War News for Monday, March 17, 2008

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an explosion in the Zangabad region, Panjwayi District, Afghanistan on Sunday, March 17th. The Canadian DND reports this to be a Canadian soldier.

The Associated Press is reporting the deaths of two Danish soldiers and a Czech special forces soldier from a suicide car bomber attack in Gereshk district of Helmand province on Monday, March 17th. NATO said four other soldiers were wounded.. Three Afghans were killed in the attack and seven others were wounded. Here's the Danish MoD statement. Here's the Czech MoD statement.

The Washington Post is reporting the deaths of two U.S. soldiers in a roadside bombing in an northern neighborhood of Baghdad on Monday, March 17th.


Security incidents:

Baghdad:
#1: The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said it could not confirm reports of a rocket attack on the Green Zone after Cheney’s arrival. “I’m not aware of any,” embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said.

In separate incident, a rocket struck the heavily fortified Green Zone early in the morning.

Around 9 am, Katyusha missile hit the green zone(IZ).No casualties reported.

Around 11 am, one mortar shell lobbed on the green zone(IZ) .No casualties reported.

#2: A roadside bomb targeting a U.S. convoy injured four civilians in Baghdad.

A third roadside bomb went off near an intersection in the Zaiyounah neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, wounding three bystanders, he said.

#3: a separate bombing in the capital’s Mansour neighborhood injured a policeman.

A roadside bomb detonated near a police patrol at about 7:10 a.m. (0410 GMT) in the al-Amirat Street in Baghdad's western neighborhood of Mansour, killing a policeman and wounding another along with damaging their vehicle," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

#4: Iraqi officials estimate more than 2,200 doctors and nurses have been killed and more than 250 kidnapped since 2003, according to figures from the Red Cross. Of the 34,000 doctors registered in 1990, at least 20,000 have left the country.

#5: Also in Mansour, another roadside bomb explosion targeted a police patrol, but apparently missed its target, injuring a civilian and caused damages in a nearby building, the source said.

#6: Three people were killed and 11 others injured in a minibus bomb explosion in Baghdad on Monday, an Interior Ministry source said. "A booby-trapped minibus went off after midday near the UqbaBin Nafie Intersection in Karradah neighborhood in central Baghdad, killing three people and wounding 11 others," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Around 1 pm, a car bomb exploded at Uqba bin Nafia intersection in Karrada neighborhood. Eight people were killed in that incident.

#7: U.S. forces killed two al Qaeda militants and detained four others on Sunday during operations in central Iraq, the U.S. mmilitary said.

#8: Around 9 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Hamah-Zayuna intersection near Shaab stadium in Zayuna neighborhood .Three civilians were killed in that incident.

#9: two U.S. soldiers were killed when their Humvee hit a roadside bomb. The soldiers were clearing a road in northern Baghdad when they were killed, the military announced.

#10: Around 2 pm, a roadside bomb targeted an American patrol at Al-Fudhailiyah intersection (east Baghdad). No casualties reported, Iraqi police said and we have no MNFI reply to confirm the incident.

#11: Around 2:30 pm, a roadside bomb targeted an American patrol at Rashidiyah neighborhood (north Baghdad) .No casualties reported, Iraqi police said and we have no MNFI reply to confirm the incident.

#12: Around 5 pm, Iraqi army and police found four dead bodies buried in a garden of a deserted house in Wardiyah village of Medaen town (south of Baghdad).

#13: Around 6:30 pm, two mortar shells hit a soccer field at Ghadeer neighborhood of New Baghdad(east Baghdad) near Ibn Saad school .Five people were killed and 7 were injured .Those people were playing soccer when the mortars landed on the field.

#14: Police found (3) dead bodies in Baghdad today. (2) were found in east Baghdad in Risafa bank; 1 in Ubaidi and 1 in Jisr Diyala. While (1) was found in Bayaa in west Baghdad (Karkh bank).

Iraqi police patrols on Monday found seven unknown bodies dumped in different parts of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a police source said.

#15: A mortar round killed six children when it landed on their home in the Sawmar district of northern Baghdad, the Iraqi military said.


Karbala:
#1: A female suicide bomber killed 25 people and wounded 16 in a rare attack in the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala in southern Iraq, police and health officials said on Monday. The attack took place in a cafe in the centre of the city close to Shi'ite shrines, among the holiest sites in Shi'ite Islam, police said. Provincial governor Aqeel Khazali confirmed that a woman had carried out the bombing but had no further details.

A female suicide bomber attacked a group of Shiite worshippers near a mosque in Karbala on Monday, killing at least 32 people and wounding 51, officials said. The worshippers were gathered about half a mile from the Imam Hussein shrine, one of the holiest sites for Shiites.
Karim Khazim, the city's chief health official, said the 32 killed included seven Iranians.


Babel Prv:
#1: The U.S. consulate for the south-central area in Babel province came under three Katyusha missiles on Monday but no casualties or damage were reported, a security source in Babel said. “Three missiles were fired from the area of Abi Gharq, (50 km) north of Hilla, in the direction of the U.S. consulate in Babel. The missiles fell near the checkpoint close to the consulate, headquartered in the Babel Hotel,” the source, who did not want his name mentioned, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq.


Basra:
#1: One policeman was killed by unidentified gunmen in central Basra on Monday morning, a security source from the Basra police said.

#2: Basra morgue received today a dead body for a woman who was found in Zubair city (35 km west Basra) having some bullets on her body. Also the morgue had received three dead bodies on Sunday for an officer and two policemen who were found in Qibla neighborhood (south Basra) Sunday morning.


Udaim:
#1: Three bodies of U.S.-backed neighbourhood police were found two days after they were kidnapped in the town of Udhaim, 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.


Kirkuk:
#1: Two civilians were wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack that targeted a convoy of trucks carrying construction materials in central Kirkuk on Monday, a police source said. “An IED targeted a convoy of trucks carrying construction materials between the cities of Arbil and Kirkuk, wounding two civilians and causing damage to a number of trucks,” the source, who did not want his name mentioned, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq


Mosul:
#1: A parked car bomb wounded five people, including a policeman, when it blew up near a police patrol in western Mosul, police said.

Fierce clashes flared up between policemen and gunmen minutes before the explosion,” he also said, adding no more details.

#2: Five mortar bombs wounded two people when they landed in central Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.


Al Anbar Prv:
Haditha:
#1: A policeman was killed when unidentified gunmen attacked an Iraqi police checkpoint in central Haditha city, 170 km west of Ramadi, on Monday, a security source said.“The gunmen used automatic weapons in the attack. Police reinforcements arrived at the scene but the assailants managed to escape,” the source, who declined to be named, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq



Afghanistan:
#1: A suicide car bomber killed two Danish soldiers and three Afghan civilians in southern Afghanistan on Monday, officials said. The Danish army said two of its soldiers were killed in the attack in the Gereshk district of Helmand province. One soldier was also wounded. Provincial police chief Mohammad Hussein Andiwal said the strike also killed three Afghans and wounded seven.

#2: The suicide attack came a day after a Danish soldier was wounded while on a patrol in the same region. The Danish unit was attacked with handguns and rockets, the Danish Army Operational Command said.

#3: The Czech army said a member of its special forces was killed Monday in a suicide attack in southern Afghanistan. Two other servicemen were injured in the attack and were taken to a hospital, the military said in a statement. No further details were immediately available.

#4: A Canadian soldier was killed in southern Afghanistan after being struck by an explosion during a foot patrol in a Taliban hotspot, the Canadian military said Monday. The soldier died of his wounds at Kandahar airfield, the biggest NATO base in southern Afghanistan, after being hit late Sunday while on patrol in the Panjwayi area west of Kandahar city, it said in a statement.