Two militants, five soldiers killed in Yemen

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgoenow.com)

Two militants and five soldiers were killed on Thursday during a Yemeni army raid on a mountainous area where insurgents linked to al-Qaeda have been holed up since they were driven out of two southern towns last year, military sources said.

Two suspected members of Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law) were also captured in the raid, launched on Thursday morning with army tanks and artillery.

Yemeni military sources said the campaign was aimed at flushing out militants who have taken refuge in caves in the area after they were driven out of Jaar and Zinjibar in a U.S.-backed Yemeni military offensive last year.

Ansar al-Sharia, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), took advantage of a power vacuum during the 2011 popular protests against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to seize the two towns.

Most of the militants fled to the desert or into remote mountain regions, where they have been waging hit-and-run attacks on army installations or military personnel.

“Five army soldiers were killed, 10 were injured and one popular committee member was killed,” said an army source referring to local militiamen allied with the government.

The United States and its allies are concerned about the presence of AQAP and its affiliates next door to the world’s top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, and close to key global shipping lanes.

AQAP is believed by Washington to be the most active branch of the global network and has plotted a number of botched attempts against U.S. targets. U.S. drones have repeatedly launched air strikes against its members.

The Yemeni army is waging a separate operation to the north-east against suspected Islamist militants in al-Bayda province, where three Western hostages are believed to be held.

At least six insurgents and 14 government soldiers have been killed in the fighting since it began on Monday with some 8,000 Yemeni soldiers involved. Eleven of the 14 soldiers died in a suicide bombing outside the town of Radda.

The fighting was suspended on Wednesday while tribal leaders tried to secure the release of the hostages -- a Finnish couple and an Austrian man who were kidnapped by tribesmen last month but were later sold to the insurgents.

from AL ARABIYA
Last Updated: Thu Jan 31, 2013 19:51 pm (KSA) 16:51 pm (GMT)

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Taliban district chief killed in eastern Afghanistan

According to local security officials in eastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, a senior Taliban leader and district chief was killed in Andar district.
Provincial security chief for eastern Ghazni province Zarawar Zahid confirming the report said the Taliban district chief Mullah Adam Khan also known as Mullah Jan was killed in this province.

Mr. Zahid further added Mullah Adam Khan was killed following a military operation by Afghan national police forces in Ali village at Andar district on Wednesday night.

Ghazni is among the most volatile region in eastern Afghanistan where Taliban militants and other insugent groups have increased their acitivities during the recent years.

Increased insurgency in Ghazni province forced local residents to pick weapons against the militants which led to an overall public uprising across the province.

In the meantime provincial security chief Zarawar Zahid said the Taliban district chief killed was one of the prominent member of the Taliban group who was coordinating attacks against the Afghan and coalition security forces.

Taliban militants group yet to comment regarding the report.

from KHAAMA
By Sayed Jawad - 31 Jan 2013, 2:53 pm

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Jan. 31., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed one insurgent, located two weapons caches and cleared eight improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 30.

Paktika province

Coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sharan district.

Afghan National Army soldiers found and safely cleared two IEDs in Zerok district.

Paktya province

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

Ghazni province

Afghan National Security Forces discovered an IED cache during an operation in Deh Yak district. The cache contained four remote controlled IEDs. Afghan National Army soldiers safely cleared all of the devices.

Coalition forces discovered a weapons cache during an operation in Ghazni district. The cache contained several dozen mortar rounds and barrels of an unknown substance.

Khowst province

Afghan and coalition forces killed one insurgent during an engagement in Nadir Shah Kot district.

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

Laghman province

Afghan National Army soldiers found and safely cleared three IEDs in Alishing district.

Operations in RC-East are ongoing.

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10 militants killed in Helmand

LASHKARGAH (PAN): Two bomb planters were among 10 insurgents killed in two separate incidents in the southern province of Helmand, officials said on Thursday.

Eight rebels were killed and three others wounded on Wednesday during an operation by police in the Nahr-i-Siraj area of Grishk district, the governor’s spokesman, Ahmad Zirak, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Two weapons, a walkie talkie, hundreds of bullets, a car and four motorcycles were seized by police as a result of the operation, he said. A policeman was also injured in the offensive, he added.

Meanwhile, two bomb planters were killed by their own explosives when they wanted to plant a roadside bomb on the Kandahar-Helmand highway in the Sarkar Veyala area of the province, a local police commander, Col. Abdul Satar Noorzai, said.

However, a Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, claimed they killed two Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers in Grishk and a policeman in Sangin district.

from Pajhwok
By Shams Jalal Jan 31, 2013 - 12:30

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AQIM, Ansar al-Din bosses flee Kidal

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

Malian and French forces recaptured Kidal on Wednesday (January 30th), forcing the main Islamist chiefs to flee their last holdout in northern Mali, AFP reported.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) katibat leader Abou Zeid and Ansar al-Din chief Iyad Ag Ghaly have reportedly retreated to the Adrar des Ifoghas mountain region bordering Algeria and Niger.

Meanwhile, at a donor conference in the Addis Ababa Tuesday, African leaders and international officials pledged more than 340m euros to support Mali.

Lack of cash and equipment has hampered the deployment of nearly 6,000 troops in the African-led force for Mali (AFISMA).

from MAGHAREBIA
30/01/2013

Related articles

• French forces take key Mali town (bbc.co.uk)
• French troops deployed in last Mali rebel strongholds - Reuters (reuters.com)

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22 killed or injured following explosions in Afghanistan

At least 22 people including children and women were killed or injured following separate explosions in eastern and northern parts of Afghanistan on Wednesday.

According to local authorities in northern Faryab province of at least 15 people including three Afghan police officers were injured and an Afghan woman was killed following a blast in this province.

Provincial security chief spokesman Syed Massoud Yaqoubi confirming the report said the incident took place after explosives packed in a motorcycle went off in Pashtun Kot district.

In the meantime local authorities in eastern Afghanistan said a bomb exploded in an open-air market in Khost province, killing two small children.

Provincial governor media office following a statement said the bomb was hidden under a stall in the main bazaar in Sabari district.

The source further added it went off Wednesday while a group of police officers were passing by. The statement says no police officers were affected, though another four civilians were wounded in the blast.

No group including the Taliban militants has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

from KHAAMA
By Sayed Jawad - 30 Jan 2013, 7:59 pm

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Jan. 30., 2013. - ISAF Joint Command Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested two Taliban leaders in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, today.

The first detained Taliban leader is believed to be directly responsible for orchestrating assassinations of Afghan National Security Force members, overseeing attacks on Afghan Local Police checkpoints and directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is also accused of having organized the acquisition and transfer of multiple heavy weapons and improvised explosive devices to Taliban fighters operating in Nahr-e Saraj district.

The second detained Taliban leader is believed to be directly responsible for the transportation and financing of IED-making materials, IED emplacement operations and the execution of IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

During the operation, the security force also detained four other suspected insurgents.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Khanabad district, Kunduz province, today. The detained Taliban leader is accused of being directly involved in planning and executing IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces as well as Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan officials. He is also believed to have provided financial and logistical support to Taliban and suicide bomber operations throughout Kunduz province. The security force detained two other suspected insurgents and seized several firearms as a result of the operation.

East

An Afghan and coalition force killed two insurgents and detained nine others after being fired upon during a security operation in search of a Taliban facilitator in Khugyani district, Nangarhar province, today. The Taliban facilitator is suspected of providing logistical support to Taliban leaders traveling throughout western Nangarhar province. The security force also seized several firearms and associated ammunition as a result of the operation. No civilians were harmed during the operation.

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Jan. 30., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained two insurgents and cleared two improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 29.

Logar province
Coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Mohhamad Aghah district.

Khowst province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sabari district.

Afghan and coalition forces detained two insurgents during two separate operations in Khowst district. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are ongoing.

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Al-Shabab Claims Responsibility for Mogadishu Bombing

Somali soldiers patrol at the front gate of the presidential palace following a suicide bomb attack in Mogadishu, Somalia, January 29, 2013.

Somali militant group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Mogadishu Tuesday that killed at least two people, including the bomber.
The bomber set off his explosives on a street that is near the presidential palace, the prime minister's residence and Somalia's National Security Agency.

A statement on al-Shabab's website says the blast killed seven security agents.  Somali officials say the bomber killed himself and one soldier, and that three other soldiers were wounded. 

British Ambassador to Somalia Matt Baugh condemned the bombing and voiced support for the Somali government.

“It’s yet another sad and horrific piece of evidence to show that there are those in Somalia who are against peace and stability of this country," he said.  "And we stand resolutely with both the federal government of Somalia and the people of Somalia in helping them achieve a more peaceful, more stable country."

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was not in Mogadishu at the time of the blast, while Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid was reported to be unharmed.

African and Somali government forces have driven al-Shabab from its former strongholds in Somalia but the group still carries out periodic suicide and guerilla attacks.   The group said it was behind a suicide attack in September targeting President Mohamud, who escaped harm.

Somalia's information minister said Tuesday's bomber was a former member of the National Security Agency.

A witness told VOA's Somali Service the bomber tried to enter the agency's headquarters, then walked toward the home of the prime minister.  The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said guards told the man to go back but the man detonated his explosives.

Somalia went more than 20 years without a stable central authority until U.N.-backed efforts to form a new government succeeded last year.

A new parliament sworn in six months ago elected Mohamud as president, ending eight years of an ineffective and often chaotic transitional government.

from VOA News
January 29, 2013

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IMU commander captured in northern Afghanistan

Districts of Baghlan. Burka in blue (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Patrick Megahan - January 29, 2013 - LWJ

Afghan and Coalition forces arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) commander today during an operation in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) reported capturing the member of the al Qaeda-linked IMU in the Burkah district, making this the second IMU operative captured in that district so far this year.

According to ISAF, "the leader conducted assassinations directed by insurgent leadership in the province." He also coordinated the supply of weapons to insurgents for attacks on Afghan and Coalition forces. However, when asked by The Long War Journal where he was acquiring the weapons, ISAF said it could not verify the location but that the detainee is of "Afghan-Uzbek nationality."

The last reported operation targeting an IMU operative occurred on Jan. 11, also in the Burkah district of Baghlan province. In that raid, Afghan and Coalition forces captured a Taliban leader who also serves as an IMU commander and was responsible for rooting out disloyal fighters within both organizations. This followed a Jan. 10 operation conducted in neighboring Takhar province that killed an IMU facilitator by the name of Mazlum Yar. Yar facilitated suicide bombers and organized IED emplacement throughout Takhar and Baghlan provinces.

continue and read more on The Long War Journal 

Related articles

• IMU commander captured in northern Afghanistan (longwarjournal.org)

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Jan. 29., 2013. - ISAF Joint Command Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Arghandab district, Kandahar province, today.

The leader was responsible for planning and executing improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Prior to his detention, he was planning an IED attack against Afghan civilians, according to coalition officials.

The security force also detained one suspected insurgent and seized ammunition as a result of the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

During an operation in Burkah district, Baghlan province, today, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) leader. The leader conducted assassinations directed by insurgent leadership in the province. He coordinated the acquisition and delivery of weapons for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. During the operation, the security force seized an assault rifle with associated gear and ammunition.

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Spin Boldak district, Kandahar province, Monday. The leader was directly responsible for constructing, emplacing and distributing IEDs in the district. He also conducted surveillance of Afghan and coalition forces in preparation for executing IED attacks in Kandahar province. He organized the transfer and delivery of manufactured IEDs to other insurgents.

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Jan. 29., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces cleared six improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 28.

Logar province
Afghan National Army soldiers found and safely cleared four IEDs in Pul-e Alam district.

Khowst province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sabari district.

Wardak province
Coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sayed Abad district.

Operations in RC-East are ongoing.

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Suicide bomber kills two near Somali presidential palace

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

(Reuters) - A suicide bomber blew himself up near the Somali presidential palace on Tuesday, killing at least two soldiers in a strike apparently aimed at the country's leaders, a palace guard at the scene said.

Officials working in the palace and guards said Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was abroad at the time of the blast and Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid, whose house was near the site of the explosion, was safe.

The blast was the first this year in Mogadishu, where security has improved greatly since Al Shabaab - Islamist rebels allied to al Qaeda - were driven from the capital by African peacekeepers in late 2011.

The group - which wants to impose its strict version of Sharia or Islamic law - is fighting to topple Mohamud, whose election last year was the first such vote since warlords ousted military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

"The man blew up himself near a wall between the Ethiopian embassy and the Somali PM's residence," Ahmed Ali, a Somali soldier at the presidential palace told Reuters.

The two buildings are inside a sprawling compound that also houses the presidential palace.

"One guard died there and then. Another died of his wounds. They were all the guards of the PM," said Ali. "The man was an al Shabaab defector. He had a gate pass, an identity card of the national security."

Guards at the palace who declined to be named said the blast partially damaged a small room made of iron sheets where the prime minister's guards are stationed, but little else was damaged. Buildings and cars within the compound were untouched.

OUSTED FROM URBAN CENTRES

The guards said the bomber was known to them, and frequently visited the palace. When he came by on Tuesday morning, the guards took the suicide bomber through a routine inspection and found he was clad in an explosive jacket.

