War News for Tuesday, November 03, 2009

MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Multi-National Division–Iraq Soldier from a non-combat related injuries in an undisclosed location in Iraq on Monday, November 2nd. The release was marked FOB Kalsu which is in the Iskandariyah area, Babil Province.

No International Security Assistance Force service members were killed during the past 24 hours.


Pakistani Taliban denies losses, says 'We are prepared for a long war'

Still no count of US contractors in Afghanistan: The US government does not know exactly how many contractors it employs in Afghanistan, a US commission said on Monday, raising basic questions about oversight of wartime operations.

Mt. Kilimanjaro Ice Cap Continues Rapid Retreat:


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: Two civilians were wounded by a roadside bomb which targeted in Al-Nidhal Street in downtown Baghdad around 3 p.m.


Diyala Prv:
#1: A man and his son was killed on Monday by an armed group in east of Baaquba city, said a security source. “A suspected al-Qaeda group attacked on Monday (Nov. 2) a displaced family who just returned to their house in al-Shahid neighborhood in al-Saadiya district in Khanaqin, east of Baaquba, killing a man and one of his sons,”

#2: Two policemen were killed and three others were wounded when a roadside detonated targeting their vehicle in Al-Zaghareed area in north Baquba around 10 a.m.


Mosul:
#1: Three civilians on Tuesday were injured in a mortar attack that hit a Sunni endowment in downtown Mosul, according to a local security source. “On Tuesday, two mortars fell on the Sunni endowment building in al-Naby Sheet area, central Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Two Australian soldiers and an Afghan soldier have been wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. The soldiers were on patrol in southern Afghanistan yesterday when they were hit by an improvised explosive device and targeted by small arms gunfire.

#2: No New Zealand troops were injured in the gun battle, which happened about 11am Afghan time yesterday, (about 7.30pm NZT) and lasted about two hours. The patrol, comprising Hiluxes and Hummers, was returning from the northeastern area of Bamyan province, when they came under fire from insurgents armed with small arms and rocket propelled grenades, said Captain Zac Prendergast of NZ Defence Force communications. The New Zealand troops returned fire on more than one occasion and the whole incident probably lasted about two hours, he said. "It wasn’t a shoot and scoot. They were able to take up positions and return fire."

#3: Militants raided a police checkpoint in the northern Afghan province of Balkh Tuesday, killing three policemen, police spokesman in the province Shir Jan Durani said. "The rebels raided a police checkpoint in Charbolak district today killing three police constables and made their god escape," Durani told Xinhua.

#4: In last 24 hours, 21 militants have been killed during the Pakistani security forces operation in the country's tribal area of South Waziristan, according to an army press release Tuesday. The security forces also arrested two suspects while one soldier lost his life and two others were injured in the operation.

#4: Afghan troops backed by NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces have killed seven Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province, an official said Tuesday. "In a joint operation of Afghan and ISAF forces launched late weekend in parts of Kunduz province, so far seven rebels including a local Taliban commander Mullah Salam have been killed," the senior military commander in North Afghanistan General Murad Ali Murad told Xinhua. Eight more militants have been arrested, he further said. He also said that a mine planted by the militants struck a military vehicle but caused no loss of life. However, he said that there were no casualties on the government forces. Taliban purported spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in talks with media from an undisclosed location claimed that the fighters had killed over a dozen of soldiers, the claim was utterly rejected by Murad.


MoD: Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid