In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 11 Armed Taliban Arrested (Jan.21.2013.)

Publish Date: Jan 21, 2013

In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 11 Armed Taliban Arrested

Counterterrorism:

During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces launched 11 joint clearance operations in Kandahar, Zabul, Uruzgan, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni, Paktiya and Helmand provinces.

As a result of these operations, two armed Taliban were killed and 11 others were arrested by Afghan National Security Forces.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered, confiscated and defused eight different types of weapons, one rocket launcher, 61 different types of mines, 262 heavy rounds, 12 hand grenades, 200 kilos of opium and two vehicles.

 

Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained 12 suspects accused of murder, drug trafficking, drinking alcoholic beverages and theft in the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 9th Districts of Kabul-City.
 

Read More

6 injured in Jalalabad bombing

Jalalabad District is located in the north-west of Nangarhar Province. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

JALALABAD (PAN): Six people were wounded in a bomb explosion in the capital of eastern Nangarhar province on Monday, police said.

Five civilians and a policeman were injured in the blast that rocked the Majboorabad area of Jalalabad around noon, the police spokesman said.

Col. Hazrat Hussain Mashriqiwal told Pajhwok Afghan News no one had been arrested so far in connection with the roadside bombing.

Dr. Humayun, in charge of the Jalalabad Civil Hospital, confirmed receiving four injured people from the scene. They are said to be in stable condition.

from Pajhwok
By Mahbob Shah Mahbob Jan 21, 2013 - 14:31

Read More

U.S. drone strike kills four Qaeda militants in Yemen

(Reuters) - A U.S. drone killed four suspected al Qaeda militants on Monday in a strike in central Yemen, tribal sources said, in the third such attack in three days.

The United States never comments on strikes by its pilotless aircraft, which it has used to track down militants in Yemen for years. The Yemeni government tolerates such strikes but usually does not comment on the U.S. role in specific incidents.

Washington has scaled up action against al Qaeda in the strategically important state, where the group exploited widespread anti-government unrest in 2011 to seize swathes of territory in the south.

It was subsequently driven out by a military offensive in June last year.

Yemen's defence ministry said in a statement the air strike targeted a vehicle being used by militants in al-Ateef in the central province of Maarib, killing four fighters. It did not say who was responsible.

Tribal sources said a pilotless plane had attacked a car on a main road linking the capital Sanaa with Maarib.

"The strike burnt the car which was carrying four suspected al Qaeda (militants) and killed those in it," a source told Reuters.

Six suspected insurgents were killed in two other drone strikes in Maarib on Saturday and Sunday. A further 10 suspected al Qaeda fighters died in an explosion in a house in southern Yemen on Sunday.

Shoring up stability and security in Yemen is a priority for the United States and its Gulf Arab allies because of its location next to the world's top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, and to shipping lanes, and because it is home to one of the most active wings of al Qaeda.

But local discontent at the drone strikes is growing.

On Sunday armed tribesman, angry at what they said was a drone attack on an area inhabited by civilians, blocked the main road linking Maarib with Sanaa.

Earlier this month, dozens of armed tribesmen also took to the streets in southern Yemen to protest against drone strikes that they said had killed innocent civilians and fuelled anger against the United States.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is considered by Western governments to be one of the most active and dangerous wing of the global network founded by Osama bin Laden, and has attempted a number of attacks against U.S. targets.

from REUTERS
SANAA | Mon Jan 21, 2013 9:37am GMT
(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Rania El Gamal; editing by Sami Aboudi, John Stonestreet)

Read More

Jan. 21., 2013. - ISAF Joint Command Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition force killed Taliban leader, Muhibullah Jan, and his subordinate Taliban facilitator, Malawi Noorullah, during a security operation in Khanabad district, Kunduz province, today.

Muhibullah Jan oversaw improvised explosive device operations to include managing insurgent IED builders and emplacers, as well as, the acquisition and movement of IED materials. He led IED attack planning and operations against Afghan and coalition forces.

Malawi Noorullah was an IED facilitator and deputy in Muhibullah Jan’s IED cell. He coordinated and executed IED attacks to include leading IED emplacement operations. He also organized the transfer and delivery of IEDs to other insurgents.

The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized firearms with associated gear and ammunition as a result of the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

During an operation, Afghan and coalition security forces killed Taliban attack facilitator, Malang Mama, in Khanabad district, Kunduz province, Sunday. Malang Mama, also known as Naim Malang, was an attack facilitator involved in planning and executing improvised explosive device attacks, as well as, facilitating the movement of weapons and explosives throughout the province. The security force conducted a precision airstrike, killing both.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani leader in Pul-e ‘Alam district, Logar province, today. The leader was responsible for coordinating attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces, and oversaw the procurement and distribution of weapons to insurgents. He recently coordinated the acquisition of suicide vest materials in preparation for a future attack. During the operation, the security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

Read More

Jan. 21., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed two insurgents, detained two, located one weapons cache and cleared one improvised explosive device during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Jan. 20.

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

Khowst province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces discovered a cache in Khowst district. The cache contained rifles, grenades and body armor.

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

Kunar province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared an IED in Watahpur district.

Paktya province
Coalition forces detained one insurgent in Paktya province. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are ongoing.

Read More

Algeria Says 80 Dead at Gas Complex

Smoke rises above following demining operations at the In Amenas gas plant, January 20, 2013.

Algeria's prime minister is expected to announce Monday the latest details of the militant takeover and military raid of a desert natural gas complex that left at least 80 people dead, including militants.

The toll jumped Sunday when officials combing through the complex found 25 more bodies, which they said were so disfigured it is hard to tell if the remains were of militants or hostages.

Officials in the Philippines said Monday that six of the victims were Filipinos, and that four of its nationals remain missing.

Many of the dead were foreign hostages held when Islamist militants seized the In Amenas gas complex Wednesday.  So far, nationals from Britain, Romania, the United States, Japan and France have also been confirmed dead.

Islamist militant leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar claimed responsibility for the attack. In an Internet video posted Sunday, he said he was acting in the name of al-Qaida and that 40 militants from Muslim and Western nations carried out the raid.

Belmokhtar said the attack was an answer to the French military operation against other al-Qaida-linked militants in Mali.

Algerian forces captured five militants alive during a Saturday raid on the complex.  Algeria's official news agency said the militants killed seven hostages during the raid, while Algerian troops killed 11 of the kidnappers.

A number of militants and hostages were also killed earlier during the crisis, while other hostages escaped unharmed.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Sunday that responsibility for the killings "lies squarely" with what he called the "terrorists who launched this vicious and cowardly attack." French President Francois Hollande welcomed what he described as Algeria's "most appropriate" response to "coldly determined terrorists."

Algerian Communications Minister Mohamed Said said the Islamist assailants came from six nations. He said Algerian experts are tying to clear away land mines the militants laid around the gas complex.

Nearly 700 Algerian workers and more than 100 foreigners escaped the militant attack last week.

The foreign hostages included Americans, Austrians, Belgians, Britons, Colombians, French, Japanese, Malaysians, Norwegians and Romanians. The complex is jointly run by Algerian, British and Norwegian firms.


Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

from VOA NEWS
January 20., 2013.

Read More

Taliban storm Traffic Police headquarters in Kabul, killing 1 police

Afghan security forces run on the roof of the headquarters of Kabul Traffic Police after it is attacked by Taliban militants in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan on Jan. 21, 2013. Taliban militants targeted the headquarters of Kabul Traffic Police on Monday morning, killing at least one police and injuring 16 others and thus causing panic among the war-weary residents. (Xinhua/Ahmad Massoud) - click on the picture for more photos

KABUL, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Taliban militants targeted the headquarters of Kabul Traffic Police on Monday morning, killing at least one police and injuring 16 others and thus causing panic among the war-weary residents.

a video from Pajhwok News:


The offensive which triggered counter-attack by security forces, according to a police officer, have so far left one police dead and 16 others injured.

"It was 05:50 a.m. local time when a blast rocked Dehmazang area where Traffic Police headquarters located and the blast followed by gun shots. One police was killed and 16 others sustained injuries," the police officer told Xinhua but declined to be identified, saying authorized officials would brief the media after investigation.

Meantime, General Mohammad Zahir of the Criminal Investigation Department of Kabul police in talks with media at the site confirmed killing two attackers, saying both were probably killed in their blast near the entrance gate of Traffic police headquarters.

However, the security forces have yet to control the situation as some of the attackers are still inside the compound and resisting over the past six hours.

Nevertheless, Zahir asserted that full details will be released whenever the conflict is over.

Taliban outfit, however, claimed responsibility for the blatant attack. Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban militants in talks with media via telephone from unknown location asserted that a group of Taliban fighters equipped with suicide vests and assault rifles occupied the four-story Traffic department and from there began attacking government interests including a police base at nearby inflicting casualties to both Afghan and foreign soldiers.

This is the second bold attack carried out by Taliban in the fortified Afghan capital Kabul in less than a week.

In the previous attack, a group of Taliban suicide bombers targeted a compound of Afghan National Directorate for Security ( NDS) or national spy agency on last Wednesday, leaving six people dead presumably all attackers and injuring 30 others, all civilians, according to officials.

from XINHUA
2013-01-21 15:50:54
Editor: Yang Lina

Read More