The guards tried to prevent him from detonating his device, but it went off - killing one instantly and wounding two others.

Al Shabaab was not immediately available for comment on the attack.

The group fled to southern Somalia after quitting Mogadishu but in late September Kenyan troops forced it to withdraw from the port of Kismayu, its last major urban stronghold in the Horn of Africa nation.

That appears to have ended it as a quasi-conventional military force, though Al Shabaab remains a threat and has vowed to step up suicide bombings and hit-and-run attacks.

On January 17 the group said it had executed a captive French agent after a French commando mission to rescue him failed.

from REUTERS
By Abdi Sheikh
MOGADISHU | Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:17am GMT
(Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Jon Boyle)

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Nigeria: Boko Haram Agrees to Ceasefire As Gunmen Kill Eight in Borno

 The Jama’atul Ahalis Sunna Lida’awati Wal Jihad Islamic sect, popularly called Boko Haram, Monday again said it had agreed to a ceasefire with the Federal Government to pave the way for dialogue.

This will be the second time in months that the group has supposedly called for an end to hostilities, which was predicated on certain conditions being met, and had handpicked a committee that was to be headed by former military head of state, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, to hold discussions with the Federal Government.

However, two persons, who claimed to be representing the major faction of the group led by Sheikh Abubakar Shekau Monday met with the press in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Based on the sect’s antecedent, this is the first time anyone associated with Boko Haram is coming publicly to claim affinity with the dreaded group. On other occasions, communication with or through the media has been conducted via teleconferencing.

But in a swift reaction to the sect’s offer, the Federal Government Monday restated its condition for dialogue, adding that it was in the process of appraising the terms given by the sect.

Coincidentally, just as the representatives were calling for a truce, there were reports that eight persons, including a deputy treasurer of a local government area in Borno State, were in the early hours of Sunday killed by gunmen.

One of the two persons, who met with the journalists Monday, introduced himself as Sheikh Abu Mohammad Abdulazeez Ibn Idris, the commander in-charge of North and Central Borno of the sect.

He said the decision on the ceasefire came after meetings were held with the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima.

In the interview with journalists in Hausa language but translated to English, Idris said: “I, Sheikh Muhammed Abdulazeez Ibn Idris, the second commander-in-charge of southern and northern Borno, after Imam Abubakar Shekau of Jamaatul Ahjlil Sunna lidawati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram; for sometimes now, we the members of Jamaatul ahlil Boko Haram sunna lidawati wal jihad (otherwise known as Boko Haram) have recently had a meeting and dialogue with the government of Borno State, where we resolved that given the prevailing situation, there is the need for us to ceasefire.

Read more, the full article from THIS DAY
Muhammad Bello, Michael Olugbode  and Ibrahim Shuaibu with agency report
29 Jan 2013

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• Nigeria militant Boko Haram declares ceasefire (talking12.wordpress.com)
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Gunmen assassinate district chief in eastern Afghanistan

According to reports unknown gunmen on Tuesday assassinated district chief for Hesa-e-Dowom Kohistan.

The incident took place in Saha-e-Jamal area early Tuesday morning after unknown gunmen opened fire on Syed Mushtaq Sadat.

No group including the Taliban militants has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

The wave of insurgency has been rampant in northern and eastern Afghanistan during the past one week. This comes as a suicide car bomber has killed five civilians and wounded another 25 in a botched attempt to hit a convoy of NATO supply trucks in eastern Kapisa province on Friday.

In the meantime at least 10 people including two government officials were killed following a suicide bomb blast in northern Kunduz province of Afghanistan on Saturday evening.

At least 18 others were also injured following the blast which took place in a busy market in Kunduz city.

from KHAAMA
By Sajad - 29 Jan 2013, 10:04 am

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Jan. 28., 2013. - ISAF Joint Command Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Baghlan-e Jadid district, Baghlan province, today.

The leader was an improvised explosive device expert who constructed IEDs for insurgents operating in the province. He transferred and distributed acquired components for IEDs to insurgents.

The security force also detained one suspected insurgent as a result of the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

In Kandahar district, Kandahar province, today, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader. The leader was responsible for the facilitation and construction of improvised explosive device components and IEDs. He planned and executed IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He assisted in the transfer and delivery of IEDs, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized nearly $3,000 (U.S.) as a result of the operation.

