War News for Monday, October 01, 2007

MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier in a small arms fire attack in an eastern neighborhood of Baghdad on Sunday, September 30th.


Security incidents:

Baghdad:
#1: A Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldier was killed during a small-arms fire attack while conducting combat operations in an eastern section of the Iraqi capital Sept. 30.

#2: A roadside bomb targeting a U.S. patrol wounded two civilians in the Binoog district of northern Baghdad, police said.

#3: A roadside bomb targeting a U.S. patrol wounded three civilians in eastern Baghdad, police said

#4: Unknown gunmen shot dead a senior official at the Iraqi Housing and Construction Ministry in Baghdad, a media source from the ministry said on Monday. "Unknown gunmen intercepted and opened fire on the car of Taleb al-Obeidi, director general of the state-owned-al-Mutasem contracting company, on Sunday afternoon, while he was leaving his office in al-Nahda area in central Baghdad," the source, who requested anonymity, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq

#5: U.S. forces killed seven suspected insurgents and detained 11 others on Sunday and Monday during operations to disrupt al Qaeda's leadership in Baghdad, Mosul and Tarmiya, the U.S. military said.


Diyala Prv:
#1: Three gunmen were killed and five others wounded in clashes during the early hours of Monday between al-Qaeda operatives and local residents in Diala, an official security source said. "Local residents of al-Naqib village, al-Khalist district, repulsed an armed attack waged by scores of al-Qaeda, in which an inhabitant of the village was killed and five others wounded. The resistance ended in the killing of two of the gunmen," the source, who declined to have his name mentioned, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). "Three houses were destroyed and vast plots of farmland were set ablaze in the attack," the source said, adding experts managed to defuse 25 explosive charges planted by al-Qaeda members on the road leading al-Naqib village after carrying out their attack.

Khalis:
#1: "Gunmen shot down a man from the district of al-Khalis, (55 km) northeast of Baghdad," an official security source in Diala told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq

Muqdadiya:
#1: A child was wounded on Monday in the area of al-Jalali, al-Muqdadiya district, (45 km) northeast of Baaquba, in clashes between policemen and members of an armed group, the source said.

Baquba:
#1: Meanwhile, the same source said an armed group detonated a government building that was formerly used as a public library in Baaquba.


Mahaweel:
#1: Two bodies were found in the town of Mahaweel, 75 km (50 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.


Yusufiya:
#1: A mortar round killed a man and wounded a child in the town of Yusufiya, 15 km (10 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.


Kirkuk:
#1: Four bodies, including a policeman, were found in different parts of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said. Two of the bodies were found buried near a house.


Mosul:
#1: A suicide car bomb targeting a police patrol killed a university professor and wounded six others in Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said. A second bomb exploded nearby but no one was hurt.



Afghanistan:
#1: An overnight clash between Taliban and police in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province left three insurgents dead and six others wounded, a local official said Monday. "A group of Taliban militants came in contact with police in Khakriz district Sunday night as a result of fire exchange three insurgents were killed and six others sustained injuries," Hajji Abdul Wahab, district chief of Khakriz, told Xinhua. Only one policeman was injured in the firefight, he said.

#2: Taliban insurgents ambushed an Afghan police convoy and killed eight officers, the Interior Ministry said today.
"Around 100 police were on their way to the Ajristan district to strengthen the present police forces there. "On the way the enemies ambushed our forces and unfortunately there was fighting for a few hours and as a result eight police were killed," said Interior Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary. An official from the province of Ghazni where the attack took place said earlier that 11 police had been killed. Taliban rebels eventually fled the scene and the bodies of three insurgents were found after the clash, the Interior Ministry spokesman said.


Casualty Reports:

#1: The DoD has identified the Task Force Lightning soldier who died in a small arms fire attack in Bayji, Salah ad Din Province, on Monday, September 24th: Corporal Anthony K. Bento, 23, of San Diego, California. The San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that Bento graduated from high school in 2002 ... but did not enlist in the army until early 2005. He was supposed to return home from his current tour of duty in Iraq in July, but had his stay extended by 90 days. He was shot to death just 26 days before his new scheduled homecoming. Bento is survived by his wife, a 13-month-old son, and his parents. His wife described him as having "the most fun-loving personality and an untamed spirit that not even the Army or war could break."

#2: The DoD has also identified the Task Force Lightning soldier who died in a roadside bombing in the vicinity of Muqdadiyah, Diyala Province, on Tuesday, September 25th: Staff Sergeant Kevin R. Brown, 38, of Harrah, Oklahoma. The Tulsa (Oklahoma) World has published an article in which his mother described him as loving the outdoors ... which was one reason he joined the army because it was all outdoors. Another reason was that his father was career army, so the younger Brown was raised on army bases all over the world. He initially enlisted in 1988, a year after high school graduation. This was his second tour of duty in Iraq, the first being in 2005. He was less than a year away from retirement. His mother stated: "He was looking forward to retirement, so he could be with his family forever." Brown

#3: The DoD has identified the Multi-National Division - Baghdad soldier who died in a small arms fire attack in eastern Baghdad on Tuesday, September 25th: Staff Sergeant Zachary B. Tomczak, 24, of Huron, South Dakota. According to an article in the Huron Plainsman, Tomczak, an infantryman and squad leader, was on his fourth tour of duty in Iraq. He had graduated from high school in 2002 where he played football and was on the wrestling team. Tomczak was married.

#4: Massachusetts media are reporting that a member of the Army National Guard from Quincy has been killed in action in Afghanistan. Specialist Ciara Durkin, 29, was killed Thursday, September 27th. She was assigned to Task Force Diamond, with the 726th Finance Unit of the Massachusetts National Guard, and had deployed to Afghanistan in February. According to the Boston Herald, Durkin moved to Quincy a few years ago, and she previously lived in Dorchester, Massachusetts.