R.I.P. - Capt. Mark T. Voss, Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III

DOD Identifies Air Force Casualties

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of three airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            They died May 3, near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, in the crash of a KC-135 aircraft.  The airmen were assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash.  The cause of the crash is under investigation.

            Killed were:

            Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo., 

            Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, 27, of Palmdale, Calif., and

            Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, Calif. 

            For more information, media may contact the 92nd Air Refueling Wing public affairs office at 509-247-5705.

---

SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Department of Defense identified the victims of a deadly KC-135 crash on Sunday. Three airmen based out of Fairchild Air Force Base died on Friday while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan. Killed were:
Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, of Colorado Springs, Colo.,
Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, 27, of Palmdale, Calif., and
Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III, 30, of Bakersfield, Calif.

The airmen were assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. The cause of the crash is under investigation according to the Department of Defense.

Col. Brian Newberry, 92d Air Refueling Wing Commander, announced Sunday that he will hold a press conference at 3 p.m. to discuss the three Fairchild Airmen who died.

“We will forever honor Tyler, Tori and Tre as patriots and heroes. Team Fairchild will do everything we can to support their families and friends during this profoundly difficult time. These Airmen leave behind an incredible legacy of service and honor in protecting our nation and the world. They show what we all know, freedom is not free,” said Newberry.


On Sunday morning, Spokane Mayor David Condon offered his condolences by saying the three victims are in his thoughts and prayers.

“We are reminded of the sacrifice members of the military make every day for all of us, and offer our heartfelt condolences to the entire military family who is grieving their loss. Spokane stands ready to support our Fairchild family,” said Condon.

The KC-135 plane crashed Friday afternoon about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of the air base. Emergencies Minister Kubatbek Boronov told The Associated Press that Kyrgyz search teams found the two fragmented bodies Saturday morning. Dozens of U.S. military personnel scoured the area on Saturday and set up a security cordon around the crash site.

Parts of the plane were scattered across a wide area near the village of Chaldovar. Some pieces, including the tail, came down in a grassy valley bordered by steep mountains, but others landed in spots much more difficult for search teams to reach.

Residents of the rural, sheep-herding region described hearing the plane explode in the air and seeing it break apart as it fell.

"I heard a very loud explosion," Emil Bokochev, a member of the village council, told an AP reporter at the site. "Literally six or seven seconds afterward there was another explosion and the plane broke apart into four or five pieces and at that moment we thought it was going to fall on the village Chaldovar."

The plane was on a refueling mission for Afghanistan war operations at the time of the crash, a U.S. defense official in Washington said, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss the details of an ongoing investigation.

by KREM.com
Posted on May 5, 2013 at 9:51 AM
Updated today at 12:42 PM

Capt. Mark T. Voss

Air Force Captain Victoria A. "Tori" Pinckney, 27, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, shown pictured here with her now 7-month-old son Gabriel

Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III

Related articles

• Air Force: downed KC-135 crew from Fairchild (nwcn.com)
• History of fatal Fairchild KC-135 mishaps (kxly.com)
• US military plane crashes in Kyrgyzstan (krem.com)
• KC-135 carrying 3 people crashes in Kyrgyzstan (king5.com)

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Al-Shabaab claims suicide car bomb attack in Somali capital

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

MOGADISHU, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Al-Qaida linked Somali radical group of Al-Shabaab on Sunday claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb assault, which killed 10 people and injured several others.

The attack targeted a convoy carrying foreign officials, who survived the explosion, according to official sources.

The death toll from the blast at the busy main K4 intersection in the capital Mogadishu has risen to 10 and several others, mostly civilians, sustained injures.

A pro-Al-Shabaab website quoted its commanders as saying the extremist group's fighters were behind the deadly attack, vowing to continue such attacks.

State media say the targeted convoy of Somali government vehicles carrying Qatari officials and that none of the Qataris or government official was hurt in the blast.

The interior minister's vehicle was in the convoy when the explosives were detonated, but the official was not in the car. "The criminal drove the car towards the government vehicles and it exploded after it hit one of them," police officer Mohamoud Gurey told Xinhua, disclosing bystanders were among the dead.

The area was cordoned off by security forces and ambulances rushed to the scene to take the injured to nearby hospitals.

"We heard loud explosion from the K4 junction and when we came out we saw smoke coming out of burning vehicles and people lying in the street and pavement, some dead and some injured. It was terrible scene," resident Yahya Ali told Xinhua.

The attack came four days after a security lockdown at the main streets near government installations, which was just lifted on Saturday.

Somali government officials said the security measure was aimed at preventing "terrorist attacks" that may harm people and their property.

Al-Shabaab is held responsible for a series of similar attacks against the Somali government and African Union peacekeeping forces in Somalia (AMISOM).

Last month, Al-Shabaab fighters raided the Mogadishu court building and the regional administration office, killing at least 20 people including nine attackers.

Al-Shabaab has been attempting bomb attacks in Mogadishu in a bid to demonstrate its presence after losing ground to AMISOM in August 2011.

The attacks are considered nowhere to hamper the momentum to regain law and order in the city and elsewhere in a country suffering a long-standing nightmare.

On May 7, an international conference will be held in London to support Somalia in its process of restoring stability and peace after decades of conflict.

The Horn of Africa country has witnessed instability without a strong central government since 1991 after the overthrow of the late Somali leader, Mohamed Siyad Barre.

from XINHUA
2013-05-05 19:09:40
Editor: Yang Lina

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Explosion kill 4 civilians, injure 5 others in Farah province

According to local authorities in western Farah province of Afghanistan, at least four people including a woman were killed and five others were injured following a roadside bomb explosion in this province.

Provincial governor spokesman Abdul Rahman Zhwandai confirming the report said the incident took place around 6:30am local time on Sunday morning after a civilian vehicle struck with a roadside bomb at Korghan village in Khak-e-Safid district.

Mr. Zhwandai further added, the victims of the incident are residents of Korghan village and were on their way towards the center of the district when the incident took place.

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

Local authorities blame Taliban group for the incident as Taliban fighters frequently use improvised explosive device as the weapon of their choice to target Afghan and coalition security forces which normally leads to civilian casualties.

from KHAAMA
By Sayed Jawad - 05 May 2013, 9:48 am

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Bomb hits convoy carrying Qataris in Somalia, eight dead

Officers stand by the remains of a wrecked car at the scene of car bomb explosion along the "Kilometre 4" road junction, south of the capital Mogadishu, Somalia, May 5, 2013.

(Reuters) - A suicide bomber hit a convoy of cars carrying Qatari officials through the centre of Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Sunday, killing eight Somalis, officials said.
The visiting delegation of Qataris, who were travelling in the Somali interior minister's bullet-proof vehicle, were "safe", a security officer told Reuters, without going into further detail. The minister was not in the car at the time.

The Islamist rebel group al Shabaab said it was behind the attack and threatened further strikes against Somalia's government, which it called a "puppet" of Western powers.

"More explosions are on the way," al Shabaab's military spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters by telephone.

The al Qaeda-linked rebels have kept up a campaign of guerrilla-style attacks since the army and peacekeepers pushed them out of bases in the city.

Witnesses said a suicide bomber rammed a car laden with explosives into the convoy. The blast tore through the busy 'Kilometre 4' road junction in the centre of Mogadishu's commercial and administrative district.

Gunfire rang out immediately after the explosion as the convoy's security guards fired into the air to disperse onlookers.

Qatar has been forging closer political ties with Somalia in recent years as it seeks to expand its influence in the Horn of Africa region.

"The car bomb targeted delegates from Qatar. They are safe," Hassan Osman, a security official, told Reuters, adding that the minister's car was damaged in the blast.

The chairman of Mogadishu's Hodan district, where the blast occurred, told reporters at the scene eight people had been killed and five wounded, most of them civilians.

Sunday's bomb was a stark reminder of two decades of civil strife in a country where the central government depends heavily on a 17,600-strong African Union peacekeeping force for its survival.

While there has been a significant improvement in the coastal capital since African Union peacekeepers drove the Islamist al Shabaab group out of the city in 2011, the attack showed the relative ease with which the militants can still strike.

Some of Mogadishu's major roads were closed last week after security officials received a tip-off about an imminent attack, but were re-opened on Saturday.

The state of Somalia's security forces will top the agenda at conference in London on May 7. Britain and Somalia are hoping to use the event to drum up more international support at a time when al Shabaab are weakened as a fighting force but can still inflict devastating strikes.

Civil war after the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 left Somalia without effective central government and awash with weapons. The turmoil opened the doors for piracy to flourish in the Gulf of Aden and deeper into the Indian Ocean.

from REUTERS
By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar
MOGADISHU | Sun May 5, 2013 10:51am BST
(Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 27 Armed Taliban Killed (May 05.2013.)

Publish Date: May 05, 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 Baghlan, Nangarhar, Ghazni, Khost, Paktiya and Helmand provinces, as a result 27 armed Taliban were killed, six wounded and nine 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 six different types of mines and 89 heavy rounds placed by enemies of Afghanistan for destructive activities in Laghman, Zabul, Maidan Wardak and Herat provinces.

Counter Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained four suspects accused of theft in the Bagrami and 2nd Districts of Kabul-City.

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May 05., 2013. - ISAF Joint Command Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force killed a Taliban leader, Qudrat, and arrested four other insurgents during an operation in Dand district, Kandahar province, May 5.

Qudrat was in charge of a cell of Taliban fighters responsible for improvised explosive device operations throughout Kandahar province. He and his group have a long history of building, emplacing and detonating IEDs targeting Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitated the movement of weapons in the local area, and provided operational reports to senior leaders in the area.

As the security force approached Qudrat's suspected location, the insurgent leader moved to engage the Afghan and coalition troops. After positively identifying the lethal threat, the security force engaged Qudrat, killing him.

The security force also seized one pistol and a magazine as a result of the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

An Afghan and coalition security force killed three insurgents and wounded one other during an operation in search of a senior Taliban leader in Qush Tepah district, Jowzjan province, May 4. The leader directs all Taliban operations in Qush Tepah district, and coordinates with insurgent networks in Jowzjan and Sar-e Pul districts. He is responsible for the facilitation, planning and coordination of attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in the region. He is currently planning an attack on an Afghan National Security Force checkpoint, plotting to kill the guards and take their weapons for use in insurgent activities. He also relays instructions from senior Taliban leaders to more than 100 fighters, disseminating orders for each group's area of responsibility. The insurgents were observed emplacing a rocket prior to the Afghan and coalition security force engaging.

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested four insurgents during an operation in search of a senior insurgent leader with ties to both the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan in Burkah district, Baghlan province, May 5. The leader has operational control over a group of fighters responsible for multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is vital in facilitating the movement of weapons, particularly rocket-propelled grenades, to insurgent fighters in the area. He and his group also collect illegal taxes from the local populace in order to fund terrorist activity. The security force also seized one AK-47, one rifle, multiple magazines and ammunition as a result of the operation.

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and three other insurgents during an operation in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, May 5. The leader is responsible for coordinating and executing direct fire and improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also procures and distributes weapons and IED components to his subordinate fighters and other insurgent groups in Nahr-e Saraj.

Afghan Local Police, soldiers from the 6th Special Operations Kandak, and Coalition Forces killed more than eighteen insurgents after being attacked at ALP checkpoints in Nahr-e-Saraj district, Helmand province, May 4. Insurgents directed large scale, complex attacks on Abdul Hadi and Torjan and Shin Gazy checkpoints with small arms, PKM, and recoilless rifle fire. The Nahr-e-Saraj District Chief of Police provided a quick reaction force to the Maktab checkpoint while the district Operations Coordination Center tasked the 6th SOK to support the fight in Zombalay. Coalition forces provided indirect fire in support of the quick reaction force.

Afghan Local Police and Coalition Forces detained Patkhel Village Mullah, Norullah, and one other insurgent, after finding them in the possession of 22 kg of improvised explosive making materials and three pressure plate training devices near Patkhel village in Shah Joy district, Zabul province, May 4. The joint forces were patrolling the area after receiving reports that the village was being used as a training hub for Taliban fighters.

East

Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed today the arrest of a high-profile Taliban attack facilitator during an operation in Khugyani district, Nangarhar province, May 3. The facilitator provides logistical support to senior Taliban leaders throughout western Nangarhar province. He organizes the purchase, transfer and delivery of weapons to support the Taliban insurgency, and has sold rockets used in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Commandos of 3rd Company, 1st Special Operations Kandak, advised by coalition forces, detained 14 insurgents during a clearing operation in Geratek village, Charparhar district, Nangarhar province, May 4. The purpose of the clearance operation was to disrupt a known Taliban staging area for indirect fire and improvised explosive device attacks.

Afghan Local Police, advised by Coalition Forces, detained an improvised explosive device emplacer during a patrol in Baraki Barak district, Logar province, May 4. The joint force was conducting a presence patrol when they discovered the individual as he was emplacing the IED. The ALP quickly detained the individual and transferred him to Afghan National Police custody.

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May 05., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan National Security and coalition forces killed five insurgents, detained five suspected insurgents, discovered one weapons cache and found and safely cleared seven improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, May 4.

Ghazni province
Afghan National Security and coalition forces killed two insurgents during operations in the Andar district.

Afghan National Security and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs during operations in the Gelan district.

Afghan National Security Forces killed three insurgents during operations in the Qara Bagh district.

Khowst province
Afghan National Security and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED during operations in the Shemal district.

Logar province
Afghan National Security and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED and detained one suspected insurgent during operations in the Baraki Barak district. The suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Paktika province
Afghan National Security and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED during operations in the Sar Hawza district.

Paktya province
Afghan National Security Forces detained four suspected insurgents during operations in the Gardez district. The suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Parwan province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared two IEDs and discovered one weapons cache during operations in the Koh-e-Safi district. The cache contained five grenades and more than 400 rounds of small-caliber ammunition.

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1 German Soldier killed, 1 injured in Baghlan

A German soldier was killed and another wounded in an attack by insurgents in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, the German army said. 

German special forces had been supporting an Afghan operation near the northern city of Baghlan when insurgents opened fire on the Afghan and NATO International Security Assistance Force troops, according to an army statement posted on its Internet site Sunday.

"In the subsequent battle damage assessment the Afghan and ISAF forces again came under fire. A German soldier was killed and a German soldier wounded," it said.

It said the troops called in air support but one soldier was fatally shot later when exploring the airstrike's damage.

It added that no information was available about losses among the Afghan forces but said "presumably" several insurgents had been killed.

No civilians were hurt according to the latest information, it said.

In Nuremberg, where the FDP party is holding its conference, a minute's silence was observed in the soldier's honour. Party leader Philipp Rösler said "Our thoughts are with his family, friends and comrades."
 

Related articles

• BUNDESWEHR report (in German) (bundeswehr.de)
• SPIEGEL article (in German) (spiegel.de)

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3 killed, 35 injured as twin blasts hit Pakistan's Karachi

Pakistani security personnel cordon off the area of blasts in Karachi, Pakistan on, May 4, 2013.

ISLAMABAD, May 4 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and 35 others injured when twin blasts hit Muttahida Quami Movement's (MQM) election office in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Saturday night, local political leader said.
Attacks on political parties accelerated ahead country's next general elections that are scheduled to be held on May 11. Main targets of the blasts are MQM, ANP and PPP who ruled the country by forming a coalition government until the dissolution of Assemblies on March 17.

Over 70 people have been killed and about 350 injured in the recent spate of attacks on election candidates, party offices and political rallies across the country since the formal beginning of election campaign on April 11.

Haider Abbas Rizvi, senior leader of MQM, a liberal party mainly based in Karachi, said that some unknown militants planted a bomb outside their election office and later detonated it with a remote control device.

He said that the second bomb was detonated twenty minutes later when police, residents and paramilitary troops arrived at the blast site for the rescue of blast victims.

The first bomb was planted at road side while the second was fixed in a bicycle parked near the election office.

He said that some of their party activists got injured in the blasts.

The injured people including kids and three paramilitary troops were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed hospital where five of them were said to be in critical condition.

MQM chairman Altaf Hussain condemned the blast and announced to observe Sunday as a mourning day in Karachi to express solidarity with the blast victims. He said that militant elements are striving hard to delay the elections but MQM activists would not let them do it.

He said that despite repeated attacks on MQM in the city, his party is resolute to continue its election campaign.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned that blasts and directed hospital administration to provide best medical treatment to the injured people.

Ateeq Mir, president of traders association in the city said that all business activities would remain closed in the city to condemn the blasts.

Shortly after the blasts, Pakistan Taliban, Tehrik-e-Taliban, claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Police cordoned off the area and kicked off a search operation in the area.

The incident happened in an election office located near MQM's main head office Nine-Zero in Azizabad area of Karachi, the capital city of the country's southern Sindh province.

from XINHUA
2013-05-05 02:44:33   

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Afghan police kill 6 Taliban fighters in southern town

LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Units of Afghan police ambushed and killed six armed Taliban militants in the southern Helmand province 555 km south of Kabul on Saturday, a local official confirmed.

"Personnel of police laid ambush against a group of armed Taliban fighters in Sistani area of Marja district at noon time today killing six rebels on the spot," provincial administration spokesman Omar Zawak told Xinhua.

There were no casualties on police, he contended. Taliban outfit has yet to make comment.

from XINHUA
2013-05-04 18:38:38

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In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 15 Armed Taliban Killed (May 04.2013.)

Publish Date: May 04, 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 Nangarhar, Parwan, Baghlan, Kandahar, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Khost, Paktika, Paktiya and Helmand provinces, as a result 15 armed Taliban were killed, one wounded and 19 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 an anti-vehicle mine and 10 heavy rounds placed by enemies of Afghanistan for destructive activities in Logar and Laghman provinces.

 

Counter Crimes:

The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained eight suspects accused of murder and theft in the Deh Sabz and 4th Districts of Kabul-City.

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Afghan soldier kills 2 ISAF troops in latest green-on-blue attack

By Bill Roggio - May 4, 2013 - LWJ

An Afghan soldier killed two NATO troops in an attack in western Afghanistan today. The attack is the sixth green-on-blue, or insider attack, in which Afghan security personnel open fire on Western forces, so far this year.
The International Security Assistance Force announced that two "service members were killed when an Afghan National Army soldier turned his weapon against ISAF service members in western Afghanistan today."
ISAF did not disclose the identities or nationalities of the soldiers who were killed in the attack. US, Spanish, and Italian soldiers make up the bulk of the forces operating in western Afghanistan.
It is also unclear if the Afghan soldier was killed or captured after killing the Afghan soldiers, or if he escaped.
So far this year, there have been six green-on-blue attacks in Afghanistan. Five ISAF soldiers and one civilian adviser have been killed in the six attacks since Jan. 1. The first attack took place on Jan. 6 in Helmand province. The last such attack took place on April 7, when two Lithuanian soldiers were wounded after an Afghan soldier opened fire on their vehicle with an RPG.
So far this year, nearly 13 percent of ISAF's deaths have been the result of green-on-blue attacks. Last year, green-on-blue attacks accounted for 15% of Coalition deaths. The attacks have tapered off in recent months as partnering of Afghan and Coalition troops has been reduced.
Since Jan. 1, 2008, a total of 78 insider or "green-on-blue" attacks have been reported against International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) personnel in Afghanistan, killing 132 personnel and wounding 148 more. [See LWJ special report, Green-on-blue attacks in Afghanistan: the data.]