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Nad ‘Ali district, Helmand province, today. The leader equipped insurgents with weapons and supplies for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He directed the distribution of heavy machine guns and rockets to his insurgent fighters. During the operation, the security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

East

In Pul-e ‘Alam district, Logar province, today, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani facilitator. The facilitator was a financier who funded multiple Haqqani insurgents operating in the district. He coordinated the purchase and transfer of weapons with insurgent leadership.

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Jan. 28., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed two insurgents and cleared three improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 27.

Kunar province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces killed two insurgents during an engagement in Bar Kunar district.

Khowst province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Nadir Shah Kot district.

Nangarhar province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Kot district.

Paktika province
Afghan National Army soldiers found and safely cleared an IED in Bermal district.

Operations in RC-East are ongoing.

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NATO vehicle accident injure 10 in northern Afghanistan

English: Samangan Province (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to local authorities in northern Samangan province of Afghanistan, at least 10 Afghan civilians were injured following a road traffic incident in this province.

The officials further added the incident took place after a civilian bus collided with the NATO troops vehicle in Rabatk highway.

Provincial security chief Musadiqullah Muzaffari confirming the report said the incident took place on Monday and accused NATO troops for reckless driving.

He said the vehicle of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force was also damaged following the incident however NATO troops did not suffer any casualty.

International Security Assistance Force yet to comment regarding the incident.

Samangan is located in northern central Afghanistan, delimited by Baghlan province in the east, Bamyan in the south, Sar-e-Pul in the south-west and Balkh province in the northwest.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) established a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the province and troops however Afghan security forces are currently providing security for Samangan province.

from KHAAMA
By Mirwais Adeel - Mon Jan 28, 2:39 pm

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Roadside blast injure 3 Afghan kids in Helmand

According to local authorities in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, at least 3 Afghan kids were injured following a roadside improvised explosive device blast.

The officials further added the incident took place on Sunday evening at Nawzad district.

Nawzad district Syed Murad Agha confirming the report said the incident took place after the vehicle carrying the children struck with the roadside bomb.

He said the health condition of children are critical.

Roadside bombing and use of improvised explosive device is the chief weapon of the Taliban militants and other insurgents in Afghanistan to target Afghan and coalition security forces however Afghan civilians also become victim of such bombing.

No group has so far claimed responsibility behind yesterday’s incident.

from KHAAMA
By Sadaf Shinwari - Mon Jan 28, 2:19 pm

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Mali deploys military police to protect civilians in Gao and Timbuktu

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

BAMAKO, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- After the deployment by air of the military police to Gao on Sunday morning, two additional units comprised of 400 officers are expected to be deployed Sunday evening to protect people and their properties in Gao and Timbuktu in northern Mali, a security source has said.

The mission of the military police is to prevent any form of abuses and violence against the civilian population.

In this regard, a meeting between Mali's defense minister and his internal security counterpart, will be held on Monday in Bamako to define the rules of engagement of the national police on the ground.

On Sunday morning, a French fighter jet bombarded the mansion of the leader of Ansar Dine movement, Iyad Ag Agaly, and later it also bombarded the number 2 camp in Kidal which has been serving as the logistical base for the rebels.

It is reported that the French and Malian troops have reached Timbuktu Saturday evening without encountering any resistance from the rebels at the city, a desert trading center occupied by the rebels last year. The French and Malian forces have seized Gao, another strategic town, and several other smaller towns in northern Mali in their two-week or so battle against the rebel groups which were believed under the influence of al-Quaida.

from XINHUA
2013-01-27 21:37:06
Editor: Yang Lina

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Jan. 27., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents, detained two, located one weapons caches and cleared three improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 26.

Logar province
Afghan National Security Forces, operating unilaterally, killed three insurgents during an engagement in Baraki Barak district. The insurgents, who were suspected IED emplacers, were shot by Afghan Uniformed Police when they refused to stop their vehicle at an AUP checkpoint. Upon inspection of the vehicle afterwards, the AUP discovered an AK-47 and IED-making materials.

Nangarhar province

Afghan National Army soldiers found and safely cleared an IED in Bati Kot district.

Khowst province

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

Afghan and coalition forces also detained an insurgent in Khowst district. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sabari district.

Laghman province

Afghan National Army soldiers found and safely cleared an IED in Dowlat Shah district.

Operations in RC-East are ongoing.

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Roadside bomb kills 10 in Afghanistan

A police truck packed with officers and detainees struck a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan's largest city, killing 10 of those aboard, officials said Sunday.

