9 killed, 20 wounded in roadside bomb attack in Iraq

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BAGHDAD, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A total of nine people were killed and 20 others injured when a roadside bomb struck a popular restaurant in central Iraq on Sunday, the police said.

The bombing attack in downtown Fallujah, 50 km west of Iraq's capital Baghdad, also caused material damage to the restaurant and nearby shops, a local police source told Xinhua.

The death toll was preliminary and might increase as rescuers were working at the site, the source said, adding that the security forces had cordoned off the scene.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Violence is still common in Iraq despite the dramatic decrease since its peak in 2006 and 2007 when the country was engulfed in sectarian killings.

from XINHUA
by Editor: Mu Xuequan
2013-04-22 04:19:44    

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Al-Qaida kills 2 Yemeni soldiers in revenge attack

SANAA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qaida militants raided a military checkpoint in Yemen's central province of Marib on Sunday, killing two soldiers and injuring seven others in an apparent retaliation to a U.S. drone strike earlier in the day, a government security report said.
"Five al-Qaida gunmen on board a car carried out a surprise attack on a military checkpoint of the 3rd Infantry Brigade in a road close to the earlier drone strike site, killing two soldiers and wounding seven others," said the report issued by the interior ministry.

"The attack took place in the afternoon in an apparent revenge to the earlier drone strike. The 3rd Infantry Brigade sent reinforcement one hour later and fired heavily toward farms in the edge of Wadi Abida area, where the militants are believed to hide in," it said.

Earlier in the day, a U.S. drone strike killed at least two militants and injured several others in a raid on a house of the suspected militants outside Wadi Abida in central Marib, some 170 km northeast of the capital Sanaa.

The air strike was the second in less than a week after another U.S. drone attack killed five militants in the nearby southern province of Dhamar on Wednesday, according to the Yemeni government officials.

Dozens of al-Qaida members have been killed in such airstrikes since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February 2012, after a year-long unrest weakened the control of the central government and allowed the militants to take over swaths of territory in the south. The Yemeni government managed to recapture several of those southern cities in May 2012.

On Jan. 23, a U.S. drone strike targeting armed militants mistakenly hit a house of civilians in Yemen's southeastern province of al-Bayda, killing two children, according to Yemeni officials.

from XINHUA
by Editor: Mu Xuequan
2013-04-21 23:13:49

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• U.S. drone strike kills 2 militants in Yemen (sgt-jim.blogspot.com)

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Six Afghan Police killed in insider attack

GHAZNI CITY/SHIBERGHAN (PAN): Six members of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) force were killed in the Deh Yak district of southern Ghazni province on Sunday, officials said.

The policemen were killed while staying as guests with their friend Abdul Razzaq, who had links with insurgents, the district chief told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Fazal Ahmad said the Taliban killed the six ALP personnel inside Razzaq’s house in the Tasan village and abducted two others. Razzaq also fled with the rebels after snatching the policemen’s weapons.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, claimed killing 13 local policemen, including their commander Darya Khan, in the attack.

Separately, the insurgents released six ALP members from a week of captivity in the Darzab district of northern Jawzjan province, said the police chief, Brig. Gen. Abdul Aziz Ghairat.

One of the six policemen had links with militants and handed to them, he said, adding three guarantors of the policemen were under investigation.

However, Zabihullah Mujahid said they had released the policemen as a result of medication by tribal elders. The ALP members had promised to quit their jobs, he claimed.

from Pajhwok
By Saifullah Maftoon & Mohammad Jan Tamkin Apr 21, 2013 - 14:29

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• 6 Afghan policemen killed in E. province (afghanistannews.net)

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U.S. drone strike kills 2 militants in Yemen

SANAA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. drone strike killed at least two al-Qaida suspects in Yemen's central province of Marib on Sunday, an interior ministry official said.
"Two unidentified men were killed when a drone strike hit a gathering of militants in a house in a remote area outside Wadi Abida in Marib province on Sunday," the official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

"The militants used to gather in farms under the cover of trees and they heard the sound of the drone hours earlier," the official said, adding "The trees make it difficult for drones to accurately hit targets."

