Nigeria: Suicide Bomber Kills 6 At Borno Police Headquarters

It was another sad day in Maiduguri, Borno State yesterday as bomb explosions rocked part of the town resulting in the death of seven persons.

One of the explosions was at the Borno State Police headquarters where a suicide bomber made a dash on it and got six persons killed including two policemen and four civilians.

A police source said the suicide car bomber believed to be a member of the dreaded Boko Haram sect attempted to force his way into the headquarters through the main gate with a car laden with explosives.

The source said the bomb went off while policemen on guard at the gate prevented the bomber from entering.

He however said he could not give further details as "efforts are going on to clear the debris and rescue the affected persons."

Yesterday's attack is the second time a suicide bomber would aim at the police headquarters. The first attempt was made last year August.

During yesterday's attack, though the bomber was gun down by the policemen at the gate, the bomb still went off.

In the second explosion, which happened earlier between 7:00 am and 8:15 am, an unknown bomber got detonated around 'Gidan Dambe' area of the metropolis.

According to witnesses, he was trying to plant an Improvised Explosive Device, which exploded and left him dead.

It was gathered that movement of some suspicious persons had started at Gidan Dambe on Thursday night but that the people of the area kept mute for fear of being killed.

According to the source, they saw men carrying weapons around Gidan Dambe but they concluded that they might be security operative in plain clothes.

The town had been experiencing clashes between sect members and security operatives. The sources however said they noticed some awkward behaviour in the people and suspected them to be members of dreaded Boko Haram sect.

JTF, who later spoke to newsmen said that the IED was concealed in a bag and kept under a public shed and exploded while the victim was trying to plant it.

As at the time of filing this story yesterday evening at about 4pm the entire town was deserted with most part of the major roads cordoned off.


from allAfrica

Related articles

• Nigeria: Suicide Bomber Hits Police HQ (allafrica.com)
• Eight Killed, 24 injured in Maiduguri twin bomb blasts (vanguardngr.com)
• Red Cross: 8 killed in north Nigeria blast (dailystar.com.lb)

Read More

Four French soldiers killed in Afghan east on Saturday

Kapisa districts (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

(Reuters) - Insurgents in Afghanistan killed four French soldiers and wounded another five on Saturday, one of the deadliest attacks on the French contingent in months, as violence escalates across the country.
The raid occurred in mountainous Kapisa province in the east which is mainly patrolled by a French force under NATO command.

Details of the attack were not immediately available but French President Francois Hollande's office confirmed in Paris that the soldiers involved in the attack were French.

A statement from his office said that among the five wounded, three were in a serious condition, and Hollande had dispatched defense minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to Afghanistan after the attack.

Abdul Rahman, Kapisa's provincial police chief, said the insurgents had carried out a suicide attack on the French troops in the Nijrab district of the mountainous province.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in an email message that a suicide attacker had struck the foreign soldiers.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan in recent weeks, with the Taliban vowing to target the Afghan government and security forces, as well as the 130,000 foreign troops in the country, most of whom are due to leave by the end of 2014.

France plans to withdraw most of its roughly 3,400 troops by the end of this year, two years ahead of the timetable agreed by NATO. French troops have suffered a series of attacks including several by rogue Afghan soldiers, triggering demands in France for the troops to be brought home early.

Last month Hollande, during a visit to the volatile Kapisa province, defended the decision to pull out early, saying the job of fighting terrorism was nearly done, and France would focus on cooperating on the civilian front.

France's decision has raised concerns that other members of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) coalition may follow its example and accelerate their withdrawal plans, handing security prematurely to fledgling Afghan forces.

(Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani and Hamid Shalizi; Editing by Daniel Magnowski)

Related articles

• Taliban 'kill four French troops' - BBC News (bbc.co.uk)

Read More

R.I.P. - Pfc. Vincent J. Ellis

DOD Identifies Army Casualty

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

            Pfc. Vincent J. Ellis, 22, of Tokyo, Japan, died June 4, in Landstuhl, Germany, from wounds suffered June 1, on Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked his unit with improvised explosive devices and small arms fire.  He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

            For more information the media may contact the U.S. Army Alaska public affairs office at 907-384-1542.

---

from ktuu.com:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Alaska-based soldier from Japan has died from wounds he received in Afghanistan.

U.S. Army Alaska spokesperson Lt. Col. Bill Coppernoll confirmed Thursday that Pfc. Vincent J. Ellis died Monday in Germany.

Ellis, an airborne cavalry scout, was wounded last Friday when his unit was attacked by insurgents using improvised explosive devices and small arms fire at Forward Operating Base Salerno, in Afghanistan's Khost province.

