Afghan Spy Chief critically injured by underpants bomber

Minister of Border and Tribal Affairs, Asadullah Khalid, attends the inauguration of the Access English program at Rahman Baba High School in Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, June 4, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Afghan Intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) officials on Friday announced that assailant suicide bomber had planted explosives under his underwear to target Afghan intelligence chief Asadullah Khalid.
According to a statement released by Afghan NDS department the explosives were planted near the genitals and under the underwear of the suicide bomber.

The suicide bomber detonated his explosives after shaking hands with the Afghan intelligence chief in one of his guest house on Thursday afternoon.

Asadullah Khalid was critically injured from his wrist and legs following the blast.

Afghan NDS spokesman Shafiqullah Tahiri said the suspected suicide bomber had introduced himself as the peace messenger of the Taliban group.

NDS Chief Asadullah Khalid was taken to the hospital for treatment purposes following the blast where Afghan president Hamid Karzai said that Mr. Khalid will be taken outside of the country if needed.

However NDS department following the statement on Friday said that the health condition of Asadullah Khalid was satisfactory and is improving.

Taliban militants group claimed responsibility behind the attack which is similar to the incident where former Afghan high peace council chief Burhanuddin Rabbani was assassinated.

Afghan Intelligence Department condemned the attack and said the action was against the principles and ethics of Islam.

The statement released by Afghan NDS department said that enemies of peace and Afghan people are committed to their enmity with Afghanistan by committing such an attack.

According to reports Afghan intelligence chief Asadullah Khalid was taken to US-run Bagram airbase for treatment purposes after receiving immediate operation in Afghan NDS hospital.

Reports also suggest that Asadullah Khalid was taken out of the country for further treatment however NDS department has not commented in this regard in its statement.

Asadullah Khalid has previously worked as provincial governor for Kandahar and Ghazni proivnces of Afghanistan and was also elected as tribal and ethnic affairs minister.

He was elected as Afghan intelligence chief by president Hamid Karzai and was one of the main supporters of public upraising against the Taliban militants in Ghazni province.

from KHAAMA
By Sajad - Fri Dec 07, 8:12 pm

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Dec. 07., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – During an operation in Mota Khan district, Paktika province, Dec. 7, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a local Haqqani leader who planned and conducted improvised explosive device attacks, and was involved in organizing the Oct. 20 kidnapping of five Afghan National Army soldiers.

The security force also detained three suspected insurgents and seized IED-making materials and multiple firearms during the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

In Lashkar Gah district, Helmand province, Dec. 7, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader who oversaw a group of insurgents responsible for conducting improvised explosive device attacks in central Nad ‘Ali district. During the operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

During an operation in Kandahar district, Kandahar province, Dec. 7, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader who was responsible for transporting and distributing homemade explosives and improvised explosive device components to insurgents in the province. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent as a result of the operation.


East

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a district-level Taliban leader who operated in Khoshi district, Logar province, during an operation in Pul-e ‘Alam district, Logar province. The arrested leader facilitated the acquisition and distribution of weapons in both Khoshi and Plu-e ‘Alam districts. He also oversaw the training of suicide bombers and provided support to Taliban insurgents traveling through the province. During the operation, the security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

During an operation in search of a Taliban facilitator in Sherzad district, Nangarhar province, Dec. 7, an Afghan and coalition security force killed three insurgents and detained multiple suspected insurgents. The combined force also seized numerous weapons, grenades and a quantity of ammunition.

During an operation in Khost district, Khost province, Dec. 7, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani leader who was responsible for overseeing attacks and coordinating the emplacement of improvised explosive devices in Khost City. He also facilitated the movement of IED materials and weapons to insurgents under his control. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent and seized numerous weapons as a result of the operation.

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Dec. 07., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained four insurgents, located two weapons caches, and cleared five improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan on Dec. 6.

Kapisa Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained four insurgents during an engagement in Say District. The detained insurgents were transferred to a base for questioning.

