4 militants blown up by own explosives

Sangcharak District in Sar-e Pol Province. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SAR-I-PUL CITY (PAN): Four mine planters were killed after the explosives they were trying to plant went off prematurely in the Kohistanat district of northern Sar-i-Pul province, an official said on Thursday.

The four were killed in the Kala Khana area of the district on Wednesday night, police spokesman Lt. Sulaiman told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Local police commander Farooq acknowledged the incident and said the individuals belonged to the Mullah Shafiqullah group -- the Taliban-designated district chief.

Local resident Mohammad Juma said: “We heard an explosion at about 8 pm."  Taliban are yet to comment on the incident.

from Pajhwok
by Yaqub Ali Madani

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17 Taliban rebels killed, 54 detained in Afghan raids

KABUL, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Up to 17 Taliban insurgents have been killed and 54 others detained as Afghan forces and NATO-led coalition troops launched military operations in different provinces within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Thursday.

"Afghan police, army and international coalition forces launched nine cleanup operations in nine provinces, killing 17 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining 54 other suspected insurgents over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates to media.

The joint forces also found and seized weapons including 10 AK- 47 guns besides defusing six anti-vehicles mines and discovering explosive materials, the statement said without saying if there were any casualties on the side of security forces.

They also confiscated six motorcycles which have been used by insurgents, it said.

However, the Taliban insurgent group, which announced the launching of a spring offensive from May 3 against Afghan and NATO forces, has not to make comments yet.

Afghan forces and some 130,000 NATO-led coalition troops have recently intensified cleanup operations against Taliban and other militant groups throughout the country as spring and summer, known as "fighting season" draw near.

Over 800 insurgents have been killed and more than 1,450 others detained in the country so far this year, according to the figures released by the Afghan Interior Ministry.

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5 killed, 29 injured in attacks in Iraq

BAGHDAD, May 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of five people were killed, including three Lebanese Shiite pilgrims, and 29 others injured in separate gunfire and bomb attacks in eastern and central Iraq on Wednesday, the police said.

The deadliest attack occurred in Iraq's western province of Anbar when a roadside bomb struck a bus carrying Lebanese Shiite pilgrims in the provincial capital city of Ramadi, some 110 km west of Baghdad, killing three pilgrims and wounding seven others, a source from Anbar's operations command told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The bus came from the Syrian border in western Iraq and headed to the Shiite holy sites in central the country, the source said.

In Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, gunmen with their assault rifles opened fire against a bus carrying construction workers in an area located some 90 km of Baghdad, killing two workers aboard and injuring six others, a provincial police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

In a separate incident, four policemen were wounded when gunmen attacked their patrol in an intersection in northeastern of Diyala 's capital city of Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, the source said.

Also in the province, a civilian was wounded when a roadside bomb went off near his house in a town some 17 km northwest of Baquba, the source added.

Meanwhile, seven people were wounded when a booby-trapped car detonated at a marketplace in the city of Samarra, some 110 km north of Baghdad, a local police source anonymously told Xinhua.

In addition, a roadside bomb detonated in al-Qadisiyah district in western Baghdad, wounding four civilians, an Interior Ministry source anonymously told Xinhua.

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

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US drones kill 10 in Mir Ali strike

By Bill Roggio - May 24, 2012 - LWJ

The US launched another drone airstrike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan. The strike is the second in two days.
The unmanned Predators or the more heavily armed Reapers fired a pair of missiles at a compound in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan in the middle of the night, Geo News reported. Pakistani intelligence officials said that 10 "militants" were killed in the strike, according to Reuters.

No senior al Qaeda, Taliban, or members of allied terrorist groups operating in the area have been reported killed in the strike. Mir Ali is known to host a variety of foreign and domestic Pakistani terror groups.

Today's strike in Mir Ali is the second in two days, and the third strike this month. The US launched the two latest strikes just one day after it failed to convince Pakistan at a NATO summit in Chicago to reopen the supply lines to Afghanistan. Pakistan closed the supply lines following the Mohmand incident in November 2011, in which US troops killed 24 Pakistani troops. The Pakistani soldiers were killed after they opened fire on US troops operating across the border in Kunar province, Afghanistan.
The US has carried out just 15 strikes so far this year. Three took place in South Waziristan, and 12 in North Waziristan. Eight of the strikes in North Waziristan have been executed in or around Miramshah, and two have been in Mir Ali.

The program has been scaled down from its peak in 2010, when the US conducted 117 strikes, according to data collected by The Long War Journal. In 2011, the US carried out just 64 strikes in Pakistan's border regions. With only 13 strikes in the first five months of 2012, the US is on a pace to carry out just 36 strikes in Pakistan this year.

The US has launched more strikes in Yemen (21) against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula than in Pakistan so far this year. The US only launched 10 airstrikes in Yemen in 2011, versus 64 in Pakistan last year.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/05/us_drones_kill_10_in_1.php#ixzz1vlywWQmC

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other sources:

The CIA’s drones returned to the attack for the second time in 24 hours, killing ten ‘suspected militants’ in an attack on a house, according to Pakistani intelligence officials. ‘The drone fired two missiles at the compound. We believe it was being used by militants,’ one official told Reuters. A number of civilians were seriously wounded when a nearby mosque was also struck during the attack, according to AFP. Associated Press’s sources said that ‘most of those killed were Uzbek insurgents,’ although KUNA reported tribal elders as saying that all of those killed were ‘innocent local tribesmen.’

Location: Khassokhel near Mir Ali, North Waziristan
References: Dawn, Reuters, KUNA, Pakistan Today, Associated Press, AFP, BBC

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8 Yemeni soldiers, 25 al-Qaida militants killed in Abyan

ADEN, Yemen, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Clashes broke out outside the al-Qaida stronghold of Abyan in Yemen's southern regions on Wednesday, leaving about eight government soldiers and 25 terrorists killed, a military official said.

The armed forces were advancing inside Zinjibar, Abyan's provincial capital, which has been under siege for about two weeks, and met with strong resistance from al-Qaida fighters, the local military official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Several army barracks of the 25th Mechanized Brigade and 201st Armored Brigade repelled two al-Qaida groups overnight in Zinjibar, he added.

"We captured three pick-up trucks full of ammunition and two anti-aircraft guns," the army commander said.

A military intelligence officer told Xinhua anonymously that " al-Qaida militants are trying to flee Zinjibar front after they suffered heavy losses in recent days."

On the eve of Yemen's National Day, the al-Qaida group launched a suicide bombing attack against a military parade in Yemen's capital of Sanaa, leaving at least 90 soldiers killed and more than 200 others injured, in retaliation for the U.S. backed offensive against its bastions in Abyan.

Yemen is struggling to combat rampant inflation of the Yemen- based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which has seized and controlled several cities in the south, exploiting security vacuum during last year's unrest.

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May 24., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – In Kajaki district, Helmand province, an Afghan and coalition security force conducted a security operation Monday.

As a result of the operation, the Afghan and coalition security force discovered several narcotics production facilities and destroyed 1,410 kilograms (3,102 pounds) of poppy seed, 220 kilograms (484 pounds) of wet opium, 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of ammonium nitrate and drug production equipment.

During the operation, the security force was engaged by multiple insurgents. The force returned fire and killed several of the insurgents.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

In Argo district, Badakhshan province, an Afghan-led security force, supported by coalition troops, detained an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan facilitator and several other insurgents during an operation today. The IMU facilitator was responsible for acquiring and transporting explosive materials and improvised explosive devices for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the district.

South

In Shorabak district, Kandahar province, coalition forces discovered an improvised explosive cache consisting of 2,273 kilograms (5,000 pounds) of homemade explosives and several main charges today. All materials were destroyed on site without incident.

A combined Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in Zharay district, Kandahar province, yesterday. During the operation the security force discovered an explosives cache that consisted of 12 IEDs, two mines and seven jugs filled with homemade explosives.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Haqqani leader during an operation in Jaji district, Paktiya province, today. The leader coordinated roadside bombings and indirect fire attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces throughout the district. He also provided weapons and IEDs to the insurgents under his control. During the operation, multiple armed insurgents engaged the security force. The security force returned fire and after determining there were no civilians in the area requested a precision airstrike. A follow-on assessment of the area determined several insurgents were killed, and there were no civilian injuries or damage to civilian property.

In Baraki Barak district, Logar province, an Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban facilitator and one other insurgent during an operation today. The facilitator supplied weapons, ammunition and equipment to insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition troops.

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban leader in Wali Muhammad Shahid Khugyani district, Ghazni province, today. The leader plans and conducts roadside bombings against Afghan and coalition security forces along Highway 1. The security force detained several suspected insurgents as a result of this operation.

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May 23., 2012. - RC-East Operational Update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition forces killed six insurgents and detained 12 during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, May 23.

Logar province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces killed six insurgents during a small arms engagement in Pul-E Alam district. An assortment of small arms and a radio communication device were recovered from the insurgents.

Khowst province
ANA soldiers and coalition forces detained eight insurgents in Terezayi district. The detainees were taken to a base for questioning. ANA soldiers and coalition forces also detained four insurgents in Sabari district after finding three improvised explosive devises and four loaded AK-47s in their vehicle. The detainees were transferred to a nearby base for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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R.I.P. - Spc. Arronn D. Fields

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

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

            Spc. Arronn D. Fields, 27, of Terre Haute, Ind., died May 21 in Qal-ah-ye Mirza Jal, Afghanistan, of injuries suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket propelled grenades.  He was assigned to the 81st Troop Command, Indiana National Guard, Indianapolis, Ind.

            For more information the media may contact the Indiana National Guard, Maj. Shawn Gardner by telephone at 317-247-3222 (office), 317-407-7065 (cell) or Staff Sgt. Les Newport 317-247-3222 (office), 317-538-8414 (cell).

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fron indystar:

At 8 a.m. Monday, Arronn David Fields grabbed a break in the war in Afghanistan to call his mom at home, in Knightsville.

He told her he'd be coming home on leave in August. He'd see her then. Normal chitchat. Then he had to go -- his unit was going out on patrol.

Hours later, the 27-year-old specialist in the Indiana National Guard was fatally wounded during a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Qal-ah-ye Mirza Jal.

About midnight, the phone rang again at the home of his mother and stepfather, Jackie and Bill Pilkin, bringing the toll of war directly into their home.

Now, they wait to hear from the military about when their son's body will make the trip back.

Fields, the youngest of three siblings, attended Ivy Tech Community College and tried a few jobs after graduating in 2003 from Northview High School in Brazil. But he always seemed to be destined to join the military, said Bill Pilkin, an Air Force veteran.

"I think he always wanted to be a soldier," he said by telephone from his Clay County home. "And he was gung-ho as a security policeman. That's what he wanted to do."

Fields enlisted in 2006 and was serving with the 381st Military Police Company, 81st Troop Command, as part of Task Force Guardian, a multiunit military police force from Indiana. He deployed to Afghanistan in January and had served a one-year tour in Iraq in 2010, Pilkin said.

Fields had decided to make the military his career, Pilkin said.

Soft-spoken and outdoorsy, Fields loved fishing and working on his classic cars -- a 1969 Mustang and a 1973 Plymouth Challenger. In the summer, Pilkin said, Fields was all about fishing, but when it got cold, his stepson headed to the garage to work on the cars.

He was self-taught and kept adding to his skills and knowledge since getting his driver's license, often consulting with a friend who is a mechanic and then applying what he'd learned to those old cars, Pilkin said.

After his year in Iraq, he asked to be stationed in Afghanistan, Pilkin said. The family was aware of the danger and fearful for him.

"He and his mother talked about it, and he just told her that's what he wanted to do," Pilkin said.

"He loved his family, he loved his country, and he loved his God," Pilkin said. "And he was willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for other people."

Funeral arrangements are pending the return of his body to Dover, Del., and then Indiana.

He is the second Indiana soldier to die in Afghanistan in less than a week.

Army Sgt. JaBraun Knox, 23, Auburn, died Friday when an enemy rocket hit an area where extra shells were stored, according to his family.

Call Star reporter Diana Penner at (317) 444-6249.

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Afghan girls poisoned in second anti-school attack

Districts of Takhar Province (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(Reuters) - More than 120 schoolgirls and three teachers have been poisoned in the second attack in as many months blamed on conservative radicals in the country's north, Afghan police and education officials said on Wednesday.

