18 Armed Taliban Killed, 8 Wounded and 19 Arrested by ANP (14.Oct.2012.)

Publish Date: Oct 14, 2012

18 Armed Taliban Killed, Eight Wounded and 19 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 Sar-e-Pul, Kunduz, Baghlan, Laghman, Kandahar, Helmand, Ghazni, Khost and Zabul provinces.

As a result of these operations, 18 armed Taliban were killed, eight wounded and 19 others were arrested by Afghan National Police.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated two PKM machine guns, four rocket launchers, seven AK-47 assault rifles, two different types of weapons, five different types of mines, two hand grenades and two radio handsets.

Additionally, Afghan National Police discovered and defused one remote control mine as a result of security operation in the Suroobi District of Kabul province, yesterday.

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R.I.P. - Sgt. 1st Class Ryan J. Savard

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

            Sgt. 1st Class Ryan J. Savard, 29, of Sierra Vista, Ariz., died Oct. 13, in Khanabad District, Afghanistan, from small arms fire while on patrol during combat operations.  He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N. C.

            For more information related to this release, the media may contact the U.S. Army Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-432-6005.

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from kpho:

Posted by Phil Benson

Posted: Oct 14, 2012 10:00 PM 

Updated: Oct 15, 2012 12:27 AM

FORT BRAGG, NC (CBS5/AP) -

A soldier from Arizona and based at Fort Bragg has died from small arms fire while on patrol during combat operations in Afghanistan.
The Defense Department said Sunday that 29-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Ryan J. Savard of Sierra Vista, AZ, died Saturday in Khanabad District, Afghanistan.
Savard was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg.
Gov. Jan Brewer has ordered that flags at all State buildings be flown at half-staff until sunset Sunday.
Brewer issued this statement in the wake of his death:

"Please join me in saluting an American hero who gave his life in service to the United States. Sgt. 1st Class Ryan J. Savard, 29, of Sierra Vista, was killed Oct. 13, 2012, when he came under small arms fire while on patrol in Khanabad District, Afghanistan.

"Sgt. 1st Class Savard was serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He had been assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and was based in Fort Bragg, NC.

"By now, we should need no reminder of the dangers our brave servicemen and women face while carrying out their duties. More than 2,000 American soldiers have been lost in the execution of Operation Enduring Freedom, launched in defense of this nation following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"Our cause is noble and just, but the grief is no less staggering for the families and friends left behind when one of our own is killed in wartime. I ask that Arizonans join me in offering our sincere gratitude to Sgt. 1st Class Savard, and a prayer for his loved ones. Let us hold in our hearts the courageous men and women in uniform who remain in harm's way so that we can be safe and free."

Savard graduated in 2001 from Buena High School in Sierra Vista, AZ.
He first entered the U.S. Army as a Helicopter Repairer on Aug. 29, 2001, and after completion of Initial Entry Training he was assigned to Bravo Company, 7th Battalion, 159th Aviation in Gieblstadt, Germany, where he served for two years as a UH-60 repairman. While assigned to the 159th Aviation, Savard deployed once to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In June 2004, Savard attended and graduated from the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School to become a Special Forces weapons sergeant. After graduating from the Special Forces Qualification Course, Savard was assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, NC, where he served as a Special Forces Company Assistant Operations Sergeant and a Special Forces weapons sergeant.
In 2008, Savard was assigned to Operations Detachment Group Support Battalion, 3rd SFG (A) where he served as a Senior Special Forces weapons sergeant. While assigned to 3rd SFG (A), Savard deployed three times to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom.
Savard was assigned in May 2010 as a Special Operations Team member, U.S. Army Special Operations Command. For more than two years he performed this duty, deploying twice in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Savard previously served one deployment to Iraq and this was his fifth deployment to Afghanistan.

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R.I.P. - Sgt. Thomas R. Macpherson

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

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

             Sgt. Thomas R. Macpherson, 26, of Long Beach, Calif., died Oct. 12, in Andar District, Afghanistan, from small arms fire while on patrol during combat operations.  He was assigned to the 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.

             For more information related to this release, the media may contact the 75th Ranger Regiment public affairs office at 706-545-8407 or 706-570-5091.

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 from presstelegram

By Nick Green, Staff Writer

Posted:   10/14/2012 11:49:22 AM PDT

Updated:   10/14/2012 12:30:16 PM PDT

A 26-year-old Long Beach native and married father of one was killed in a heavy firefight in Afghanistan as he led an assault against an enemy position, U.S. Army officials said Sunday.
Sgt. Thomas R. MacPherson, a graduate of Los Alamitos High School, was killed by small arms fire in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.
MacPherson "selflessly lived his life for others and distinguished himself as a member of the Army's premier direct action raid force," Army officials said.
"Sgt. Tom MacPherson lost his life courageously leading his Rangers into a close quarters fight with the enemy," Lt. Col. Gregory Anderson, Commander of 2 nd Battalion, 75 th Ranger Regiment, said in a statement. "Tommy MacPherson never backed away from the dangers of combat, and his warrior spirit, personal example, and zeal for life continue to inspire all who knew him. "We will honor his service to our nation and the heroic example he set for all Rangers. Our thoughts and prayers are with the MacPherson family."
MacPherson is survived by his wife, Claudia MacPherson, and their son, Brayden, of Tacoma, Wash., and his parents, Troy and Diona MacPherson of Long Beach.
MacPherson was a team leader assigned to Company D, 2 nd Battalion, 75 th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. This was his fourth deployment to Afghanistan and he had also previously served one deployment in Iraq.
"Sgt. Thomas MacPherson personified the traits of the consummate Ranger: commitment and courage," Col. Mark W. Odom, commander of the 75 th Ranger Regiment, said in a statement. "He deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq multiple times and always seemed to be at the critical points on the battlefield."
MacPherson was born July 20, 1986, in Long Beach.
He enlisted in the Army in May 2007 and completed basic training at Fort Benning, Ga.
After graduating from the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program he initially served as a mortarman with the 75 th Ranger Regiment. After three years, he was assigned to Company D where he served as a fire team leader.
His military education included the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course and the Warrior Leader Course.
His awards and decorations included the Ranger Tab, the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Expert Infantryman's Badge, the Parachutist Badge, and the U.S. Army Expert Rifle Marksmanship Qualification Badge.
MacPherson has also been awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Valor, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three Campaign Stars, Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the NATO Medal.
He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service and Purple Heart.

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Somali, AU forces secure more southern towns from rebels

The retreat of the Al Shabaab Islamist
militant group in Somalia since 2011.
Original map by Evan Centanni.
www.polgeonow.com

MOGADISHU, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Somali government forces backed by African Union (AU) peacekeeping forces are spreading their control over territory run by Al-Shabaab rebels in the south of the Horn of Africa country.

The allied forces this week consolidated their control over the Wanla Weyn town, 93 km south of the Somali capital Mogadishu, as well as a former Somali air force base, 15 km away from the Wanla Wein.

The newly taken areas are strategically located along the main corridor linking Mogadishu to the southern town of Baidao, which is also under the control of AU and Somali government forces.

Wanla Weyn falls at a strategic junction linking the two Shabelle regions to Baidoa in the south and Beletweyne in the north of Somalia.

Officials say the capture of Wanla Weyn facilitates the aim of connecting Mogadishu to Baidoa.

Somali Defense Minister Hussein Arab Isse was among officials who paid a visit to the regained military base near Wanla Weyn. He said the capture of the town was a victory for Somalia and called on Al-Shabaab fighters to join the government troops.

"To Al-Shabaab fighters I call upon them to lay down their arms and join the ranks of their brothers. This is your country, these are your brothers welcome to open arms. There is no other door open for you. Somalia is sovereign nation so come and join in building the future of your country," the Somali defense chief said in the newly taken area.

AU and Somali government officials say the advance would to deny fleeing Al-Shabaab insurgents from seeking refuge and destabilizing other regions of Somalia.

The officials believe that the capture of this town denies Al- Shabaab another source of illegal income after a string of defeats and the loss of other major sources of revenue in a number of seaports along the coastal towns.

Al-Shabaab has lost a number of key towns in central and southern regions, in particular, the port city of Kismayo, the stronghold of the rebels.

from XINHUA
2012-10-14 17:34:17
Editor: Tang Danlu

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Gunmen kill 20 at mosque in northern Nigeria

KADUNA (Reuters) - Gunmen opened fire on Muslim worshippers as they were leaving a mosque in northern Nigeria on Sunday, killing at least 20 people, a local official said.

The attack happened in a remote village called Dogo Dawa, in Kaduna state, said Abdullahi Muhammad, the traditional ruler and councillor of Birnin Gwari, a local government area next door to the village.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Like much of northern Nigeria, Kaduna is plagued by an insurgency led by radical Islamist sect Boko Haram. They usually attack security forces, government officials or Christians, but have hit Muslim clerics and mosques in the past, especially ones that do not follow their hardline brand of Islam.

Kaduna also lies close to Nigeria's volatile "Middle Belt", where Nigeria's mostly Muslim north and largely Christian south meet, and where tensions over land and ethnicity often erupt into violence.

But Abdulladhi said the attack was most likely carried out by a local criminal gang.

"We are suspecting a reprisal attack by gangs of armed robbers who lost some of their members after a recent exchange of fire with the villagers and the vigilantes," he said.

"The village had been terrorised by an armed group operating from camps in the forest. These armed men mostly attack villages and motorists along the busy Kaduna to Lagos highway."

The state police commissioner Olufemi Adenaike confirmed the incident, but said he could not yet confirm the death toll.

The Islamist insurgency in northern Nigeria and weapons flooding in from its neighbours on the threshold of the Sahara have aggravated levels of violence in the region. Armed robberies and local disputes degenerating into deadly shootouts are increasingly common across the impoverished north.

from REUTERS
Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:31am GMT

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Oct. 14., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Daily Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force killed Haqqani leader Rahmatullah during a security operation in Logar province Saturday.

Rahmatullah, also known as Qari Moktar or Mohammad Qasim Qari, was responsible for coordinating direct-fire and improvised-explosive-device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Pul-e Alam district.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

East

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani leader in Ghazni province today. The detained Haqqani leader is believed to be directly associated with suicide and IED attack operations.

Afghan and coalition forces confirmed the death of a Taliban leader, Shafiullah, in an operation in Ghazni province Sunday. Shafiullah was a Taliban leader accused of planning and executing the May 29, 2011, attack that killed three coalition members.

Afghan and coalition forces confirmed the death of Taliban leader, Zafar Khan, in a security operation in Ghazni province Wednesday. Khan, a Taliban leader who exercised command and control of the insurgency in a portion of Ghazni province, was also believed to be involved in the Sept. 9 attack on Jaghatu District Center.

An Afghan and coalition force arrested number of insurgents during a security operation in search of a Taliban senior leader in Paktiya province today. The Taliban leader is believed to oversee IED operations throughout Paktiya province.

South

An Afghan and coalition force arrested several insurgents and seized 15 kilograms (33 pounds) of illegal narcotics during a security operation in search of a Taliban leader in Helmand province today. The Taliban leader operates in close coordination with Taliban senior leaders and conducts direct-action attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Afghan and coalition forces confirmed the arrest of a Taliban leader during a security operation in Helmand province Friday. He is allegedly responsible for directing multiple attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces throughout Helmand province.

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Oct. 14., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained an insurgent, located a weapons cache and cleared eight improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours Oct. 13.

Ghazni province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared three IEDs, one in Khaja Omari district, one in Qarah Bagh district and one in Gelan district.

Kapisa province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Tagab district.

Khowst province

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Nadir Shah Kot district.

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Nadir Shah Kot district. The cache contained rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Logar province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained an insurgent during an engagement in Pul-E Alam district. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Paktika province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs, one in Sar Rowzah district and one in Zerok district.

Wardak province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sayyidabad district.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Taliban suicide bomber kills 4 NDS, 2 ISAF personnel in southern Afghanistan

By Bill Roggio - October 13, 2012 - LWJ

The Taliban claimed credit for a suicide attack in southern Afghanistan that killed four Afghan intelligence officers and two ISAF personnel. Today's bombing is the second this week that targeted the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan's intelligence service, in the south.

The Taliban suicide bomber targeted the Afghan and Coalition personnel just inside the first gate of the provincial NDS headquarters in Kandahar's Maruf district, according to TOLONews. Four NDS personnel, an International Security Assistance Force soldier, and an ISAF civilian were killed in the blast. Three NDS officers were also wounded in the blast.

ISAF confirmed in a press release that "one coalition forces servicemember and one coalition forces civilian died following an improvised explosive device attack in southern Afghanistan today." The nationalities of the two Westerners killed in the attack were not disclosed.

The Taliban claimed credit for today's suicide attack in a statement released at their website, Voice of Jihad. The Taliban identified the suicide bomber as "Abdul Jabbar from Kandahar," and said he targeted "foreign invaders along with the hireling deputy provincial intelligence chief" as they "arrived at the district center in 2 helicopters and were walking into a nearby base." The Taliban claimed the suicide bomber was "wearing an explosives vest and riding an explosive-laden motorbike."

Today's suicide attack is the second in southern Afghanistan in six days that targeted the National Directorate of Security. On Oct. 8, a Taliban suicide bomber killed two NDS officers in an attack at the unit's provincial headquarters in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand; the attack also wounded another NDS officer, two policemen, and 12 civilians.

the report continues here -->
           Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/10/taliban_suicide_bomb_41.php

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14 killed in Nigeria gunmen attacks: military

JOS, Nigeria, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed in separate attacks by gunmen in Jos, capital of Plateau State, in central Nigeria, the military said Friday.

State spokesperson of the military Special Task Force (STF) Lt. Kingsley Egbo told reporters that the victims were attacked in rural communities in the restive state on Thursday.

"Among those murdered was a 75 year-old woman in Sara village of Riyom local government area. The old woman was killed along with her three children," said the military officer, adding a family of eight was also wiped out at a remote village in the same local government area.

According to Egbo, the military had opened an investigation that will lead to arrest of the gunmen who perpetrated the dastardly act.

He said some herdsmen were arrested in connection to the attacks, following a gun duel with the assailants.

"When we received reports of the attacks, we quickly swung into action and arrested some attackers. We also recovered some of their weapons while many others escaped with gunshot wounds. The suspects are currently being interrogated," he added.

Northern and central parts of Nigeria had recorded so many deaths, following series of attacks by the Islamic Boko Haram sect and herdsmen which seem to have become hard nuts to crack by government of the west African country.

At least 815 persons have been killed in various attacks carried out in the northern and central parts of the country this year, according to the Human Rights Watch (HRW) latest report released on Friday.

from XINHUA2012-10-12 22:53:35

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R.I.P. - Corporal Mindia Abashidze (Georgia)

Ministry of Defence of Georgia extends its condolences over the death of Corporal Mindia Abashidze born in 27 October of 1989 and expresses grief to his family members. Corporal Abashidze was killed while fulfilling a combat task under the ISAF mission in Afghanistan.

Corporal Mindia Abashidze has been serving in army since August 4 2008. He was Commander of Fire Group of 32 Light Infantry Battalion of III Infantry Brigade of Land Forces. Corporal has been participating in the NATO mission since 2010-2011.

Ministry of Defence condoles once again to the dead soldier`s family. The funeral expenses will be covered by Defence Ministry.

from MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF GEORGIA

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Condolences on the Death of Cpl. Abashidze U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland (October 11)

 On behalf of the U.S. Embassy, we wish to express our sympathy and solidarity with the people of Georgia upon the death of Cpl. Mindia Abashidze who was killed in action in Afghanistan where he was deployed with the 32nd Infantry Battalion. The entire U.S. Embassy community extends its deepest sympathies to the friends, army comrades and family of Cpl. Abashidze.  The Georgian military is making an important contribution to the International Security Assistance Force that is helping the people of Afghanistan to establish peace and security in a country that has been gripped by instability for decades. The American people join with the Georgian people in mourning the loss of this brave Georgian soldier. 

 from the Embassy of the United States Georgia 

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