Khowst Province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared two IEDs in Musa Khel District.

Logar Province
Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared two IEDs in Pul-E Alam District.

Nangarhar Province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Bati Kot District.

Paktya Province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Sayid Karam District. The cache contained small arms, ammunition, 120 pounds of homemade explosives and one mobile motor system vehicle.

Wardak Province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Sayyidabad District. The cache contained one container of homemade explosives.

Operations in RC-East are ongoing.

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Arms depot robbed in Ghazni province of Afghanistan

According to local authorities in eastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, dozens of weapons and huge amount of ammunition were stolen by an employee working in arms depot in this province.
Provincial council chief Abdul Jameh Jameh confirming the report said the individual who stole the weapons was recognized as Sardar Mohammad and was working in provincial security commandment arms depot.

While expressing concerns regarding the arms robbery Mr. Jameh emphasized that the security official should be precise while hiring people in such important places.

Sardar Mohammad was reportedly working on Ghazni arms depot for a long period of time and according to preliminary investigation reports suggest that he had stolen 19 pistols and 8 AK-47 rifles.

There are also reports that Sardar Mohammad was tried over robbery charges in provincial appeal court on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Wali Jan said Sardar Mohammad has stolen ammunition besides taking several weapons with him.

Ghazni is among the volatile province in eastern Afghanistan where armed militant groups are openly operating however recent issues in government organizations have created tensions among the residents of this province.

Provincial council members are concerned of further increase in violence once the weapons are distributed among the insurgent groups in this province.

In the meantime Sardar Mohammad deny allegations against him and said that a number of the other depot officials are trying to accuse him for the incident.

Without disclosing the names of the officials, he said the officials forced him to sign a number of the papers and he was unaware regarding the arms depot.

from KHAAMA
By Sayed Jawad - Thu Dec 06, 3:39 pm

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Nine dead as Somalia's Puntland forces repel Al-Shabaab attack

MOGADISHU, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Forces of the local autonomous Puntland administration in northeast Somalia said nine people including seven Al-Shabaab fighters were killed and weapons seized as local forces repulsed an attack by the militant group near the mountainous area of Galgala, authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.

"At least 7 Al-Shabaab attackers were killed, their weapons were seized and the terrorists retreated with more than 12 wounded, according to intelligence information. Two Puntland soldiers were killed in the nighttime attack," Puntland authorities said in the statement.

A group of heavily armed fighters from Al-Shabaab attacked local defense forces based at the frontlines near Galgala Mountains, said a statement from the authorities. The attack took place late Tuesday.

"The terrorists attacked from different directions and Puntland forces repelled the attackers," the local administration said in the statement.

Authorities say security forces are pursuing the attacker in the mountainous area, a flashpoint of a number of previous clashes with the radical fighters.

Separately, a roadside bomb explosion near Galgala targeted a vehicle transporting Puntland soldiers left "10 casualties", a statement from local administration said without elaborating on the nature of the casualties and when the latter attack took place.

The militant group of Al-Shabaab has lately been active in Puntland particularly in the Galgala area, north of the commercial city of Bossaso, where they sought sanctuary following their successive loses in southern and central parts of the country.

from XINHUA
2012-12-06 09:01:16
Editor: Bi Mingxin

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4 Uzbek militants killed in Waziristan drone strike

ISLAMABAD (PAN): Four people were killed on Thursday in a US drone attack on the North Waziristan, the tribal region of Pakistan near Afghan border, an official said.

The predawn attack was carried out at around 5am, when unmanned US aircraft, fired two missiles into a house in the Mubarak Shahi village on the outskirts Mir Ali, the main town of North Waziristan, an official said on condition of anonymity.

According to the official, four Uzbek fighters were killed in the attack.

However, a local reporter, Yousuf Haroon, said the victims were burnt and their bodies were beyond recognition.

