgt. Clinton Keith Ruiz, 22, of Poway, Calif., died Oct. 25 of wounds received during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan.
Ruiz was a graduate of Murrieta Valley High School of Murrieta Valley, Calif., in 2008. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 2009 as a Psychological Operations Specialist.
He was assigned to Alpha Company, 9th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), 4th Military Information Support Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C., in February 2012. Sgt Ruiz deployed to Afghanistan in September 2012.
Ruiz was previously assigned to the 4th Military Information Support Group (Airborne), in 2010 and the 5th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), of Fort Bragg, N.C., in 2011. He completed Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., August 2009 and the Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Ga., October 2009.
Ruiz attended the Psychological Operations Advanced Individual Training and Korean Language School at Ft. Bragg, N.C., graduating in August 2010.
His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal (Campaign Star), Global War on Terrorism Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Parachutist Badge.
Ruiz is survived by his spouse Kira Ortega and son Caleb.

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Staff Sergeant Kashif M. Memon, 31, of St. Paul. Minn. and Houston, Texas, died Oct. 25 of wounds received during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan.
Memon was assigned to Alpha Company, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This was his first combat deployment to Afghanistan as a Civil Affairs Soldier. His previous two combat deployments were as an Army infantryman from Fort Hood to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and as a Marine Corps infantry squad leader from Marine Corps Base Hawaii to Operation Enduring Freedom.
Memon enlisted in the Marine Corps in Houston, Texas in 2001 and was stationed at Marine Corps
Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, while deploying to Okinawa, Japan; Pohang, South Korea; Thailand;
Singapore; and Afghanistan. In Oct. 2007, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and was
stationed at Fort Hood, Tex. and Fort Bragg, N.C.
In 2010, Memon volunteered for and completed Civil Affairs training at Fort Bragg and was
assigned in 2011 to Alpha Company, 96th CA Battalion as a CA Team Civil Affairs Engineer.
Staff Sergeant Memon’s awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement
Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation,
Navy Unit Citation, three Good Conduct Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign
Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal,
Global War on Terror Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon with '2'
Device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon
with Two Stars and Army Parachutist Badge. SSG Memon was also a recipient of the Order of the
Spur. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Combat Action
Badge.
Memon is survived by his spouse, two sons and expecting a third child.