Clashes reported in eastern Nuristan province

Wama District in the Nuristan Province in Afghanistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

According to local authorities in eastern Nuristan province heavy clashes took place between Taliban militants and Afghan security forces in Wama district in this province.

Provincial governor spokesman Mohammad Zarin confirming the report said the clashes started around 12:00 local time on Tuesday after Afghan security forces ambushed a number of armed militants in Terinik area which is the bordering region between Nuristan and Kunar province.

The militants were looking to ambush the vehicle of Nuristan provincial governor.

Mr. Zarin further added an Afghan police officer was killed and two others were injured following the clashes. However he said there were no reports regarding militants casualties.

He also said clashes between armed militants and Afghan security forces were also reported at Kordar area around 5:00 am local time this morning.

Mohammad Zarin said Tamim Nurstani had travelled to the area for the inauguration of Kordar-Noorgeram highway and was ambushed by armed militants.

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

from KHAAMA
By Sajad - Tue Jul 17, 10:21 am

Related articles

• Clashes reported in eastern Nuristan province (khaama.com)

Read More

R.I.P. - Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar

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

            Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar, 24, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., died July 14, in Khost province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from enemy small arms fire.

            Hammar was assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

            For more information pertaining to this release, media may contact the U.S. Army Alaska public affairs office at 907-384-2072.

---

Statement by Governor Jan Brewer

Mourning the Loss of Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar

 

             

              “Please join me today in honoring the sacrifice of a brave Arizona serviceman. United States Army Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar, of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, died July 14, 2012, due to injuries sustained when his dismounted patrol came under enemy small arms fire. Staff Sgt. Hammar, 24, was deployed to the Khost province of Afghanistan, where he was serving our Nation in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

 

              “Staff Sgt. Hammar was a member of the 1^st Battalion, 501^st Infantry Regiment, 4^th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25^th Infantry Division, and assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, located near Anchorage, Alaska.

 

              “This is a day to offer our condolences, prayers and due respect for Staff Sgt. Hammar and the family he leaves behind. Please also pray for his fellow soldiers, as well as for all of the men and women who nobly serve our country as part of the United States Military.

 

              “The depth of their sacrifice is too often taken for granted until we learn of a tragedy such as this. Today is a stark reminder to honor their service and never stop praying for their safety.

 

              “In honor of Staff Sgt. Carl E. Hammar, I have ordered that flags at all State buildings be lowered to half-staff until sunset today, July 17, 2012. I also will request that flags be lowered from sunrise until sunset on the day of his interment, for which services are pending.”

 ------

from azfamily,
by Catherine Holland
Posted on July 17, 2012 at 7:42 AM
Updated today at 12:15 PM

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

Staff Sgt. Carl Eric Hammar of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., died July 14, in Khost province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from enemy small arms fire. He was on a dismounted patrol at the time of the attack.

Hammar was assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

According to Hammar's Facebook page, the 24-year-old graduated from Lake Havasu High School in 2005. He joined the Army that December and went on to graduate from basic training, advanced individual training and the basic airborne course at Fort Benning, Ga.

Hammar, a paratrooper, then served as an infantryman at Fort Bragg, N.C.

He had been at JBER since September. He and his 3,500-soldier brigade deployed to Afghanistan in December.

Prior to his arrival at JBER, where he served as a squad leader, Hammer served two tours of duty in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His first tour was January 2007 to March 2008. He returned August 2009 to July 2010.

Hammar's next of kind have been notified. A memorial for Hammar will be held at JBER, but the date has not been set.

Armed forces from the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, less than a month after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

According to iCasualties.org, nearly 2,000 servicemen from all branches of the military have been killed in and around Afghanistan since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom. More than 40 of those were from Arizona. Another 268 Arizonans have been wounded while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lake Havasu City is about 200 miles (about 3.5 hours by car) northwest of Phoenix, along the Arizona-California border.

Related articles

• Soldier from Lake Havasu City killed in Afghanistan (azfamily.com)

Read More

July 17., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Taliban leader in Archi district, Kunduz province, today.

The detained leader was directly responsible for planning and coordinating attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the region.

He was also responsible for the shipment of explosive components to insurgents across the district.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force apprehended Mullah Noor Mohammad, a Taliban leader, during an operation in Tarin Kot district, Uruzgan province, July 13. Mohammad controlled a large group of Taliban fighters in the area and was responsible for the facilitation and production of improvised explosive devices throughout the region. He was also responsible for several attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and against Afghan civilians in the region

In Sangin district, Helmand province, an Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban leader, today. The Taliban leader commands multiple insurgents and coordinates attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The operation resulted in the detention of several suspected insurgents.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban weapons dealer in Achin district, Nangarhar province, today. The weapons dealer provides firearms, explosives and other improvised explosive device components to Taliban insurgents throughout the area. He also participating in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. During the operation the forces detained multiple suspected insurgents.

Read More

Bedouins free kidnapped U.S. tourists in Egypt: security

Egyptian Bedouin tribesmen on Monday released two U.S. tourists who had been held in captivity for three days in the Sinai Peninsula, a senior security official told AFP.

“The two have been released after successful negotiations with the Bedouins and they are now in the North Sinai security headquarters,” the official said.
The negotiations were being mediated by Bedouin elders, the official said, but refused to elaborate on the terms of the deal.

The lead kidnapper, Germy Abu Masouh, abducted the two -- an American man and a woman -- and their guide in Egypt’s lawless Sinai on Friday, demanding the release of his uncle who is being held on drugs charges.

General Ahmed Bakr, the head of North Sinai security, confirmed that the three had been released, in statements carried by the official MENA news agency.

“They are all in good health,” he said, adding that the U.S. embassy had been notified of the Americans’ release.

“Preparations are being made to transport them to Cairo,” Bakr said.
The sparsely populated Sinai region is where Egypt’s most lucrative tourist resorts are located, but it is also home to a mostly poor and disaffected Bedouin population.

Since an uprising overthrew President Hosni Mubarak last year, the Sinai has grown ever more lawless, with attacks on police stations and 14 bombings targeting a pipeline that exports gas to neighboring Israel and Jordan.

The Bedouin have pressed hard for the release of captive tribesmen they say have been sentenced unfairly on charges ranging from terrorism to drugs dealing and people trafficking across the border into Israel.

They have done so in increasingly frequent tourist kidnappings over the past year.

In May, a tourist from Singapore was kidnapped for several hours. Two American tourists kidnapped near the Red Sea resort of Dahab in May were released after less than 24 hours in captivity.

All of the previous hostages have been released unhurt.


from AL ARABIYA NEWS
Last Updated: Mon Jul 16, 2012 21:41 pm (KSA) 18:41 pm (GMT)

Related articles

• Egypt Bedouin kidnap two US tourists: police (dailystar.com.lb)
• Egyptian official says American hostages released (bostonherald.com)
• 2 U.S. tourists abducted in Egypt freed (cbsnews.com)
• 2 Americans kidnapped in Egypt's Sinai are freed (newsok.com)

Read More

Taliban suicide assault team strikes police station in Bannu

By Bill Roggio - July 16, 2012 - LWJ

The Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan claimed credit for today's suicide assault on a police station in the northwestern district of Bannu.

A five-man team of "Fedayeen," or "Martyrdom seekers," attacked the police station this morning in Bannu, a district that borders the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan, Ihsanullah Ihsan, the main spokesman for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, told The Long War Journal.

The Taliban fighters lobbed grenades into the police station before entering and opening fire with assault rifles. Two of the fighters were reported to have been dressed in burqas. Three policemen were killed and three more were wounded, according to Xinhua. Ihsan claimed that "15-20 security personal were killed while scores of them [were] injured ...."

Ihsan claimed the attack in an email sent to The Long War Journal, and said that three of the attackers escaped.

"We the Mujaheddin of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claim responsibility of attacks on investigation police station in Bannu today," Ihsan said. "In this martyrdom operation five mujahideen took part among them two embraced Shahadah [martyrdom] while three brothers came back to us by Grace of ALLAH after completing operation."

Ihsan said the Taliban would "continue our war until we throw out the filthy democratic system out, and implement Shariah [Islamic law] in Pakistan."

The Taliban launched a larger operation against a prison in Bannu on April 15, when hundreds of fighters stormed the jail and freed more than 400 inmates, many of whom are jihadists. Among those freed was Amjad Farooqi, the Pakistani terrorist who engineered the two assassination attempts against Musharraf in December 2003 at the behest of al Qaeda leader Abu Faraj al Libi and was involved in other terror attacks. The Taliban later released video of the assault that featured Farooqi.

The Taliban have launched three major attacks against Pakistani security forces in the past week. Two of the other attacks took place in the eastern province of Punjab. On July 9, the Taliban attacked a military camp in Gurjat, near Lahore, and killed six soldiers and a policeman. And on July 12, a small team of Taliban fighters struck a police facility in Lahore that killed eight policemen and wounded nine more. The July 12 attack in Lahore was very similar to today's attack in Bannu.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/07/taliban_suicide_assa_8.php#ixzz20oebaeZk

Related articles

• Taliban suicide assault team strikes police station in Bannu (longwarjournal.org)
• Militants attack police's Special Branch office in Bannu (dawn.com)
• Taliban attack police in Pakistan, take hostages (washingtontimes.com)

Read More

Suicide car bomb hits Mogadishu, kills attacker, wounds 6

MOGADISHU, July 16 (Xinhua) -- A suicide car bomb explosion hit the center of Somali capital Mogadishu on Monday, killing the bomber and wounding six others, police said.

"A vehicle parked near a hotel Bin Ali in Hamarweyne district exploded, killing what we think the attacker and wounding six civilians. But the target of the attack was not immediately clear, " police officer Mohyadeen Ali told Xinhua.

The hotel locates in an area frequented by Somali government officials and house key government installations.

Witnesses said the vehicle has been parked near the gate of the hotel since in the hours of Monday morning before it went off while the driver was inside it.

"The explosion was very big. But it was luck that no one else was killed," Saed Muse, an eyewitness told Xinhua.

Somali security forces cordoned off the area and asked people to stay away from the scene of the explosion.

Police said the car bomb appears to have exploded prematurely and that investigations are underway into the explosion.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack so far but the militant group Al-Shabaab has previously carried out similar suicide car bomb attack against Somali government targets and AU peacekeeping forces. Al Shabaab does not usually claim responsibility for failed or foiled attacks.

The radical group which has links to al Qaida has recently been weakened by concerted military offensives by Somali government forces and African Union troops.

The Al-Shabaab fighters which controlled much of southern and central Somalia have lost large swathes of territory since they were forced to withdraw from the capital Mogadishu in August.

from XINHUA
2012-07-16 17:10:51

Read More

3 armed insurgents killed and 10 others arrested by ANP (Jul.16.2012.)

Publish Date: Jul 16, 2012

Three armed insurgents killed and 10 others arrested by Afghan National Police

Counterterrorism:

During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces launched nine joint clearance operations in Kabul, Nangarhar, Laghman, Faryab, Zabul, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni and Khost provinces.

As a result of these operations, three armed insurgents were killed and 10 others were arrested by Afghan National Police.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated 202 kilograms of opium, nine different types of weapons with 21 magazines, five radio handsets, two heavy rounds, 800 light rounds, 15 different types of mines, 10kg of explosives, seven hand grenades and one motorcycles.

During the same 24 hour period, Afghan National Police discovered and defused six anti-vehicle and personnel mines in Herat and Kandahar provinces.

Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained 11 individuals accused of trafficking, theft and assault in the 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th 15th and 16th Districts of Kabul-City.

Read More

July 16., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force conducted a security operation in Maidan Shahr district, Wardak province, Saturday.

Afghan and coalition security forces confirmed today that both Qari Ziauddin, a senior Taliban leader, and Tor Gul, a weapons smuggler, were killed along with several other insurgents during the operation.

The operation also resulted in the arrest of a third suspected Taliban leader.

Qari Ziauddin, also known as Ikram Jan, was the senior Taliban leader for Maidan Shahr district. He armed insurgent fighters, transported suicide bombers, coordinated the emplacement of improvised explosive devices, and personally led numerous attacks throughout the district.

Tor Gul, also known as Emal and Mukhlis, acquired and transported weapons, ammunition and IED components for insurgents throughout the region.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to detain a Taliban weapons specialist in Arghandab district, Kandahar province, today. During the operation, a group of insurgents attacked the security force with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. The security returned fire and killed several of the attackers. The force conducted a follow-on assessment of the area and confirmed no civilians had been injured. As a result of the operation, the Afghan and coalition security force detained multiple suspected insurgents.

Read More

6 insurgents killed, 6 detained in Wardak

KABUL (PAN): Six insurgents were killed and as many others injured during a security operation in Maidan Shahr city, the capital of central Maidan Wardak province, an official said on Monday.

The operation was conducted by the Afghan security forces in Kashmira Qala, Charki, Mulakhel, Ghonda Khel and Deh Afghanan areas on Sunday night, the governor's spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told Pajhwok Afghan News.

He said six insurgents were killed, as many others injured and two others detained during the operation that ended early this morning.

The slain rebels belonged to the group led by Maulvi Aminullah, who was detained few days ago after he was injured in an operation.

There has been no word from the Taliban on the incident yet.

from Pajhwok
by Hakim Basharat on Jul 16, 2012 - 10:07

Read More

Somalia: Kenyan Fighter Jets Target Al Shabaab in Southern Somalia

Kismayo, Somalia — For the second time Kenyan fighter jets have targeted districts in southern Somalia, Radio Garowe reports.

Howsingo districts in the Lower Jubba region were targeted in the air strikes by Kenyan fighter jets on Sunday.

Unconfirmed reports said that the air strikes successfully destroyed a training camp in the Howsingo district and killed over 18 Al Shabaab agents.

According to military sources, there are also contradicting reports saying that the strikes led to many civilian casualties, with a few Al Shabaab agents being killed in the strikes.

Last week, Kenyan fighter jets targeted Al Shabaab training camps in districts under Garbaharey in Gedo region.

Al Shabaab has yet to comment on the air strikes and overall casualties in the air raids have not been independently confirmed.

from allAfrica/Garowe Online
15 July 2012

Read More