Since early 2012, it was the 45th drone strike in North Waziristan and the second attack this month.

from Pajhwok
By Qaiser Yousafzai Dec 6, 2012 - 12:51   

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from arynews: 
Updated :   Thursday  December  6 , 2012  11:05:01 AM


A US drone fired two missiles at a compound in Pakistan s northwestern tribal district of North Waziristan early Thursday, killing at least four persons, local security officials said.

The missiles hit a house in Mubarak Shahi village, in Mir Ali, 20 kilometres  east of Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal district, which is a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants.

“Militants were using this house as a compound,” a security official based in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

Four missiles were fired at a compound, killing four militants and injuring several others, according to reports.

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from XINHUA
2012-12-06 09:26:34
Editor: Hou Qiang

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed in a U.S. drone strike launched in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan on early Thursday morning, reported local media Ary.

According to the local media reports, the strike took place at pre-dawn time when U.S. unmanned aircraft fired two missiles at a house suspected of being a militant hideout in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, a militancy-hit area bordering Afghanistan.

The identities of the killed are not immediately available.

On Dec. 1, the U.S. drones launched a strike in South Waziristan, the neighboring tribal area of North Waizirstan, killing at least four people including an al-Qaeda leader named Abdul Rehman Azman, a Yemeni national believed to be one of the close aides of the former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

Thursday's U.S. drone strike is the 37th of its kind (counted on daily basis) in Pakistan in 2012. According to Xinhua's tally, at least 265 people have been killed in such strikes since this year.

Despite the repeated protests by the Pakistani side, the United States has never halted its drone strikes in Pakistan, which has caused a strong anti-Amercian sentiment among the local people.

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R.I.P. - Sgt. 1st Class. Darren M. Linde, Spc. Tyler J. Orgaard

DOD Identifies Army Casualties
            The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            They died Dec. 3, in Lashkar Gah City, Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with an improvised explosive device.  They were assigned to the 818th Engineer Company, 164th Engineer Battalion, Williston, N.D.

            Killed were:

            Sgt. 1st Class. Darren M. Linde, 41, of Sidney, Mont., and

            Spc. Tyler J. Orgaard, 20, of Bismarck, N.D.

            For more information the media may contact the North Dakota National Guard public affairs office at 701-333-2007.

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from armytimes:

Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde

BISMARCK, N.D. — Two North Dakota Army National Guard soldiers died in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan, the state Guard’s first casualties in the war on terror in six years. A third soldier was wounded.

Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde, 41, of Devils Lake, and Spc. Tyler Orgaard, 20, of Bismarck, died Monday when an improvised explosive device struck their vehicle, the Guard said.

Spc. Ian Placek, 23, of Bismarck, was wounded. He was in stable condition at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, according to the Guard.

"Our hearts and prayers are with their families as they grieve the loss of their loved ones," Gov. Jack Dalrymple said in a statement late Tuesday. "Our thoughts are also with Spc. Placek as he recovers from his injuries. We will never forget these heroes or the last full measure of devotion they gave in defense of our homeland and our way of life."

Dalrymple, who spoke Wednesday during an organizational session of the North Dakota Legislature, asked the lawmakers to observe a moment of silence to honor the soldiers.

The soldiers were serving with the 818th Engineer Company. The unit is headquartered in Williston with a detachment in Hazen. About 100 members of the unit deployed in April for a year of duty overseas, arriving in Afghanistan in June after undergoing final training at Fort Bliss in Texas. The unit focuses on combat engineer missions, such as construction, demolition and route clearance — the duty they were handling when the attack occurred at about 6:30 p.m. Monday Afghanistan time, which is about 8 a.m. in North Dakota.

"We are extremely saddened by the loss of two of our soldiers and extend our most sincere condolences and prayers to their family and friends during this time of sorrow," said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, the state Guard commander. "We also wish Spc. Placek a speedy recovery. We will always remember our brave Soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty."

Fourteen North Dakota guardsmen have now died in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. The last casualty was in November 2006.

