War News for Thursday, June 05, 2008

The Georgian Ministry of Defense is reporting the death of Sergeant Irakli Kordzaia in an attack in Iraq on Thursday, June 5th. The Georgian Times is reporting the attack was in Diyala Province when insurgents repeatedly attacked a check point. The International Herald Tribune reports that he died in a land mine explosion.

MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Coalition force Soldier from small arms fire south of Baghdad on Wednesday, June 4th. No other details were released.

Xinhuanet is reporting the deaths of two U.S. coalition soldiers in a helicopter crash near Kandahar, Afghanistan on Thursday, June 5th. No other details were released.


A secret deal being negotiated in Baghdad would perpetuate the American military occupation of Iraq indefinitely, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election in November. The terms of the impending deal, details of which have been leaked to The Independent, are likely to have an explosive political effect in Iraq. Iraqi officials fear that the accord, under which US troops would occupy permanent bases, conduct military operations, arrest Iraqis and enjoy immunity from Iraqi law.....

Mideast weather roundup:


Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:
#1: Around 9am, a roadside bomb targeted an army patrol at Rashid camp street (east Baghdad).One soldier was killed .

#2: Around 1pm, a roadside bomb targeted an American patrol in Jihad neighborhood near Mohammad Rasool Allah mosque. No casualties reported.

#3: Police found two dead bodies in Baghdad today: 1 was found in Tobchi neighborhood (northwest Baghdad)in Karkh bank while 1 was found in Fudhailiyah neighborhood(east Baghdad)in Risafa bank.


Diyala Prv:
#1: Georgia's Defense Ministry says a soldier has died in a land mine explosion in Iraq. The ministry says the incident occurred Wednesday as 22-year-old Sgt. Irakly Kordzaya was on patrol with his unit in the province of Diyala, north of Baghdad. It was unclear whether he stepped on the mine or if it was remotely detonated.

#2: Three civilians were wounded on Thursday in an improvised explosive device blast targeting a civilian car in south of Baaquba, a police source said. "An improvised explosive device, planted on the road in al-Nahr al-Kabier village in Bahraz district, south of Baaquba, went off this morning, injuring three civilians," the source, who asked to be unnamed, Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.

#3: Three civilians were injured on Thursday by mortar shells in northeast of Baaquba, a police source said. "Five mortar shells hit al-Khadraa neighborhood in Jalawlaa, Khaniqeen district, northeast of Baaquba, wounding three civilians," Lieutenant Nehad Ali told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.

Baquba:
#1: A Suspected al-Qaeda gunmen was killed on Thursday by unknown armed in the city of Baaquba, said a police source.


Shirqat:
#1: Iraqi army and U.S.-backed neighbourhood patrols backed by U.S. military killed seven militants, including two foreign fighters, in clashes in Shirqat, 300 km (190 miles) north of Baghdad, said Captain Khalid al-Sahan, leader of the Shirqat neighbourhood patrols.


Kirkuk:
#1: A roadside bomb exploded near Sumer hotel downtown Kirkuk city. Seven people were injured.


Kurdistan:
#1: A Turkish TV station is quoting a senior military commander as saying that Turkey and Iran have carried out coordinated strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. CNN-Turk television reports that Gen. Ilker Basbug has confirmed for the first time that the two countries share intelligence against the rebels. He said the two countries plan to launch more coordinated operations against the rebel group in the future.


Al Anbar Prv:
Fallujah:
#1: Iraqi security forces killed a gunman and arrested two others in an operation against al Qaeda hideouts in north Falluja, 50 km (32 miles) west of Baghdad, police Captain Ahmed Jasim said.



Afghanistan:
#1: The US-led coalition forces claim to have killed more than a dozen Taliban insurgents in the southern Afghanistan province of Helmand. A vehicle carrying US-led troops struck a roadside bomb while approaching Putay town in Helmand province. Following the incident the troops were ambushed by insurgents using small-arms fire. Coalition forces then used airstrikes against the insurgents, killing more than a dozen. The US-led coalition says a second vehicle also hit a mine later on. It was not clear if there were any casualties among the troops.

#2: Two Afghan policemen were killed as a roadside bomb struck their vehicle in Afghanistan's central-eastern Ghazni province, said the interior ministry Thursday. "Two policemen were killed and two others were injured as a remote-controlled roadside bomb hit their vehicle in Ghazni city, the capital of Ghazni province," the ministry said in a press release. The police van was destroyed in the bombing. The ministry said police discovered and defused a mine planted by militants on a road in eastern Logar's provincial capital Pul-e-Alam Wednesday night.

#3: A suicide bomb blast against a road construction company occurred in Nimroz province of southwestern Afghanistan Thursday afternoon, killing an Indian national and injuring three others, sources said.


Casualty Reports:

David Woodard walked on crutches Tuesday for the first time in more than a month. A quarter-sized piece of shrapnel struck Woodard in the shin, destroying a 3- to 4-inch section of his right leg April 28 when a roadside bomb blast penetrated his Humvee in Baghdad. He and three other soldiers, along with an interpreter, were traveling to a main security checkpoint to relieve a platoon patrolling there. The other passengers were unhurt. “It [the bomb] went off on my side of the truck,” said Woodard, who led a platoon of 40 men in a section of Baghdad bordering Sauder City. Woodard was a member of Chaos Company, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division. Woodard since has undergone 11 to 12 surgeries – he’s lost count – and is recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He speaks matter-of-factly about his sacrifice.