The 22-year-old from Tokyo was stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, and assigned to the 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. He attended basic training and the Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga. last year before being assigned to JBER, and was on his first combat deployment.

Ellis's next of kin have been notified.

Related articles

• RIP PFC Vincent J. Ellis (waronterrornews.typepad.com)

Read More

June 08., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban leader during an operation in Wali Muhammad Shahid Khugyani district, Ghazni province, today.

The leader coordinated improvised explosive device operations and conducted multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the province.

During the operation the security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force discovered several caches containing narcotics and explosives during an operation in Baghran district, Helmand province, Monday. The security force seized 48 kilograms (106 pounds) of wet opium, 980 kilograms (2,156 pounds) of poppy seed and several improvised explosive device components. During the operation, insurgents attacked the security force. The force identified the insurgents and returned fire killing several insurgents. The narcotics and IED materials were destroyed in place.

In Musa Qal’ah district, Helmand province, an Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a senior Taliban leader today. The leader coordinates the placement of improvised explosive devices and directs attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the province. During the operation the security force detained several suspected insurgents.

Read More

30 escape in Taliban prison break: officials

KABUL: Around 30 prisoners managed to escape an Afghan prison after Taliban gunmen attacked the jail, sparking clashes that left three inmates dead and 28 wounded, officials said Friday.

A large explosion blew a hole in the wall of the prison in Sari Pul, capital of the northern province of the same name, shortly after darkness fell on Thursday, deputy provincial governor Akhtar Mohammad Khairzada told AFP.

"This was followed by 10 minutes of gunbattles by the Taliban insurgents with Afghan security forces in which three inmates were killed and 28 others were wounded," he said.

Around 31 inmates fled the prison but security forces managed to capture 16 of them and were hunting the rest, Khairzada said.

Sari Pul police chief, Yaqoob Zabuli, confirmed the incident, saying the dead inmates were killed by prison guards.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the Afghan Islamic Press agency reported.

"As a result of the attack, 170 prisoners escaped from the prison. The mujahideen took them to safer places. The escaped detainees include Taliban's district chiefs and other commanders," AIP quoted spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi as saying.


from GEO.TV

Related articles

• Taliban members, criminals escape from jail in Afghanistan (foxnews.com)

Read More

Blast in Peshawar kill dozens, several injured

PESHAWAR: At least 19 people were killed and 20 injured in a blast on Charsadda Road in Peshawar on Friday.

Reports state that a bomb had targeted a bus of Civil Secretariat employees. Eyewitnesses said that up to 30 people were on board the bus when it was targeted.

The bomb disposal squad (BDS) reached the scene and began collecting evidence.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain confirmed the death toll.

Speaking to the media outside Lady Reading Hospital, Hussain said, “11 people are dead here. The bodies of four men, six women and one young girl are at this hospital.”

He said that 10 injured were currently under treatment at the hospital, out of which five were in critical condition.

Confirming reports from Charsaddah Hospital, the information minister said that 8 bodies had been taken there.

The minister also said that since the explosion affected the rear of the vehicle the most, the bomb might have been planted there and was detonated remotely.

Condeming the attack, the minister said, “Spreading fear and indulging in terrorism is the only reason for such an act.”

“We are in favour of talks but if they (terrorists) refuse, we will be forced to take action against them,” said Hussain.

from tribune.com.pk
---

from DAWN:
PESHAWAR: At least 14 people were killed and over 36 injured in a blast that took place in Peshawar on Friday, DawnNews reported. 
The blast occurred in the city’s Gulbela area on Charsadda road targeting a bus of government employees. The bus was completely destroyed in the explosion.
The injured which included three children were shifted to the nearby Lady Reading Hospital.
Police had cordoned off the site of the attack where rescue teams had reached and started their operations.
Peshawar has a population of 2.5 million people and has long been on the frontline of violence blamed on an insurgency led by Taliban militants opposed to Islamabad’s alliance with the United States.
---

from geo:
PESHAWAR: A remote controlled bomb targeting a government employees' bus at Charsadda Road killed eighteen people and hurt 42 others here on Friday, Geo News reported.
According to initial reports, a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) exploded near a Civil Secretariat bus killing nine people including one child and four women.
All the victims were shifted to the nearby Lady Reading Hospital (LRH). Medical Superintendent LRH Rahim Jan Afridi while talking to media has confirmed the toll.
Police have cordoned off the area while rescue efforts are still underway.

Read More

2 al-Qaida commanders killed in air strike in southern Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, June 7 (Xinhua) -- The Yemeni air force raided an al-Qaida-controlled site in the southern province of Abyan on Thursday, killing at least two commanders of the terrorist group and injuring seven others, a security official said.

"The two al-Qaida commanders were killed in the air strike while they were inspecting a checkpoint in eastern Mudiyah town," the local security official told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, witnesses told Xinhua anonymously that an air raid pounded a pick-up truck belonging to the al-Qaida militants while it was passing through a desert road in Jaar, Abyan's second largest town.

"The al-Qaida vehicle was loaded with heavy weapons before it was bombed, causing a huge explosion at the area," the witnesses said.

"Some of al-Qaida militants believed to have been killed or injured in the attack," they added.

On the same day, a tribal chief said anti-Qaida militia have managed to foil two al-Qaida suicide attacks outside Lauder town in Abyan.

"We intercepted an al-Qaida suicide bomber with an explosives- laden car at Lauder's entrance," the tribal chief said.

"Also earlier in the day an al-Qaida suicide attacker with an explosives belt was shot dead by our fighters near a tribal checkpoint," he added.

The Yemeni government troops have waged an intensive military campaign, with support of the United States and Yemen's oil-rich neighbor Saudi Arabia, against several bastions of the al-Qaida terrorist group in Abyan province since last month.

The offensive aimed at recapturing several southern towns and cities seized by the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula during last year's political chaos.

Read More

12 killed, over 40 injured in blast in SW Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, June 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed and over 40 others injured in an explosion at the main gate of a seminary in Pakistan's southwest city of Quetta on Thursday afternoon, police said.

Deputy Inspector General Police Qazi Abdul Wahid said that the blast took place when a large number of people gathered in the religious school for the annual degree and prize distribution ceremony.

He said that an unidentified militant hid explosive materials under the flower garlands brought for the ceremony. The militant failed to enter the school building because of strict security measures and parked his explosive laden bicycle outside the main gate.

Capital City Police Officer Mir Zubair told media that the blast was triggered by a timed device and at least six kilograms of explosives were used in the explosion. He added that the death toll could further rise if the attacker succeeded in parking his bicycle inside the seminary.

Some media reports said that the seminary belonged to Sunni Muslims and the attack might be a result of sectarian confrontation between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

Local Urdu TV channel reported that the explosion took place at about 3:00 a.m. local time. The injured people have been shifted to local hospital, however, the death toll may further rise as half of the injured were in a critical condition.

Law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and an investigation into the incident has been launched.

No group have claimed responsibility for the attack.

Quetta, the provincial capital of the country's southwest province of Balochistan, often remains under attacks of Taliban militants and activists of separatist movements. Sectarian clashes are also very common in the city.

Early on Sunday, six people including two policemen and four Shia Muslims were killed and several others injured when unknown gunmen opened fire at a cement shop in Quetta.

Related articles

• Pakistan religious school blast (bbc.co.uk)
• Bombing at seminary kills 14 in southwest Pakistan (usatoday.com)

Read More

June 06., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 06., 2012. – An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban leader in Baraki Barak district, Logar province, today.

The leader plans and participates in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the province.

He also commands multiple insurgents and acquires weapons for use in insurgent attacks against Afghan and coalition troops.

During the operation, insurgents attacked the Afghan and coalition troops with small-arms fire and a grenade. The security force returned fire and requested a precision airstrike.

While conducting a follow-on assessment, the security force discovered two women who had sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The security force provided medical assistance and transported both women to an ISAF medical facility for treatment.

As a result of the operation, multiple insurgents were killed and the Afghan and coalition security force seized several weapons and a quantity of explosives.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

In Taloqan district, Takhar province, an Afghan and coalition security force detained an al-Qaida facilitator during an operation today. The facilitator served as a financier and liaison between al-Qaida leaders.

South

An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban leader during an operation in Daman district, Kandahar province, today. The leader was responsible for the construction, distribution and placement of improvised explosive devices used in attacks against coalition and Afghan forces throughout Daman and Shah Wali Kot districts. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent as a result of the operation.

Read More

Twin Suicide Attack in Kandahar Kills 22, Wounds 50

At least 22 Afghan civilians were killed and 50 others were wounded in a twin suicide attack in southern Kandahar province on Wednesday, local officials said.


Kandahar deputy police chief Rahmatullah Atrafi said eight security guards of a private security firm were among the victims.

The attack happened around 11:15am near Kandahar Air Field - a Nato-run military base - when a suicide bomber on a motorbike detonated his explosives while Afghan civilians were gathered in a transport area near the base. Then a second suicide bomber in a car blew himself up, provincial spokesman Jawid Faisal said.

Provincial police chief General Abdul Raziq earlier told TOLOnews that the suicide bomber appeared to be targeting a convoy of Afghan private security guards.

No group, including the Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

from TOLONEWS
Wednesday, 06 June 2012 12:07
Last Updated on Wednesday, 06 June 2012 12:39 

Read More