Continue & Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/05/afghan_soldier_kills_4.php#ixzz2SMwrxCR0

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Explosion kill 5 US troops in Kandahar province of Afghanistan

According to local authorities in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, at least five US troops were killed on Saturday by a roadside bomb explosion.

Today’s incident was the deadliest attack against the international coalition security forces after Taliban militants announced its summer offensive last week.

Provincial governor spokesman Javid Faisal said the incident took place after a coalition forces patrol hit a roadside improvised explosive device in Maidan district.

Captain Luca Carniel, a public affairs official for the US-led coalition in Kabul, confirmed that all five were Americans. With the deaths, 47 members of the coalition have been killed so far this year including 32 Americans.

NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) following a statement also confirmed the incident and said, “Five International Security Assistance Force service members died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today.”

The statement did not disclose further information regarding the exact location of the incident and nationalities of the deceased soldiers saying, “It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities.”

from KHAAMA
By Mirwais Adeel - 04 May 2013, 8:57 pm

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May 04., 2013. - ISAF Joint Command Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and two other insurgents during an operation in Marjeh district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, today.

The leader has operational control over a group of fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in multiple districts in Marjeh district. He is also key in facilitation of operations in the local area, procuring and distributing weapons and improvised explosive device components to his fighters for use in insurgent activities.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

East

An Afghan and coalition security force killed a senior insurgent leader, Saleh Abd Al-Aziz Hamad al-Luhayb, during an operation in Waygal district, Nuristan province, Wednesday. Al-Luhayb, also known as Abu Sulayman, also known as Salman, was a known mortar and explosives expert who participated in attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces. He was a key liaison and trainer to local insurgent commanders in Waygal district and led efforts to establish a permanent foreign fighter presence in the area.

Commandos from the 1st Special Operations Kandak, enabled by coalition forces, arrested a mid-level Taliban leader during an operation in Chaparhar district, Nangarhar province yesterday. This mid-level Taliban leader is involved in the narcotics trade and is responsible for improvised explosives device attacks against coalition forces and GIRoA officials throughout the region.

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani facilitator during an operation in Gurbuz district, Khost province, today. The facilitator is responsible for trafficking weapons used in insurgent attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in districts throughout Khost province. He supplies multiple cells of Haqqani fighters. The security force also seized three AK-47s, one pistol, 10 magazines and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition as a result of the operation.

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R.I.P.- Spc. Trinidad Santiago Jr., Pfc. Charles P. McClure

DOD Identifies Army Casualties

            The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            They died May 2, in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident.  They were assigned to 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

            Killed were:

            Spc. Trinidad Santiago Jr., 25, of San Diego, Calif., and

            Pfc. Charles P. McClure, 21, of Stratford, Okla.

            For more information media may contact the Fort Carson public affairs office at 719-526-4143/7525 or 719-526-5500 after normal business hours.

---

Pfc. Charles P. McClure, 21, of Stratford, Okla., died May 2, in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. McClure joined the Army on Nov. 1, 2011 and deployed to Kuwait in February. He was serving as a cannoneer. This was his first deployment.

---

Spc. Trinidad Santiago Jr., 25, of San Diego, Calif., died May 2, in Camp Buehring, Kuwait, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident. He was assigned to 4th Battalion, 42nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo. Santiago joined the Army on Oct. 13, 2009 and deployed to Kuwait in February. He had previously deployed to Afghanistan in December of 2010. He was also a cannoneer while deployed to Kuwait. He attended Herbert Hoover High School, Class of 2005. He also attended Coleman University. His military decorations include: the Joint Service Achievement Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Ribbon, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the NATO Medal.

Related articles

• RIP SPC Trinidad Santiago Jr, PFC Charles P McClure (waronterrornews.typepad.com)
• Spc. Trinidad Santiago Jr., 25, Pfc. Charles P. McClure, 21 (goodsoldiersorg.wordpress.com)
• 2 Fort Carson-based soldiers die in Kuwait (okcfox.com)
• 2 Fort Carson-Based Soldiers Die In Kuwait (denver.cbslocal.com)

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