It was one of four blasts Saturday that left at least 24 people dead across the country. Attacks by insurgents are a daily occurrence around Afghanistan and the Afghan police with their unarmored pickup trucks and remote checkpoints are a common target.

In the Kandahar city blast, police had driven out into a residential neighborhood of the city at night to inspect a bomb that had been found there, said Javid Faisal, a spokesman for the provincial government. They detained three suspects and were driving back with them in a police pickup truck when the vehicle struck another explosive buried in the road. Eight police officers and two detainees were killed in the blast.

Meanwhile, Afghan authorities accused NATO of killing three civilian men in a nighttime ambush in the eastern Logar province. The coalition disputed the account, saying it had no operations in Logar's Baraki Barak district Saturday night. NATO said there were three dead, but they were insurgents killed by Afghan forces.

from ARY NEWS
Updated :   Sunday  January  27 , 2013  5:37:39 PM

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French-Backed Malian Forces Retake Gao, Advance on Timbuktu

Malian soldiers ride in a Malian army pickup truck in Diabaly January 26, 2013. (photo by Joe Penney)

French and Malian forces are advancing against Islamist militants in northern Mali heading toward Timbuktu after more than two weeks of fighting.  

Overnight, French air strikes destroyed the home of an al Qaida linked militant leader in the town of Kidal some 1,500 from the capital, Bamako.

The assault came  a day after French and Malian forces recaptured the strategic city of Gao.

The French Defense Ministry said Saturday that a contingent of troops from Nigeria and Chad was moving into the city to help maintain stability. The ministry also said the city's mayor, who had sought refuge in the capital, Bamako, was returning.

VOA correspondent Idrissa Fall in Mali says the military intervention in Gao is significant because the city had become a haven for rebel groups.

"Gao is the most important city in northern Mali. Gao was a kind of capital for the Movement for the Unity of God and Jihad in West Africa and also a capital for Ansar Dine. It was the former capital of the MNLA, those rebel Tuaregs who proclaimed independence."

Earlier Saturday, French and Malian forces regained control of Gao's airport and a nearby bridge. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the forces used an air and ground operation to cut off the logistic and transportation capabilities of the militants.

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

The U.S. Defense Department announced late Saturday it is expanding its aid to the French mission in Mali.  Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Le Drian in a phone conversation that the Pentagon is prepared to conduct aerial refueling missions.  The two defense officials also discussed plans for the U.S. to transport troops from other African nations into Mali.  The U.S. has not planned to send its own troops to Mali.

The conflict in Mali and how to end it is the main topic of discussion at the African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Sunday. The AU has asked leaders of the 54-member bloc of nations to consider committing troops to the mission in Mali.

France began a military offensive in Mali earlier this month, after rebels who seized control of much of the country's north last year began pushing toward the capital, Bamako. The rebels have been imposing a strict form of Islamic law on civilians.

As military operations continue in Mali, defense chiefs from the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS were holding an emergency meeting in the Ivory Coast to discuss Mali's unrest. ECOWAS has been discussing plans to send roughly 3,000 troops to Mali as part of a U.N.-backed mission. 

from VOA News

January 27, 2013

Related articles

• UK News: Mali troops march towards Timbuktu (walesonline.co.uk)
• You: French and Malian forces approach Timbuktu (guardian.co.uk)
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131kg opium seized from 2 cars in Nangarhar

JALALABAD (PAN): Police confiscated opium weighing 131 kilograms from two cars and detained two suspected smugglers separately in eastern Nangarhar province, an official said on Saturday. 

Police stopped a car during a cordon at the Daronta check post in Surkhrud district, and seized 110kg of opium from it, police spokesman Col. Hazrat Hussain Mashriqwal told Pajhwok Afghan News.

The driver was arrested, he added. Another 21kg of opium was confiscated from a car in the Batikot district and its driver captured, Mashriqwal said.

from Pajhwok
By Mahbob Shah Mahbob Jan 26, 2013 - 20:41

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Suicide Bomber Kills 10 Afghan Police

A suicide bombing in northern Afghanistan has killed 10 policemen, including the local counter-terrorism chief.

Authorities say the suicide bomber was driving a motorcycle when he blew himself up at an intersection in Kunduz city Saturday. The explosion wounded at least 18 other people.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Suicide attacks by insurgents are frequent across Afghanistan.

On Friday, a suicide car bomber attacked a NATO convoy in eastern Afghanistan, killing five civilians. No NATO service members were harmed in the explosion.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack.

from VOA News
January 26, 2013

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