The attack occurred in Takhar province where police said that radicals opposed to education of women and girls had used an unidentified toxic powder to contaminate the air in classrooms. Scores of students were left unconscious.

Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), says the Taliban appear intent on closing schools ahead of a 2014 withdrawal by foreign combat troops.

"A part of their Al Farooq spring offensive operation is ... to close schools. By poisoning girls they want to create fear. They try to make families not send their children to school," NDS spokesman Lutfullah Mashal said.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Education said last week that 550 schools in 11 provinces where the Taliban have strong support had been closed down by insurgents.

Last month, 150 schoolgirls were poisoned in Takhar province after they drank contaminated water.
Since 2001 when the Taliban were toppled from power by U.S.-backed Afghan forces, females have returned to schools, especially in the capital Kabul. They were previously banned from work and education.

But there are still periodic attacks against students, teachers and school buildings, usually in the more conservative south and east of the country, from where the Taliban insurgency draws most of its support.

(Reporting by Mohammad Hamid in Taliqan and Mirwais Harooni in Kabul; Editing by Rob Taylor and Jeremy Laurence)

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Statement from ISAF Commander following NATO Summit in Chicago

WASHINGTON (May 22, 2012) — Following the conclusion of the ISAF session at the NATO Summit in Chicago yesterday, Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force has released the following statement:

I am grateful for the overwhelming commitment from the international community to support Afghanistan through 2014 and beyond. I was proud to join in the NATO Summit in Chicago that sent three unmistakable messages to the world:

• To the Afghan people: we are committed to your future,
• To the Region: the international community will not abandon Afghanistan; and
• To the Taliban: you cannot wait us out.

Among the important outcomes of this event was the resounding commitment by the ISAF partner nations for the long term support of an Afghan National Security Force that is sufficient, capable, and sustainable in the post-2014 period.

This historic summit took place at a time of considerable operational progress in our shared campaign. Because of the extraordinary courage and skill of our ISAF coalition partners, and the Afghan National Security Force’s fighting men and women, this spring and summer, the insurgents have come back to find that many of their caches are empty; their former strongholds are untenable; and a good many of their foot soldiers absent or unwilling to join the fight. And, most importantly, insurgents are facing a battle-tested and increasingly capable Afghan National Security Force that is also serving as a source of pride to the Afghan people and a symbol of unity for this country.

During the last 12 months, the Afghan security forces have expanded from 276,000 to 340,000. They will reach their full surge strength ahead of the scheduled deadline in October. Additionally, Afghan forces are increasingly in the lead throughout the battle space, and the Afghans were in the lead for planning of this year’s campaign plan, Operation Naweed.

The expansion and professionalization of Afghan security forces now allow us to recover the remaining 23,000 U.S. surge troops by this fall, enable us to continue to pressure the Taliban to reintegrate and reconcile, and make possible security transition to the Afghans in accordance with our Lisbon commitments – and on time.

President Karzai’s historic announcement of Tranche 3 of the transition process is a significant milestone in our progress. The coming transition of every provincial capital and the Afghan National Security Forces providing security lead for three-quarters of the population marks the ever-increasing authority and capability of the Government of Afghanistan.

This summit, with its unambiguous commitment of long term support for the security of Afghanistan, is the clearest message yet the Taliban and the enemies of the Afghan people will not win this war. The Afghan National Security Forces, with the unwavering support and tangible commitments of the 50-nation coalition, grow stronger every day. Additionally, the Summit was a powerful signal of international support for an Afghan-led process of reconciliation; and in this process resides the greatest hope for the Taliban for the future. In the wake of this historic NATO Summit, as the Taliban see that their time grows short, they can choose to be part of the prosperous future of Afghanistan, but they can never prevail through violence and intimidation.

This campaign has been long, it has been difficult, and it has been costly. But I believe that ISAF’s campaign is on track. I see it every day – tangible evidence of progress. We are making a difference. We are fulfilling the Lisbon Roadmap of Transition, and the international community is standing with the noble Afghan people and Afghanistan now and into the Decade of Transformation.

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