Spc. Tyler Orgaard

Capt. Dan Murphy, a Guard spokesman, said the bodies of the soldiers killed Monday were expected to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware early Wednesday afternoon.

Linde is survived by his wife, Adrienne, of Devils Lake, and four children. He also deployed to Iraq with the Guard's 164th Engineer Battalion from August 2007 to April 2008.

Murphy said Linde's widow and three of his children were en route to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday. Murphy said Orgaard's family was not travelling to the Delaware base.

Orgaard is survived by his parents, Josephine and Jesse Orgaard, of Bismarck. He joined the North Dakota Guard shortly before his graduation from Bismarck Century High School in 2011. Afghanistan was his first overseas deployment.

Linde originally enlisted in the North Dakota Guard in 1990. He served in the U.S. Army and Montana Army National Guard before returning to the North Dakota Guard in 2006. Since 2009, he served as a full-time instructor with the Guard's 164th Regional Training Institute, at the Camp Grafton Training Center near Devils Lake.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced.

Related articles

• RIP SFC Darren M Linde, SPC Tyler J Orgaard (waronterrornews.typepad.com)
• Sgt. 1st Class. Darren M. Linde, Spc. Tyler J. Orgaard (goodsoldiersorg.wordpress.com)

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

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in Dara-e Pech district, Kunar province, Dec. 5 that killed the Taliban leader Akhbar and several other insurgents.

Akhbar coordinated the movement of insurgent fighters in Kunar and was directly responsible for supplying money and equipment to insurgents for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the province.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

In Dahanah-ye Ghori district, Baghlan province, Dec. 6, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader who was responsible for acquiring and distributing weapons and explosives to insurgents in the area. During the operation, the combined force also detained several suspected insurgents and seized a number of improvised explosive device components.

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, Dec. 6. The leader directed the activities of a group of insurgents in Uruzgan province, and was directly involved in planning and execution direct fire and improvised explosive device attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. During the operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents.


East

Dec. 6 in Maidan Shahr district, Wardak province, an Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in search of a district-level Taliban leader who oversees improvised explosive device operations in Maidan Shahr. During the operation the security force detained one suspected insurgent.

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Dec. 06., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed one insurgent, detained five, located three weapons caches and cleared three improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours Dec. 5.

Khowst province

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Musa Khel District. The cache contained two jugs of homemade explosives.

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces discovered a second weapons cache in Musa Khel district containing small arms ammunition and one grenade.

Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared one IED in Tani district.

Laghman province

Afghan National Army soldiers killed one insurgent during an engagement in Alingar district.

Logar province

Afghan National Security Forces discovered a weapons cache in Pul-e Alam district. The cache contained mortar rounds, six IEDs, various chemicals used in making IEDs and, and 230 illumination cartridges.

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Pul-e Alam district.

Paktiya province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Zormat district.

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained three insurgents during an engagement in Zormat district. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Wardak province

Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained two insurgents during an engagement in Sayyidabad district. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Two killed, three injured in Balochistan

QUETTA: Two people were killed and three others wounded, including a brother of Balochistan finance minister, in separate firing incidents in Balochistan on Tuesday. An explosion also occurred in a Frontier Corps camp in Turbat.

According to police, unidentified armed men opened indiscriminate fire on Muhammad Asif, the brother of Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd Gailo, in Panjgour town. Asif sustained serious wounds and was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical aid. The assailants fled from the scene after committing the crime.

In another incident, unidentified men killed a driver and wounded two others in Qila Saifullah.

Levies sources said that armed men opened indiscriminate fire on workers of a road construction company in Kanchogi area in Muslim Bagh tehsil. Resultantly, bulldozer driver Muhammad Khalid died on the spot and Qari and Muhammad Faisal were seriously wounded.

In Quetta, police recovered a body from Essa Nagri Brewery Road and shifted it to hospital for autopsy. However, identity of the deceased could not be ascertained.

from paktribune
05 December, 2012

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