War News for Thursday, May 14, 2009

The British MoD is reporting the death of a British ISAF soldier who died at the Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, England, on Tuesday, May 12th, from gunshot wounds sustained in the vicinity of Haji Halem, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Saturday, May 9th.

The DoD is reporting a new death previously unreported by the military. Spc. Lukasz D. Saczek died in a non-combat related incident in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, on Sunday, May 10th. No other details were released.


May 11 airpower summary:

May 12 airpower summary:

Half of supplies to Afghanistan troops fail to arrive in time:

In a First, U.S. Provides Pakistan With Drone Data:

Obama Moves to Bar Release of Detainee Abuse Photos:

In Bleak Afghan Outpost, Troops Slog On:

20 armed militants surrender to gov't in N Afghanistan:


Reported Security incidents:

Baghdad:
#1: An administrator working for the local newspaper Sawt al-Iraq (Voice of Iraq) was killed and another was injured in an armed attack in central Baghdad on Thursday, a source from the newspaper said. “Unknown gunmen opened fire on Ihsan Zaboun Hayal and Abu Haydar, two employees in the Sawt al-Iraq newspaper, killing the first and seriously wounding the other,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: Gunmen targeted Haider Hassoun, an employee in the Sunni Endowment Office in Talbiyah neighbourhood, northeastern Baghdad at noon Thursday. Hassoun survived and is being treated for his injuries.

#3: Gunmen targeted another employee in the Sunni Endowment Office in Adil neighbourhood, western Baghdad at 1 a.m. Thursday. He was driving his car when gunmen in a speeding car opened fire upon him severely injuring him.

#4: A six year old boy who had been kidnapped three days ago was found Thursday inside a plastic bag, brutally killed, not 50 meters away from where he lived.


Amarra:
#1: A man on Wednesday was killed in a tribal clash in downtown Amara city, according to a local police source. “Different types of weapons were used in the clash, which occurred in al-Hay al-Askari area, downtown Amara,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: Two persons on Wednesday were injured when a landmine exploded in an oilfield near Amara city, according to a source from Missan Oil Company. “On Wednesday, a landmine blew up in the border Abu Ghareeb oilfield (80 km east of Amara), wounding a truck driver and a worker in the field,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Wassit Prv:
#1: An explosive charge went off on Thursday targeting a U.S. vehicle patrol in southern Wassit without casualties, according to a security source. “An improvised explosive device went off on Thursday (May 14) targeting a U.S. vehicle patrol while passing near al-Janabi river in al-Hay neighborhood in southern Wassit, without causing any casualties,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Tuz Khormato:
#1: A civilian was killed and another was wounded on Thursday in an armed attack in central Touz Khormato district in Salah el-Din, a police source said. “An armed group attacked a number of stores in central Touz Khormato, 100 km east of Tikrit, killing a store owner and injuring another one,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Kirkuk:
#1: An improvised explosive device (IED) on Wednesday went off near a police vehicle in Kirkuk, wounding three patrolmen, according to a local police chief. “The explosive charge detonated on a main road in al-Asra wal Mafqoudeen area, southern Kirkuk, wounding three patrolmen and damaging their vehicle,” Col. Ahmed Shamrani told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: A Sahwa fighter was killed and three others were wounded on Thursday by unknown gunmen in the southwest of Kirkuk, a police source said. “During the small hours on Thursday morning (May 14), unidentified gunmen opened fire on a Sahwa checkpoint in al-Zab district in southwest of Kirkuk, killing one fighter and injuring three more,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Rashad:
#1: Gunmen kidnapped a Christian male teacher at his school in the town of Rashad, near Kirkuk, 250 km (150 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.


Mosul:
#1: Two civilians on Wednesday were injured in an explosive charge blast in Mosul city, according to a local police source. “Today, an improvised explosive device (IED) went off near an Iraqi army patrol vehicle in al-Jamasa area, eastern Mosul, wounding two civilians who were close to the scene of the blast,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded four civilians in northern Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

#3: Gunmen in a car killed an Iraqi contractor in western Mosul, police said



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: The pilot of a British jet plane was wounded Thursday after the small aircraft he was flying crashed immediately after take-off in southern Afghanistan.A spokesman for NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the single-seat fixed-wing aircraft crashed near the runway at an airfield in Kandahar due to mechanical failure. The lightly-injured pilot ejected from the craft, and was being treated, he added.

A British Harrier jet crashed in Afghanistan today, the Ministry of Defence said.

#2: A suicide car bomber has attacked a police station near the Afghan border with Pakistan, killing himself and a policeman, officials say. They said that the attack - the third in as many days - happened in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province. The driver of the car had been trying to enter a border police compound in Spin Boldak, the border police commander for south-western Afghanistan, Sayfullah Hakim, told news agency AFP. "Police became suspicious of the vehicle and would not let it in. They took cover. The attacker detonated and wounded five border policemen," he said. The attack - which injured at least three other people