"No further details, but part of the house was on fire," he said.

The air strike was the second in less than a week after another U.S. drone killed five militants in the nearby southern province of Dhamar on Wednesday, according to the Yemeni government officials.

Dozens of al-Qaida members have been killed in such airstrikes since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February 2012, after a year-long unrest weakened the control of the central government and allowed the militants to take over swaths of territory in the south. The Yemeni government managed to recapture several of those southern cities in May 2012.

But on Jan. 23, a U.S. drone strike targeting armed militants mistakenly hit a house of civilians in Yemen's southeastern province of al-Bayda, killing two children, according to Yemeni officials.

from XINHUA
by Editor: Fang Yang
2013-04-21 19:09:32

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3 civilians killed in E. Afghan suicide bombing

Districts of Paktika Province (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SHARAN, Afghanistan, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Three Afghan civilians were killed and seven others were wounded Sunday when a suicide bombing took place in the country's eastern province of Paktika, a provincial official said.

"The bombing took place in the main bazaar in Jani Khil district at around 11:30 a.m. (local time) Sunday," spokesman for provincial government, Mukhlis Afghan, told Xinhua.

The injured included five civilians and two Afghan National Police members, Afghan added.

The obvious target of the bombing was not clear at this span of time.

However, Hasanullah Hayat, former administrative chief of the district, was among the killed, the official said.

No group has claimed the responsibility for the attack in the province 155 km south of capital Kabul.

In a separate development, six Taliban insurgents were killed overnight when an Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that they were placing in a road went off prematurely in Kharwar district in eastern Logar province 60 km south of Kabul, a senior police official in the province told Xinhua earlier Sunday.

The Taliban-led insurgency and conflicts claimed the lives of more than 2,800 Afghan security forces and 400 foreign soldiers while leaving 2,754 civilians dead last year in the war-hit central Asian state.

from XINHUA
2013-04-21 17:25:36

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In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 10 Armed Taliban Killed

 

Publish Date: Apr 21, 2013

 

Counterterrorism:

In past 24 hours, Afghan National Police conducted several joint clearance operations with the cooperation of Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces to clean some of the areas from terrorists and enemies of peace and stability of Afghanistan.
 

The operations were conducted in Kapisa, Kunduz, Zabul and Paktiya provinces, as a result 10 armed Taliban were killed, one wounded and three other armed Taliban were arrested by Afghan National Security Forces.                                                                                      
 

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated some amount of light and heavy round ammunitions and IEDs.
 

During the same 24 hour period, Afghan National Police discovered and defused four different types of mines placed by enemies of Afghanistan for destructive activities in Logar, Herat and Nimroz provinces.

Counter Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained a suspect accused of theft in the Bagrami District of Kabul-City.

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Over 60 school girls poisoned in Takhar province of Afghanistan

Districts of Takhar Province (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to local authorities in north-eastern Takhar province of Afghanistan, at least 48 school girls were poisoned due to unknown reasons in the capital city of Takhar province on Sunday.
The officials further added, the incident took place in Bibi Maryam girls high school early Sunday morning and were taken to hospital for treatment purposes.

Provincial public health chief Dr. Hafizullah Safi confirming the report said the main reason behind the poisoning of the school girls is still unknown.

Mr. Safi further added that majority of the students were discharged from the hospital and medical tests did not confirm the specific reason behind the pisonining of the girls.

On Thursday, a total of 17 students were hospitalized after a similar incident in a girl high school in the same city, some 245 km north of Kabul.

Several dozen of gas attacks against girl schools have been reported across Afghanistan over the past couple of years.

No group or individual has claimed the responsibility for the incidents so far. Radical Islamic groups and anti-government militants had in the past been blamed for such gas attacks.

from KHAAMA
By Sadaf Shinwari - 21 Apr 2013, 3:32 pm

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

KABUL, Afghanistan – During an operation in Balkh district, Balkh province, April 20, Afghan and coalition security forces killed two insurgents while searching for a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader.

