Gunmen kill 15 in attack in Nigeria's Kano

KANO, Nigeria, April 29 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed 15 people and wounded many more when they attacked a lecture theatre used by Christian worshippers in Nigeria's second largest city of Kano on Sunday, a university worker told Reuters.

The man, who asked not to be named, said he saw 15 bodies being carried from the site and many more being treated for injuries.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but Islamist sect Boko Haram has killed hundreds in bomb and gun attacks this year, some of which have targeted churches.

(Reporting by Bala Adamu; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

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R.I.P. - Guardsman Michael Roland

Guardsman Michael Roland killed in Afghanistan

28 Apr 12 - Ministry of Defence News

It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Guardsman Michael Roland, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. He died on Friday 27th April 2012 as a result of a gunshot wound sustained in Afghanistan.

Guardsman Michael Roland
[Picture: via MOD]

Guardsman Michael Roland deployed to Afghanistan on 3rd April 2012 as a Rifleman in Number Three Platoon, part of The Queen’s Company Grenadier Guards. He was based in Main Operating Base Price near Gereshk in the Nahr-e-Saraj North District of Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

On 26 April 2012 Guardsman Roland deployed with his Company on a three day operation to disrupt insurgent activity in a contested area in the north of Nahr-e-Saraj District. On the morning of 27th April 2012 he was fatally wounded during an exchange of small arms fire. He was extracted back to the hospital in Camp Bastion but sadly he died of his injuries.
Guardsman Roland was born on 5th August 1989 in Worthing, Sussex. After joining the Army, Guardsman Roland attended the Combat Infantryman’s Course at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick. Upon completion of his training in November 2009 he moved to Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards in London. He spent a year conducting public duties at the Royal Palaces and participating in state ceremonial tasks. Guardsman Roland joined 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards in November 2010 and was placed in The Queen’s Company. His first year in the Battalion included field training in the UK and an exercise in Canada. From September 2011 he undertook six months of preparatory training for his first tour of Afghanistan, before deploying in early April 2012.
Guardsman Roland’s family paid the following tribute:

“Michael was a loving and caring son loved by his huge extended family and friends who are devastated by their loss. We are still coming to terms with losing him. Michael always wanted to join the Army and was so proud to be part of Queen’s Company Grenadier Guards. Michael loved us all so much; with us he was not big and tough just gentle. We will miss him so much.”

Lieutenant Colonel James Bowder MBE, Commanding Officer 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, said:

“Guardsman Roland’s death is a tremendous loss to a close Battalion. Sparky, diligent and super-fit, he was a terrific soldier with a bright future. That he achieved so much in his short life is testament to his drive and ambition. He was an absolute pleasure to command and will be missed hugely by the Battalion and the Regimental family as a whole.
"We are all extremely proud of Guardsman Roland’s selfless commitment to this important mission. Moreover, we are resolved to finish the job that he so bravely started. Finally, our prayers are with his parents, girlfriend and broader family; we share their great sense of loss and will never forget this most extraordinary of Guardsmen.”

“Michael was a loving and caring son loved by his huge extended family and friends who are devastated by their loss."

Guardsman Roland’s family

Major Piers Ashfield, The Captain of The Queen’s Company, said:

“Guardsman Roland was one of the leading lights of The Queen's Company. His stoic devotion to duty and the generous friendship he offered to all those he met epitomised the man for whom no hardship was worthy of complaint. Guardsman Roland leaves behind a Company who will continue to cherish memories of shared laughter and happiness. The Queen's Company offers its most heartfelt condolences to Guardsman Roland's family and friends.”

Lieutenant Alex Budge, Platoon Commander, 3 Platoon, said:

“Guardsman Roland epitomised a Grenadier Guardsman. Fit, tenacious and a character; he was liked by all for his sense of humour and respected by all for his skill as an infantry soldier. I would say he was one of the best Guardsman in the Company. His passing brings sorrow to us all, but we can take comfort that he died doing a job that he loved.”

Sergeant Archer, Platoon Sergeant 3 Platoon, The Queen’s Company, said:

“Guardsman Roland was a young and dedicated soldier who put his job before anything else. A fit, keen soldier and loyal to the end, Guardsman Roland was the template to which all Guardsmen should aspire. Never in trouble and never late, he was a model Guardsman who will truly be missed within the platoon. My deepest sympathies go out to his loving parents, who we are all thinking of at this difficult time.”

Lance Sergeant Hendy, Section Commander, The Queen’s Company, said:

“Guardsman Roland was a character to say the least, forever talking about himself in the third person which always made me laugh. He was my point man in the Section during pre-tour training, and was point man in the multiple out here. He was given this position for good reason. He was one of the fittest men in the platoon, very trustworthy and brave. He did everything to the best of his ability and would surely have gone a long way in the Grenadiers.”

Lance Sergeant Mooney, Section Commander, The Queen’s Company, said:

“Guardsman Roland was part of both my platoon and the Company Search Team. He knew he would be at the front of patrols and searching compounds. Even knowing the tasks he would be given would place him in danger, he never complained or even mentioned it for that matter. He was an integral part of the team and the platoon. He will be sorely missed by all members of The Queen's Company. Gone, but never forgotten.”

"(Guardsman Roland) was an integral part of the team and the platoon. He will be sorely missed by all members of The Queen's Company. Gone, but never forgotten.”

Lance Sergeant Mooney, Section Commander, The Queen’s Company

Lance Corporal Clarke, Fire Team Commander, The Queen’s Company, said:

“Mike was a caring bloke. He had so many ambitions. He took part in so many activities and was always up for a good laugh and a fair few beers with the boys. He was never afraid to lead the way, and we had a lot of good times together.”

Guardsman Wates, Guardsman in The Queen’s Company, said:

“Guardsman Roland was always happy to help and give good advice. He made me feel very welcome on joining the platoon, and I'm going to miss him very much.”

Guardsman Churchill, Guardsman in The Queen’s Company, said:

“Guardsman Roland was a pleasure to work with, as well as being a good friend. Everything he did, he did to the best of his ability. A true soldier who will be missed.”

The Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Hammond, said:

"I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Guardsman Michael Roland. It is clear that he was a brave man and highly professional soldier. The circumstances of his death by all accounts sum up his army life: in the thick of the fight and looking out for his comrades. I can only endorse the tributes paid to him by his family, for whom he was a hero. They have my deepest sympathy."

"Everything he did, he did to the best of his ability. A true soldier who will be missed.”

Guardsman Churchill, Guardsman in The Queen’s Company

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10 policemen dead in roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan

Districts of Wardak. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MAIDAN SHAR, Afghanistan, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Ten Afghan policemen were killed late Friday in a roadside bombing in the country's eastern province of Wardak, said a provincial official on Saturday.

"A unit of Afghan Local Police (ALP) force was traveling along a road in the Ambukhar area of Chak-i-Wardak district Friday evening but their van touched off a roadside bomb, leaving 10 ALP members dead," Shahidullah Shahid, a spokesman for provincial government, told Xinhua.

The bomb went off when a line of vehicles passed by the area after an inauguration ceremony of a development project, he said, adding "Only one vehicle was blown up causing the casualties but other officials from the district escaped unhurt."

Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack.

Afghan Local Police, set up by the government in the summer of 2010, is a community police force defending their villages against Taliban attacks and influence.

Afghan and NATO military officials said recently that impressive Taliban-led attacks would occur in the coming weeks and months as spring and summer, known as "fighting season", are drawing near.

Three women were killed and four other women injured when a mortar round hit a house in the same district on Thursday.

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R.I.P. - Staff Sgt. Brandon F. Eggleston, Sgt. Dick A. Lee Jr.

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

                They died April 26, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.

                Killed were:

                Staff Sgt. Brandon F. Eggleston, 29, of Candler, N.C., who was assigned to 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

                Sgt. Dick A. Lee Jr., 31, of Orange Park, Fla., who was assigned to 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Sembach, Germany.

                For more information related to Staff Sgt. Eggleston, the media may contact Special Forces public affairs at 910-689-6187.  For information related to Sgt. Lee the media may contact 21st Theater Sustainment Command public affairs in Kaiserslautern, Germany at 011-49-631-413-8184.

---

Staff Sgt. Brandon F. Eggleston, 29, of Eden, N.C., died April 26, in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, from injuries sustained when their vehicle encountered an improvised explosive device.
He was assigned to 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. He was a 2001 graduate of Morehead High School. Brandon had been in the Army since 2006, and was currently serving his third deployment. He was expected to come home later this year, between September and December.
He attended West Carolina University and graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in July 2006. Upon completion of basic training and advanced individual training, he attended the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course.
He completed the Special Forces Qualification Course in March 2009 and was assigned to 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg as a SF Communications Sergeant. His military education also includes the U.S. Army Airborne School, Advanced Leaders Course, Warrior Leaders Course, Combatives Course Level 1, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, the Special Forces Qualification Course and the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat course.
His awards and decorations include the Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal with two campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 2 device, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces tab.
He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Purple Heart, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with a third campaign star and the Combat Infantry Badge.

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Sgt Dick A. Lee Jr. and Staff Sgt. Brandon F. Eggleston died Thursday in Ghanzi province from injuries suffered when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.
Lee, 31, of Orange Park, was assigned to 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Sembach, Germany.
Lee is survived by a wife and two sons.
His commanding officer called Lee a great soldier and military dog handler. and that everyone who knew Lee considered it an honor to serve with him.
"Always quick with a smile and laugh, he was the kind of person you always wanted to be around," Col. Brian Bisacre wrote. "Sgt. Lee was a consummate professional; he attacked every mission with passion and strived to be the best at everything he was asked to do.  Sgt. Lee lived and breathed the Army and was a dedicated father, husband, son and soldier. He will never be forgotten."

 

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Six people killed in attacks in Iraq

BAGHDAD, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and three others wounded in separate attacks in the Iraqi provinces of Diyala and Salahudin on Saturday, the police said.

Two Kurdish residents were killed when two sticky bombs attached to their cars separately detonated in the city of Saadiyah, some 60 km northeast of Diyala's capital city of Baquba, the source from the provincial operations command told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The ethnically-mixed city is part of disputed areas between the Kurds and both Arabs and Turkomans. The area has long been the hotbed of insurgency since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

In a separate incident, a civilian was killed when gunmen in their car opened fire on him in the town of Khalis near Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, the source said.

Also in the province, gunmen shot dead a policeman in the al- Hadid area, some 10 km northwest of Baquba, the source added.

In addition, a sticky bomb attached to a minibus carrying passengers went off in eastern Baquba, wounding two people aboard, he said.

On Thursday, Diyala province was the scene of a deadly attack, when a car bomb went off near a village market some 30 km off Baquba, killing seven people and wounding 19 others.

Diyala, which stretches from the eastern edges of Baghdad to the country's eastern border with Iran, has long been a stronghold for al-Qaida militants and other insurgent groups since 2003.

In Salahudin province, gunmen opened fire Saturday morning on a car carrying two off-duty policemen and a civilian in a village near the city of Sherqat, some 280 km north of Baghdad, killing the civilian and one of the policemen and wounding the other, a local police source anonymously told Xinhua.

Salahudin province, located in northern-central Iraq, is a Sunni-dominated province. Its capital city of Tikrit, some 170 km north of Baghdad, is the hometown of Iraq's former president Saddam Hussein.

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R.I.P. - Spc. Moises J. Gonzalez

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

             The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            Spc. Moises J. Gonzalez, 29, Huntington, Calif., died April 25, in Balkh province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his vehicle rolled over.

 Gonzalez was assigned to the 509th Combat Service Support Company, 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas.

            For more information related to this release, the media may contact the Fort Hood public affairs office at 254- 287-9993 or 254- 287-0106.

---

Gonzalez joined the military in December 2006 as a water treatment specialist, and was assignment to the 509th Combat Service Support Company, 504th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, Fort Hood, since June 2011. Gonzalez deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from December 2008 to October 2009 and from June 2011 to April 2012.

Gonzalez's awards and decorations include the NATO Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, two Afghanistan Campaign Medals with campaign stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and two Overseas Service Ribbon

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Yemeni intelligence officer assassinated in restive south

Location of the governorate of Lahij, in Yemen(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ADEN, Yemen, April 28 (Xinhua) -- A high-ranking officer of the Yemeni intelligence agency was shot dead by unknown gunmen in the southern province of Lahij on Saturday morning, a security official told Xinhua.

The gunmen opened fire on the intelligence officer while he was heading to work at the agency headquarters in downtown Houta city, the provincial capital of Lahij province, killing him at the scene, the local security official said on condition of anonymity.

The official added that "police forces are searching for those involved."

The gunmen, who managed to escape after the attack, were believed to be from the al-Qaida terrorist group, according to the official.

Yemen's southern and eastern regions have recently been rocked by suicide car bombings and armed attacks targeting government buildings and military intelligence officials.

The government authorities usually accuse militants of the al- Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, locally known as Ansar al-Sharia ( Partisans of Islamic Law), of committing the crimes and masterminding the attacks. 

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R.I.P. - Lt. Christopher E. Mosko

DOD Identifies Navy Casualty

                 The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

                 Lt. Christopher E. Mosko, 28, of Pittsford, N.Y., died April 26 while conducting combat operations in Nawa district, Ghazni province, Afghanistan.   Mosko was assigned as a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Platoon Commander to Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, Afghanistan.  Mosko was stationed at EOD Mobile Unit 3, San Diego, Calif.

                 For further information related to this release, contact Lt. David Bennett at 619-767-1989 or 619- 405-4020.

---

Mosko was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3 in Coronado.
In Afghanistan, he was a platoon commander for a Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force.
Lt Mosko was qualified as an explosive ordnance expert, a free-fall parachutist and a scuba diving instructor. He was in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at Villanova University in Pennsylvania and was commissioned in May 2007.
His awards include a Bronze Star for valor and a Purple Heart, both posthumous.

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Al-Qaida releases 73 Yemeni soldiers after tribal mediation: statement

SANAA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Yemen-based al-Qaida wing on Saturday released 73 Yemeni soldiers they captured two months ago during fighting with the government troops in the southern province of Abyan, as a result of a tribal mediation, the terrorist group said in a statement.

"Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula's (AQAP) Ansar al-Sharia ( Parisian of Islamic Law) in Abyan's city of Jaar released on Saturday 73 Yemeni soldiers following a tribal mediation led by chieftain Awad Banajar, relatives of the captured soldiers and nongovernment human rights groups," the group said in the statement.

---
Team Negotiatin​g Release Of Soldiers In Yemen
from yemenpost

A journalist-activist team headed on Friday to Yemen's province of Abyan in the south to mediate the release of 73 soldiers who were taken as hostage during al-Qaida raids on military posts in March.

The delegation included activists from the HOOD and al-Karama organizations, which earlier this month said al-Qaida was threatening to execute the soldiers. The two organizations said in a statement al-Qaida had decided to execute the soldiers if demands including the release of terrorists held inside the political security prisons were not met.
Six days ago, al-Qaida set April 30 as the final deadline to meet its demands or it would execute the soldiers; ten a week. Meantime, the organizations have appealed to the authorities to stop shelling areas in Abyan to enable the team to reach the place where the soldiers are held. a spokesman for the team said the three-day mission of the journalist-activist team aims to secure the release of the soldiers before April 30 and the results will be released immediately.
Also, Human Rights Watch has recently urged al-Qaida to avoid extrajudicial executions of the soldiers because killing can't be a card of negotiation. Killing soldiers or civilians violates the laws of war and al-Qaida in Yemen should not bet on the lives of people to make gains, the US-based organization said.
Early last month, al-Qaida fighters raided some army posts in the Doufas area, Abyan, killing and taking as hostages scores of soldiers. They also looted military equipment. The army, with direct support from the US and popular fighters, has been fighting the militants in southern and southeastern regions including Abyan, Shabwa and Baida.
Hundreds of militants have been recently killed and injured in the battles, mostly in Abyan, amid expanded military operations against militancy under the new government.


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Sana'a: Al Qaida-linked group that controls many towns in southern Yemen said on Saturday that it would set free 73 soldiers , a local tribal leader told Gulf News.

Ansar Al Sharia , an Al Qaida offshoot in Yemen , announced that they decided to release the hostages for "the sake of God and in response to the appeals of the soldiers' families and the tribal mediation". The militants invited on Friday reporters, mediators, human rights activists and the soldiers' relatives to their stronghold, Ja'ar, to decide whether to release or behead the captives.

"The soldiers will be handed to their families who came to Ja'ar to receive them," the tribal figure said.
The soldiers were captured early last month when Al Qaida militants launched an assault on an army camp in Abyan province. At least 200 soldiers were also killed in the same attack. This week, Al Qaida announced in Ja'ar town that it would kill ten soldiers each week if the government does not release jailed militants.

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Roadside blast kills 10 policemen in Maid Wardak

Districts of Wardak. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MAIDAN SHAHR (PAN): Nearly 10 policemen were killed in a roadside bombing in central Maidan Wardak province, officials said on Saturday.

The blast happened in the Zambukhak area on the outskirts of Chak district, when a group of security personnel were heading to take up their duties at a project site in the area, the provincial police chief said.

Col. Abdul Qayyum Baqizai told Pajhwok Afghan News about 10 policemen were killed and their vehicle completely destroyed in the explosion.

He said the district chief was also accompanying the convoy to the area but escaped unhurt as he was travelling in a separate vehicle.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the bombing and said eight policemen, including a commander, were killed in the blast.

from  Pajhwok

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