War News for Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Washington Post is reporting the deaths of four U.S. led collation soldiers from a blast in an undisclosed location in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, on Tuesday, February 24th. An Afghan civilian working with the military was also killed in the attack.


Feb. 22 airpower summary:

Seoul, Baghdad sign $3.55B deal to rebuild Iraq:

Iraq seeking contractor to revamp pipeline via Syria:

From a Carrier, Another View of America’s Air War in Afghanistan:

Iraq's Baiji refinery hit by power cut-official:

Iran hikes price of natural gas coming through IPI pipeline:

Pakistani Taliban Announce Truce In Swat Valley:

Time: Can Pakistan Regain Control of Swat from the Taliban?

IRAQ: Measles emerges in violence-hit regions:


Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:
#1: Eight people were injured including two national police members when two roadside bombs detonated targeting a patrol of the national police in Palestine Street in east Baghdad.


Diyala Prv:
Mandili:
#1: Three insurgents were killed when clashes broke out between a joint American and Iraqi forces and insurgents in one of the villages of Mandili town east of Baquba early morning.


Balad:
#1: An Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft stationed here crashed off base at approximately 4:30 p.m. local time Feb. 22. The Predator is a medium-altitude, long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft used primarily to conduct armed reconnaissance.


Hawija:
#1: A gunman was injured seriously while he was trying to plant a roadside bomb in Hawija town west of Kirkuk city on Monday evening.


Kirkuk:
#1: Gunmen kidnapped a civilian near a church in downtown Kirkuk city on Monday evening.


Mosul:
#1: Three policemen on Tuesday were wounded when a hand grenade went off in southern Mosul city, according to a local police source. “Last night, three National Police personnel were injured when a gunman threw a hand grenade at their patrol vehicle in al-Mansour neighborhood, southern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The wounded were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment,” the source added, providing no further details.

#2: Unknown gunmen on Tuesday threw a hand grenade near an office of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), injuring two women, a police source said. “The gunmen threw the bomb near the office of the PUK in al-Jazaer region in eastern Mosul, injuring two women,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: Three policemen were injured by a roadside bomb that targeted their patrol in Mansour neighborhood in south Mosul on Monday morning.

#4: An Iraqi army officer was killed by gunmen on Tuesday during a crackdown operation in western Mosul, an army source said. “An army captain was killed on Tuesday evening (Feb. 24) by unknown gunmen during a crackdown operation the army waged in al-Islah al-Zeraei neighborhood in western Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Al Anbar Prv:
Fallujah:
#1: A roadside bomb on Tuesday went off in western Falluja city without causing any casualties, said a source from the Iraqi police. “The explosive charge was planted by unknown gunmen on a side road in Ijbaiyel area, western Falluja,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The armed men were targeting an Iraqi police patrol,” he said.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Afghan troops with the support of the U.S.-led Coalition forces killed 16 suspected insurgents in Taliban-hotbed Helmand province in south Afghanistan, a statement of the U.S. military released here Tuesday said. "The Afghan National Army soldiers assisted by the Coalition Forces killed 16 militants while conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol in Helmand province Monday," the statement added. The clash, it added, took place when the militants opened fire on the troops and the threat escalated, and then the combined forces responded with several precision strikes to kill the militants.

I'll do an update later today. -- whisker