The IMU leader is believed to have a long history of planning attacks against civilians and Afghan and coalition forces. The leader is accused to have coordinated a failed attack against a public gathering, specifically targeting the Balkh provincial governor and other government officials with suicide bombers. He is known to conduct coordinated operations between IMU and Taliban networks, and has extensive experience facilitating the movement of improvised explosive devices throughout the area. An assessment is still ongoing to determine additional details of the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested one insurgent during an operation in search of a senior Taliban leader in Kandahar district, Kandahar province, April 21. The leader is believed to have operational control over a group of insurgents responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is suspected to be a key insurgent facilitator in the area, procuring and distributing weapons and other military supplies.

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested four insurgents during an operation in search of a Taliban leader in Kandahar district, Kandahar province, April 21. The leader is believed to manage a network of insurgents throughout the province, and gathering intelligence to use against Afghan and coalition forces. He has also participated in executions of Afghan officials, assisted in the facilitation of weapons to local insurgents, and directly associated with Abdullah Wakil, the former Taliban leader for Panjwa’i district. Wakil was killed during an Afghan and coalition operation on March 31.

East

During an operation in search of a senior Taliban leader in Khugyani district, Nangarhar province, April 21, Afghan and coalition security forces arrested three insurgents. The leader is believed to be responsible assassinations against government officials, facilitated movement of money, distributed weapons and insurgent fighters, and conducted multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the local area.

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

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan National Security and coalition forces killed two insurgents and found and safely cleared 10 improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, April 20.

Ghazni province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared seven IEDs during operations in the Gelan district.

Afghan National Security Forces killed one insurgent during operations in the Waghaz district.

Logar province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared one IED during operations in the Pul-E-Alam district.

Nangarhar province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared one IED during operations in the Behsud district.

Wardak province
Afghan National Security and coalition forces killed one insurgent and found and safely cleared one IED during operations in the Sayyidabad district.

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Taliban punish two Afghan guards with amuptations in Herat

According to police officials in western Herat province of Afghanistan, Taliban group militants have amputated a hand and a foot of two private security guards over robbery charges.

Taliban group following a statement cofnirmed the report and said they had cut off the right hand and left foot of each man accusing them for highway robberies.

The statement further added that the men had confessed to “the District court of the Islamic Emirate” that they had robbed travellers on roads in the area.

However one of the victims he and his companion had been kidnapped a few days ago by the militants.

The two individuals reportedly worked for a private security company providing escort services to NATO-led coaltion security forces logistic convoys.

Provincial police spokesman Noor Khan Nikzad said the incident happened in the Rabat-e Sangi district and the men were brought to Herat city for treatment.

Taliban group imposed a harsh form of Islamic justice while they were ruling the country from 1996 to 2001. Taliban militants are frequently targeting Afghan and coalition security forces and civilians who are working for NATO troops since they were toppled down by a US-led invasion in 2001.

from KHAAMA
By Meena Haseeb - 21 Apr 2013, 8:43 am

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6 killed by own bombs in Logar

Districts of Logar. This image does not include Azra district, located to the east of Khoshi and Mohammad Agha. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PUL-I-ALAM (PAN): Six suspected militants were killed on Saturday when the roadside bombs they were planting in the capital of central Logar province went off prematurely, an official said.

The rebels were planting the landmines on a road frequented by the Afghan Local Police (ALP) in the Kamalkhel area of Pul-i-Alam, the deputy police chief said.

Col. Raees Khan Sadiq told Pajhwok Afghan News the guerrillas were blown to bits and could not be recognised.

Witness Abdullah said three of the bomb-planters belonged to Kamalkhel and the rest came from other areas of Logar. The powerful predawn explosion was heard in several nearby villages, he added.

from Pajhwok
By Abdul Maqsud Azizi Apr 21, 2013 - 13:13

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