War News for Thursday, July 10, 2008

U.S. Troops in Iraq Face A Powerful New Weapon:

Israeli jets using Iraq's airspace:

The US has allowed Israeli jets to use US airbases and fly over Iraqi air space for a likely attack against Iran, Iraqi media say. It is more than a month that some Israeli planes belonging to Israeli air force use the US military bases in Iraq to land and take off, Iraqi Nahrainnet news network said Wednesday, quoting informed sources close to Iraq's Defense Ministry.

July 9 airpower summary:


Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:
#1: The latest reported rocket-propelled bomb attack occurred Tuesday at Joint Security Station Ur, a base in northeastern Baghdad shared by U.S. and Iraqi soldiers. One U.S. soldier and an interpreter were wounded in the attack.

#2: "An improvised explosive device, planted by unknown gunmen on the main road in al-Qahera neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, was detonated, wounding four civilians," the source, who asked to remain unnamed, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.

#3: Two people were killed and four more were wounded in a suicide car bomb attack in western Baghdad, a police source said on Thursday. "A suicide bomber blew up a car crammed with explosives targeting a police vehicle patrol in Drag neighborhood in al-Mansour region, western Baghdad," the source told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.

#4: A roadside bomb targeted a U.S. military convoy in Sleikh, northern Baghdad at 9 a.m. Thursday. No casualties were reported.

#5: Wednesday Police found one unidentified body in Talbiyah neighborhood in east baghdad.

#6: One unidentified body was found in Baghdad today; it was found by Iraqi Police in Saba al-Bor neighbourhood.


Diyala Prv:
#1: Iraqi security forces on Thursday killed a gunman and arrested another one during a security operation in northeast of Baaquba, a military source said. "Iraqi forces waged a military operation targeting al-Qaeda group in al-Sama village in al-Saadiya district, west of Khaniqeen, where clashes flared up with an armed group," Major Qader Abdul Karim, commander of the 1st batch of the 18th brigade of the Iraqi army, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq. "The rest of the gunmen fled to unknown place," he also said.


Basra:
#1: The British base at the Basra International Airport came under two separate attacks with indirect fire late Wednesday but caused no casualties or damage, the Multi-National Force (MNF) in southern Iraq said. This is the fifth time in the past four weeks that the airport has come under attack with indirect fire.


Sulaimaniyah Prv:
#1: Four gunmen from Ansar al-Islam, a Kurdish Qaeda related group attacked Border Guard HQs in Panjween area, northeastern Sulaimaniyah at 6 a.m. Thursday. No casualties were reported.


Kirkuk:
#1: One unidentified body was found by local police in the district of Tuz, Thursday. The body was riddled with bullet holes.

#2: Gunmen opened fire upon a civilian car in Tel al-Werd, south western Kirkuk, Wednesday, severely injuring two civilians. It turns out they were husband and wife, both doctors.


Ninewa Prv:
Mosul:
#1: A civilian was killed in an armed attack in eastern Mosul, a police source said on Thursday, noting that his mother died when she heard the news. "Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a civilian in Hay al-Jazaer region in eastern Mosul, killing him on the spot," the source, who requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.

#2: A Turkish benzene tanker driver was killed on Thursday in a bomb explosion in northern Mosul, a security source said ."A roadside bomb went off targeting a benzene tanker in al-Arabi neighborhood in northern Mosul, setting the tanker and the Turkish driver on fire," the source told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq.

#3: The head of the civil status department in Ninewa on Thursday died in an attack on his car in western Mosul city, a senior police source said."On Thursday afternoon, unknown gunmen opened fire on Brigadier Riyad Jar Allah, killing him on the spot," the source, who preferred to remain unnamed, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq. "The attack took place in Bab Sinjar area, western Mosul," the source noted, adding that the assailants fled the scene immediately after the shooting.



Afghanistan:
#1: A group of villagers in northwestern Afghanistan used a machine gun, sticks and stones to kill two Taliban militants and chase 10 others away, a provincial police chief said Thursday. The militants had tried to abduct local aid workers who were building a well in the Qayar district of Faryab province on Wednesday, said the police chief, Khalil Andarabi. The villagers confronted the militants, and after a brief altercation, shot at them, killing two and forcing the rest to flee, he said.

#2: Separately, NATO-led forces said troops in central Logar province killed a Taliban militant involved with suicide bombing networks.

#3: A woman and a man were wounded during the Wednesday raid, NATO said. The woman was released after being treated. Two men were also detained for questioning.

#4: Government official Attaur Rehman says three people were killed and seven were hurt when a pickup truck carrying vegetables and passengers hit a landmine in Arawali village in Kurram region.

#5: In the Marokhel region, a bomb struck a tractor trolley, killing three civilians and injuring two others.

#6: A third blast wounded a man who stepped on a landmine in the Mengak area.

#7: A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) training jet crashed in the north-western district of Malakand on Thursday but the two pilots bailed out safely, officials said.

#8: Nine British troops have been injured in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence announced tonight. A British Apache helicopter mistook the soldiers for Taliban forces during a skirmish yesterday in Helmand province, according to reports. None of their injuries is understood to be life threatening. The most seriously injured of the troops will be airlifted back to the UK. Another two were being treated at a British field hospital at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan.