Taliban militants attack NATO convoy, kill 3 in west Afghanistan

Afghan policemen stand near a burnt-out NATO fuel tanker in Panjwayi district in ‎Kandahar Province, April 6, 2012.‎

At least three people have been killed in a militant attack on a convoy carrying fuel for US-led forces in Afghanistan's western Farah Province, Press TV reports. 

Tue May 1, 2012 10:6AM GMT

The Taliban militants torched six NATO tankers, killing three Afghan security guards serving with a private security firm and injuring four others in the town of Bakwa late Monday, Afghan security officials said.

"Six tankers, transferring fuel to US-led foreign forces have been torched by armed Taliban militants," an Afghan security official told Press TV.

Private security firms in western Afghanistan are tasked with escorting the NATO fuel tankers in the country.

Several Taliban fighters were also killed and injured in the incident, but the exact figure of their casualties is not available yet, he said.

The highway linking Herat to the Delaram region has for long been an insecure route for convoys carrying fuel supplies for foreign forces in Afghanistan.

Despite the presence of nearly 130,000 American troops in Afghanistan, security and calm have never been restored in the Asian country since the 2001 US-led invasion as terror and militancy have become more rampant.

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NATO airstrike kill 5 militants in Laghman province

The location of Laghman Province within Afghanistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Afghan and coalition forces killed seven insurgents, detained three suspects and discovered an explosives laboratory in eastern Afghanistan during operations throughout the past 24 hours.

NATO-led International Security Assistance Force following a press announced coalition airstrike killed five insurgents in response to small-arms fire in Alingar district eastern Laghman province.

The source further added a coalition airstrike killed five insurgents emplacing improvised explosive devices in Maidan Shahr district at Wardak province. An explosive ordnance team safely detonated three IEDs after the strike.

A coalition airstrike killed one insurgent in Watahpur district after he was positively identified as a Taliban commander, ISAF said adding that the individual led numerous small-arms attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Also, coalition forces killed one insurgent after receiving small arms fire in Watahpur district.

In a separate operation Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered an explosives laboratory while conducting operations in Muqer district at Ghazni province, and detained two individuals suspected to be involved with the lab. An explosive ordnance team safely destroyed the explosive materials found at the site.

Afghan Uniform Police and coalition forces positively identified and detained an insurgent wanted for multiple improvised explosive devise implants in Khowst dstrict.

Anti-government armed militant groups yet to comment regarding the reports.

from KHAAMA

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19 armed insurgents killed, 3 wounded and 5 others arrested by ANP

19 armed insurgents killed, three wounded and five others arrested by Afghan National Police

Counterterrorism:

During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces launched 11 joint clearance operations in Kabul, Baghlan, Faryab, Kandahar, Helmand, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Khost, and Farah provinces.

As a result of these operations, 19 armed insurgents were killed, three wounded and five others were arrested by Afghan National Police.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated six different types of weapons, five heavy rounds, three anti-vehicle mines, one hand grenade, 372 kilograms of opium and eight motorbikes.

During the same 24 hour period, Afghan National Police discovered and defused three anti-vehicle mines as a result of security operations in Nangarhar, Baghlan and Jowzjan provinces.

The Afghan National Police dedicate their lives to protecting the people.

Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained four individuals accused of murder, theft and trafficking in the 4th, 5th and 8th Districts of Kabul-City.

The ANP encourages all citizens to report suspicious activities and criminal acts.

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May 01.,2012 - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition forces killed seven insurgents, detained three suspects and discovered an explosives laboratory in eastern Afghanistan during operations throughout the past 24 hours, April 30.

Laghman province
A coalition airstrike killed five insurgents in response to small-arms fire in Alingar district.

Wardak province
A coalition airstrike killed five insurgents emplacing improvised explosive devices in Maidan Shahr district. An explosive ordnance team safely detonated three IEDs after the strike.

Kunar province
A coalition airstrike killed one insurgent in Watahpur district after he was positively identified as a Taliban commander. The individual led numerous small-arms attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Also, coalition forces killed one insurgent after receiving small arms fire in Watahpur district.

Ghazni province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered an explosives laboratory while conducting operations in Muqer district and detained two individuals suspected to be involved with the lab. An explosive ordnance team safely destroyed the explosive materials found at the site.

Khowst province
Afghan Uniform Police and coalition forces positively identified and detained an insurgent wanted for multiple improvised explosive devise implants in Khowst dstrict.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Bomb blast kills 2, hurts 11 in Quetta (+video)

QUETTA: A bomb explosion attacked a vehicle of security forces on Sariab Road near Irrigation Colony here Tuesday, killing at least two persons and injuring eleven others, Geo news reported.

According to SP Sariab, the bomb was planted on the roadside near irrigation colony. Four rickshaws and a vehicle of security forces caught fire while glasses of nearby buildings also smashed as a result of blast.

Police said that the explosion was supposed to be an attack on security forces vehicle.

Rescue teams have reached the site of the incident and injured people are being rushed to Civil hospitals.

According to the unconfirmed information, several security personnel were also hurt as a result of bomb blast and were taken to CMH.

from thenews and geo
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video from Geo:

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and another Geo video:

Geo Reports-Quetta Blast-01 May 2012 http://youtu.be/smLgNF38tck

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11 killed in Bloody Battle against Somali, Ethiopian forces

HUDUR (Sh.M.Network)— At least 11 people have been killed in the latest clashes between Al Shabaab insurgents and Somali and Ethiopian troops in Somalia’s southern of Bakol, locals said on Tuesday.

Residents told that the clashes sparked after Al Shabaab insurgents stormed the district of Hudur, 420 kilometers (260 miles) southwestern Mogadishu, where Ethiopian and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) troops were largely stationed.

Somali military officials told Shabelle Media station in the capital by telephone from Hudur town that the Al shabab fighters have overnight attacked the town from different direction to take it over. They also said the TFG forces alongside Ethiopian troops repelled the attacking militants, killing at least 7 fighters.

The official of Somalia military forces did not specify the casualties on TFG side during the battle in Hudur on Monday night which was a tough one that TFG and Ethiopian troops managed to drive back Al Shabaab agents and maintain the control of the town.

Reports indicate that the fighting forced hundreds of local residents to flee from their houses as both warring sides were receiving reinforcements that could lead heavy and deadly battle.

Al shabab, which is battling to topple the UN-backed Somali government and the regional forces under AMSIOM, has yet commented on the combat so far.

from Shabelle

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May 01., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban leader and several subordinate insurgents during an operation in Washer district, Helmand province, today.

The leader was the senior Taliban insurgent in Kajaki district, responsible for roadside bombings, suicide attacks and other operations against Afghan and coalition security forces in Helmand province.

He was also one of the principle planners of the April 10 suicide attack against the district police headquarters building in Musa Qal’ah. In addition, the leader attempted to implement Taliban law on Afghan civilians and operated a Taliban prison.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

In Imam Sahib district, Kunduz province, an Afghan-led and coalition supported security force conducted an operation to detain an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader today. The leader plans and directs attacks against senior Afghan government officials, Afghan National Security Forces and coalition troops. Several insurgents were detained as a result of the operation.

South
In Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, an Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to capture a Taliban leader today. The leader directs roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces throughout the district. Several suspected insurgents were detained.

An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation in Washer district, Helmand province, today. The leader planned and supervised roadside bombings against Afghan and coalition security forces throughout central Helmand province. One additional insurgent was detained as a result of the operation.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to capture a Haqqani leader in Muhammad Aghah district, Logar province, today. The leader directs roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces in Laghman and Nangarhar provinces.

When the Afghan elements of the security force called for the insurgents to come out of a building, several insurgents opened fire. After determining that no civilians were in the area, the security force called for a precision airstrike. A follow-on assessment of the area determined no civilians were harmed and multiple insurgents were killed. Two insurgents were also detained.

In Qarghah’i district, Laghman province, an Afghan-led and coalition supported security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban leader today. The leader coordinated roadside bombings against Afghan and coalition security forces throughout the province. During the operation, the leader and one additional insurgent fired on the security force. The force returned fire, killing the attackers. The security force also detained multiple additional insurgents and confiscated several small arms weapons.

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R.I.P. - Master Sgt. Scott E. Pruitt

DOD Identifies Marine Casualty

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

            Master Sgt. Scott E. Pruitt, 38, of Gautier, Miss., died April 28 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.  He was assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

            For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the I Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at 760-763-7795.

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GAUTIER, Mississippi -- Marine Master Sgt. Scott E. Pruitt, 38, of Gautier was killed Saturday by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, just two months after he volunteered to return to that country to lead his troops, according to his older brother.

"I think what makes the story even more tragic is that he was set to retire in a year and had earned rank over an entire platoon," 40-year-old Paul Pruitt said about his brother in a phone interview from Santa Monica, Calif., where he lives.

"But he volunteered to go back into combat because he thought it was the right thing to do."
The Department of Defense said that Scott Pruitt died in Helmand province on Saturday in combat maneuvers.

He had been assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He lived in Murietta, Calif.
Scott Pruitt is the second soldier from Gautier to die serving in Afghanistan.
Army Maj. Michael Green, a 36-year-old Special Forces officer, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Jan. 7, 2008.

Scott Pruitt graduated from Pascagoula High School in 1992, according to his brother, who graduated two years earlier.
Paul Pruitt described his brother as "just a great human being, an amazing brother, son, and father.
"I can say, without bias, that he was a very decent, dependable, hard-working, good person. He was as good of a person as you could find."
He is survived by two daughters, ages 9 and 4, who also live in California, and his fiancée, Tricia Anderson-Lane of Virginia.

After graduating from Pascagoula High, Scott Pruitt earned a BA in criminal justice from American Military University.

Master Sgt. Pruitt earned his rank on Jan. 1, 2010, and was specialized as a financial management resource analyst, according to the Marines' public information office.
He was set to end active service on June 23, 2013.

His awards include:

• Purple Heart Medal.
• Three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.
•  Five Marine Corps Good Conduct Medals.
•  Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.
•  Two Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
•  Afghanistan Campaign Medal.
•  Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
•  Four Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbons.
•  Two National Defense Service Medals.
•  North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal.
•  Three Navy Meritorious Unit Commendations.

Funeral arrangements for Pruitt are pending. 

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Nigeria: Boko Haram - JTF Begins Massive Search in Maiduguri

Location of the four cities in north eastern Nigeria where the Boko Haram conflict took place. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order (ORO) said that it had began search for suspected Boko Haram members in Maiduguri.

Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, JTF spokesman, stated in a statement in Maiduguri on Sunday that "the JTF is on massive cordon and search operation in targeted areas in Maiduguri.

"It is intended to arrest suspected Boko Haram terrorists, mop up illegal arms and ammunitions and Improvised Explosive Devise (IEDs)," Musa said.

Musa warned that individuals found harbouring suspected terrorists, arms, ammunitions and IEDs would be dealt with appropriately.

"The massive presence of troops on the river line bridge and other areas is a deliberate attempt to checkmate terrorists' activities in the affected areas. "

Related articles

• Boko Haram: JTF begins massive search in Maiduguri (transformationwatch.com)

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Four dead, 30 wounded in south Nepal blast

Left: Map showing Kathmandu and the surrounding area. Right: Kathmandu Valley (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

KATHMANDU: Four people were killed and nearly 30 wounded when a bomb attached to a motorbike went off near a crowd of protesters in southern Nepal on Monday, police said.

The group of 150 demonstrators in the city of Janakpur, 20 kilometres from the Indian border, were staging a sit-in to demand a separate province for Maithili-speaking people when the bike exploded.

“One of the protesters died on the spot while three died on their way to hospital. We have referred around seven seriously injured victims for treatment to Kathmandu,” local police chief Basanta Raj Gautam told AFP.

“Over 20 people who sustained minor injures from the blast are being treated at various hospitals in the district.”

The protesters had been taking part in a strike in Janakpur to demand the new province in the southern Terai plains. The Maithili language is spoken in eastern India and southeast Nepal.

Nepal has been relatively peaceful since rebel Maoists waging a 10-year war against the government
signed a peace accord in 2006.

The country’s parliament is nearing a deadline to write a peacetime constitution which will divide the country into new federal states.

“There were around 150 persons sitting in the protest… when the bomb went off. We have increased security in the area but no one has taken responsibility for the incident,” Gautam said.

“The strike was called by the Mithila State Struggle Committee for three hours today and their cadres had blocked road transportation to pressure for a separate Mithila province in the constitution.”

Uma Shankar Singh, a sub-inspector of police, said the bomb had been fitted on the tail box of the motorcycle. No one has been arrested in connection with the attack.

A powerful blast in Kathmandu in February killed three people and wounded seven in the first such incident in the capital for three years.
An organisation calling itself the United Ethnic Liberation Front (UELF) claimed responsibility, although their motives were unclear.

from DAWN

Related articles

• Four dead, 30 wounded in south Nepal blast (dawn.com)
• Bomb explodes in market in southern Nepal, kills 4 (dailystar.com.lb)
• Bomb explodes at political rally in southern Nepal, killing four (independent.co.uk)

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