Explosion kills 5, injures 6 on a taliban suicide bombing lesson

According to local authorities in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, at least 11 people were killed or injured following an explosion in a Madrasa (religious school) in this province.

The officials further added the incident took place after a suicide vest went off, killing five people and injuring six others.

Provincial governor spokesman Ahmad Zeerak said the individuals killed during the incident were reportedly being trained on how to carry out suicide attacks.

Mr. Zeerak further added the incident took place in Sheen Ghazak area at Marjah district where Taliban militants and other insurgent groups are openly operating.

He said a Taliban militants entered the Madrasa and was teaching the religious students suicide bombing.

Taliban mlitants group yet to commen regarding the incident.

from KHAAMA
By Sayed Jawad - 21 Mar 2013, 8:02 pm

Read More

Mali Suicide Bombing Leaves 2 Dead

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

DAKAR — An apparent suicide bomber struck in the northern Malian town of Timbuktu Wednesday. News agencies report at least two dead, one Malian soldier and the bomber.

Timbuktu residents say an explosion rocked the town during the night of Wednesday to Thursday.

The explosion reportedly came from a car near the Timbuktu airport where French and Malian troops are stationed.  It was not immediately clear whether the car was laden with explosives or the bomber was wearing a belt.

Malian military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Diarran Kone told VOA that the bombing appeared to have been part of a larger raid. 

He said that the perpetrators were "terrorists who wanted to infiltrate" the area.

French and Malian troops were able to repel the attackers.

Timbuktu residents told VOA that gunfire began around 11 Wednesday night and continued until early Thursday morning.

This resident, identified by his last name Oumar, told VOA by phone from Timbuktu that he heard a "large boom" and gunfire, including heavy weapons, coming from the direction of the airport.  He said he heard French planes flying overhead until the early morning hours.  He said he and his family, unsure of what was happening, remained sheltered in their home until morning.

French, Malian and Chadian troops have been fighting al-Qaida-linked Islamist militants in northern Mali for nearly ten weeks.  France intervened after the militants, who seized control of the region last April, tried to move south in January.

The attack on Timbuktu Wednesday would mark the town's first suicide bombing and highlights fears of a stubborn "hit and run" guerrilla war to come in northern Mali.

France has said it will withdraw its troops, leaving Malian troops and a multi-nation African force to fight the militants.

from VOA News
by Anne Look
March 21, 2013

Read More

Five killed in Yemen clash between Al-Qaeda fighters, militia

ADEN, Yemen: At least five people were killed in Yemen when a pro-government militia attacked Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants on Thursday, residents and militia sources said.

U.S.-allied Yemen has been grappling with an Islamist insurgency since popular protests forced President Ali Abdulah Saleh to step down in November 2011.

The United States considers Yemen an important ally against Al-Qaeda which it fears could use the country to plot attacks against its interests, and has regularly used drones to hit suspected militants there.

The sources said several people were wounded on Thursday in the fighting which broke out in the village of al-Qafr in the southern province of Abyan.

The two groups have regularly attacked each other since the pro-government Popular Committees were set up as a volunteer force against militants who exploited the 2011 political turmoil to seize territory and impose Islamic Sharia.

A U.S.-backed offensive by the Yemeni military last May recaptured ground from the militants and drove them out of towns they had seized the year before.

In the latest incident, dozens of pro-government Popular Committee members attacked Ansar al-Sharia fighters to avenge the killing of one of their colleagues the day before, militia sources said.

Three of those killed were members of Ansar al-Sahria and the other two were militia fighters, the sources said.

Yemen, situated next to the world's top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, is also fighting a separatist movement in the south and faces a potential challenge from Shiite Muslim rebels, known as Houthis, in the north.


Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Mar-21/211033-five-killed-in-yemen-clash-between-al-qaeda-fighters-militia.ashx#ixzz2OCW4PZTF
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
March 21, 2013 03:58 PM (Last updated: March 21, 2013 05:57 PM)

Read More

Swedish jihadist killed in Syria while fighting for the Muhajireen Brigade

Abu Kamal (photo from SITE)

By Bill Roggio - March 20, 2013 - LWJ

A Swedish Muslim who entered Syria to wage jihad against President Bashir al Assad's regime was killed while fighting alongside the Muhajireen Brigade (Emigrants Brigade), a group of foreign fighters who are linked to al Qaeda's affiliate in the country.


The Swede, who was identified by his nom de guerre, Abu Kamal As Swedee, was reported killed in a English-language video martyrdom statement that was posted on jihadist-run Facebook and Twitter pages on March 13. The video was discovered by France 24.




Like many foreign jihadists, Abu Kamal traveled to Turkey before entering Syria. Abu Kamal "joined Jaysh Al Hur [Free Army] known as the Free Syrian Army," the supposedly secular group that is known to fight alongside al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, the Al Nusrah Front. But he became disenchanted with the group as "most of them didn't pray, listened to music, and smoked cigarettes," and returned to Turkey to "meet his old friend Abu Sulayman whom he grew up with [sic]."

Abu Kamal and his friend "met some brothers from the Muhajireen Brigade," includng a "Chechnyan [sic]," or a fighter from the Russian republic of Chechnya, and was convinced that he "felt right at home with the group that consisted of brothers who came to fight for the sake of Allah from around the world."

The Muhajireen Brigade is commanded by a jihadist from the Russian Caucasus who is known as Abu Omar al Chechen. The Chechen commander was praised by the Islamic Caucasus Emirate, a jhadist group that is allied with al Qaeda. Chechen fighters are thought to play a significant role in the Muhajireen Brigade, which has conducted joint operations with the Al Nusrah Front.

Continue & Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/03/swedish_jihadist_kil.php#ixzz2OAIHj4OL

Read More

10 killed as blast hits refugee camp in NW Pakistan

Map of Pakistan (Photo credit: Omer Wazir)

PESHAWAR: At least ten people were killed and 25 others were injured in an explosion at the Jalozai camp in northwest Pakistan on Thursday.


The deceased included a women and a child.

At least ten people died in the attack and 20 others were injured, according to DPO Mohammad Hussain who added that the bomb was planted in a car.

He further said that a number of vehicles were destroyed as a result of the blast adding that a crater had formed at the blast site.

Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) official Abdul Haq told Dawn.com that around 35 kilograms of explosive material was used in the attack.

The in-charge of a nearby police security checkpost confirmed that at least ten people had died in the incident.

Earlier, former provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain told medi personnel that eight people were killedand scores others were injured in the attack.

The injured were shifted to the District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital Noweshera and Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar. The condition of few wounded was reported as critical.

The blast took place at the office gate of a Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) distribution point in Phase V area of Jalozai camp.

The outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant organisation disassociated itself from the attack.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesperson for the banned outfit, said that attack on public places targeting innocent people was inhuman and that the Taliban condemned such incidents.

The camp hosts internally displaced persons from the country’s tribal areas.

from DAWN
Zahir Shah Sherazi | 2 hours ago

Related articles

• Deadly bomb at Pakistan refugee camp (bbc.co.uk)
• Bomb kills 4 at Pakistani refugee camp (foxnews.com)
• Deadly Bombing Hits Pakistan Refugee Camp (rferl.org)

Read More

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

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban weapons facilitator and detained one other insurgent during an operation in Arghandab district, Kandahar province, today.

The facilitator is accused of brokering weapons and ammunition deals to various insurgent fighters in Arghandab for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and detained two other insurgents during an operation in Nawah-ye Barakzai district, Helmand province, today. The leader and his subordinates are believed to have carried out a significant number of improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is also accused of procuring IED-making supplies and distributing them to his fighters.

East

Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed today the death of Haqqani leader, Hazratullah, during an operation in Sabari district, Khost province, Tuesday. Hazratullah had a long history of procuring weapons, IED components, ammunition and other supplies and distributing them to militants for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Read More

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

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces found and safely cleared three improvised explosive devices, killed five insurgents and discovered one weapons cache during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, March 20.

Ghazni province
Afghan and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED during operations in the Dehyak district.

Afghan and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache during operations in the Muqer district. The cache consisted of multiple IED making materials, 19 land mines and 120 machine gun rounds.

Khowst province
Afghan and coalition forces killed one insurgent during operations in the Sabari district.

Afghan and coalition forces killed one insurgent during operations in the Nadir Shah Kot district.

Afghan and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED during operations in the Bak district.

Logar province
Afghan National Security Forces killed three insurgents during operations in the Baraki Barak district.

Paktika province
Afghan Uniform Police found and safely cleared an IED during operations in the Mohammad Khel district.

Read More

2 blasts kill 8 Afghans, wound 8

KABUL, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Eight Afghans were killed and eight others sustained injuries as two blasts hit the restive Helmand province in the south and relatively peaceful Takhar province in the north on Thursday, officials confirmed.
In the first blast which took place in the premise of a Medressah or religious school in Marja district of the southern Helmand province with Lashkar Gah as its capital 555 km south of Kabul, five people were killed and six others injured, provincial administration spokesman Farid Zirak said.

"An explosive device, apparently a suicide vest, exploded inside a Medressah in Shin Ghazak village of Marja district at around 07:00 a.m. local time, leaving five seminarians dead and injured six others," Zirak told Xinhua.

He also did not rule out Taliban involvement in the deadly incident, saying the militants often carry out such attacks to terrorize people.

A similar violent incident claimed the lives of three people including a district governor and injured two others in the relatively peaceful Takhar province 245 km north of Kabul Thursday morning, police spokesman in the province Abdul Khalil Asir said.

"Abdul Manan Hakimi, the governor of Ashkamish district, along with two others were killed and two others sustained injuries as a mine exploded near his house at 08:30 a.m. local time today," Asir told Xinhua.

The deadly incident happened minutes after the district governor came out of his home to go somewhere, he added.

Thursday's bombings happened while Afghans were celebrating Nawroz or New Year, falling on March 21, the first day of the year 1392 in Afghan calendar, amid tight security across the country.

President Hamid Karzai in his message congratulated all Afghan citizens on the occasion of 1392 new year and Nawroz, hoping that this new year be blessed with peace, security and progress for Afghanistan.

from XINHUA
Editor: Chen Zhi
2013-03-21 15:56:22

Read More

R.I.P. - Senior Private Paweł Ordyński

On March 20 in Afghanistan Polish soldier Senior Private Paweł Ordyński died after an explosion of IED under MRAP vehicle during patrol.

The accident took place at about 9.00 am CET to the north-west of Ghazni during a routine patrol done by soldiers of 2nd motorised infantry company of Combat Group.

The task of the patrol was to conduct reconnaissance of the road and to organise check point.

As a result of the explosion the driver of MRAP vehicle was killed and another Polish soldier was wounded.

Senior Private Paweł Ordyński served at a post of a driver in 12th Mechanised Brigade since 2004.
It was his fourth foreign mission. Earlier he had served in the Balkans and twice in Afghanistan.

He was 29 years old, he had a son.

The families of the killed soldier and the wounded soldier have been informed about the accident.

Maj Marek Pietrzak
Deputy Press Spokesman
Operations Command of Polish Armed Forces
http://wp.mil.pl/en/artykul/14077
---
International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs
KABUL, Afghanistan – An International Security Assistance Force service member died following an improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan today.

It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.

Read More