3 people killed in car bombing in eastern Iraq

BAQUBA, Iraq, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and 18 wounded in a car bomb explosion near a marketplace in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala on Sunday, a provincial police source said.

A booby-trapped car went off at a parking lot of a popular marketplace, which was close to an Iraqi army checkpoint in Khalis, just north of the provincial capital city of Baquba, some 65 km northeast of the capital Baghdad, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Four soldiers were among the 18 wounded people. The powerful blast caused three people dead and severe damage of seven shops as well as several civilian vehicles, the source said.

Diyala province, which stretches from the eastern edges of Baghdad to the Iranian border east of the country, has long been a stronghold for al-Qaida militants and other insurgent groups since the U.S. led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Violence in Iraq has decreased from its climax in 2006 and 2007, when sectarian conflicts pushed the country to the brink of a civil war, but tensions and sporadic shootings and bombings are still common across the country.

from XINHUA
2012-11-18 16:12:27

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In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 16 Armed Taliban Killed (18.Nov.2012.)

Publish Date: Nov 18, 2012

In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 16 Armed Taliban Killed

Counterterrorism:

During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces launched 14 joint clearance operations in Kabul, Laghman, Faryab, Kandahar, Zabul, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Paktika and Helmand provinces.

As a result of these operations, 16 armed Taliban were killed, eight wounded and four others were arrested by Afghan National Security Forces.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated two PKM machine guns, 22 AK-47 assault rifles, one radio handset, two heavy rounds, 260 light rounds, seven different types of mines, one motorcycle and one vehicle.

In the meantime, one mine planter was killed by his own explosives while he was planting a roadside mine in the Cholan village, Khost City capital of Khost province, yesterday.

 

Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained a suspect accused of kidnapping in the 7th District of Kabul-City.

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Kenya: Nairobi Blast Kills Seven

Residents look for survivors inside the wreckage of a passenger mini-bus (matatu) after it was hit by an explosion in the Eastleigh neighbourhood of Kenya's capital Nairobi, November 18, 2012.

The Kenyan Red Cross said at least seven people were killed and 29 injured in an explosion on a minibus in Nairobi. The blast followed several grenade attacks across Kenya blamed on Somali militants and their sympathizers.
It is not yet known what caused the blast that tore through a 25-seat bus in the Eastleigh neighborhood of Nairobi.

Some witnesses and police said they saw an unidentified assailant throw a grenade. A VOA reporter at the scene said it was more likely a homemade bomb.

Whatever it was, the blast was powerful enough to reduce the bus to a blackened, burned out shell.

One witness, Mohammed Qadar Gudle said he felt the blast from 500 meters away. “I saw it, even the land was shaking," he said. "I thought it was an earthquake. So once I saw the car burning out, I ran to the near of it, and I saw almost seven people died and at least 25 injured, badly injured.”

Gudle said fighting broke out on the street following the explosion, as angry mobs turned on the Somali residents of Eastleigh. “So the Kenyan people they started fighting with the Somali members of the community and they started chasing away each other, throwing stones,” he added.

He said the fighting stopped as the police arrived on the scene, but tension remains high. A VOA reporter said neighborhood shops had closed, and residents were staying off the streets.

Kenya has experienced attacks on churches and public places across the country during the past year, including previous grenade attacks in Eastleigh. Police have blamed assailants linked to the Somali militant group al-Shabab, which has vowed to attack Kenya because Kenyan military forces entered Somalia last year to fight against the group.

from VOA News, Gabe Joselow
November 18, 2012

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Taliban kill Afghan man over espionage charges

English: Map of the districts of Ghazni province of Afghanistan. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to local authorities in eastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, Taliban militants assassinated an Afghan man over espionage charges in Deh-Yak district.

District police chief Faiz Toofan confirming the report said the deceased Afghan man was recognized as Faiz Toofan and was a resident of Deh-Yak district.

He said Mohammad Ibrahim was killed by Taliban militants in Laghwat village.

In the meantime local residents and eye witnesses in the area said the man was killed following firefight between Taliban militants and Afghan police forces however local officials deny reports by local residents and said he was killed by Taliban militants.

This comes as there has been a considerable growth in target killings and majority of those killed by Taliban militants are accused of assisting the Afghan government and coalition security forces.

Taliban militants group yet to comment regarding the report.

from KHAAMA
By Sajad - Sun Nov 18, 2:19 pm

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Nov. 18., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested two Taliban weapons and explosives facilitators in Kandahar province today.

The first detained Taliban facilitator is an improvised explosive device expert who is believed responsible for the acquisition, construction and emplacement of IEDs for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the province.

The second detainee is a weapons trafficker alleged to have coordinated transport of weapons and IED components to Taliban insurgents in Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

The security force also detained one other suspected insurgent and seized IED-making materials during the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South
An Afghan and coalition force arrested five insurgents and seized 9 kilograms (20 pounds) of illegal narcotics during a security operation in search of a Taliban lethal aid facilitator in Helmand province today.

Afghan commandos partnered with coalition forces discovered a weapons and drug cache which included AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and nearly 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of heroin during a clearing operation in Helmand province Friday.

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Nov. 18., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition located three weapons caches and cleared five improvised explosive devices, and an insurgent died when his IED detonated prematurely, during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Nov. 17.

Ghazni Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Ghazni District. The cache contained small arms, batteries, a transmitter, radios and 300 meters of wire.

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs, one in Andar District and one in Giro District.

Khowst Province
An insurgent died when his IED detonated prematurely in Khowst district.

Logar Province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Muhammad Aghah District. The cache contained small arms.

Kunar Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs, one in Khugyani District and one in Surkh Rod District.

Paktika Province
Afghan National Security Forces discovered a weapons cache in Sharan District. The cache contained IED making materials and assorted weapons.

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’s district chief among 9 detained

GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Nine Taliban militants, including a shadow district chief, were arrested and two others killed during a military operation in southern Ghazni province, an official said on Saturday.

The operation, which was launched a week ago, was completed on Friday evening, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief for Ghazni, Syed Amir Sadat, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers backed their Afghan counterparts during the offensive that led to the capture of Taliban’s chief for Aab Band district along with three associates.

Elsewhere in the province, five other militants were detained in Qarabagh and Galan districts, the NDS director said, adding that a bomb-making expert -- Adam Khan -- was among the detainees. Six motorcycles, weapons and ammunitions were seized.

The detainees shown to media men acknowledged they had been held with weapons and that they were involve in the insurgency.

But Mullah Naqibullah, the so-called shadow district chief, denied being a militant leader.

Two fighters were killed and as many wounded during gunbattles with Afghan soldiers in Andar district and Ghazni City, the provincial capital.

A spokesman for the 203rd Thunder Corps, Nazif Sultani, said two militants were arrested in Qarabagh district. The soldiers suffered no casualties.

from Pajhwok
By Saifullah Mafto on Nov 17, 2012 - 18:06   

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