War News for Thursday, December 03, 2009

There were no ISAF fatalities in the last 24 hours in Afghanistan


2 New York soldiers stabbed to death, a 3rd in custody: A Fort Drum soldier was arrested at a hotel in southern Ohio early Wednesday on a warrant charging him in the stabbing deaths of two fellow servicemen at an apartment near the military post in northern New York.

Roads were safer in Afghanistan under the Taliban, British general admits:

Italy to send 1,000 troops to Afghanistan:

Holbrooke criticises civilian effort in Afghanistan:

Afghanistan and Pakistan Rattled by Plan for Drawdown:


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: An Iraqi security official says a bomb at a roadside market in northern Baghdad killed one and wounded six people. The official says the bomb was hidden inside a juice cart when it went off on Thursday morning in the primarily Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah.

#2: Unknown gunmen on Wednesday shot down a civilian in western Baghdad, according to a police source. “Unknown gunmen driving a civilian vehicle opened fire on a man sitting at a café in al-Toubaji neighborhood, western Baghdad, killing him on the spot."

#3: One Iraqi soldier on Wednesday was killed by unknown gunmen in eastern Baghdad, according to the Iraqi police. “On Wednesday evening, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a soldier near a checkpoint on Falasteen St., eastern Baghdad, killing him on the spot."


Kirkuk:
#1: Police forces have managed to safely detonate a booby-trapped car in downtown Kirkuk, according to a local police chief. “This afternoon, a police patrol vehicle found the car near al-Khulafaa mosque, downtown Kirkuk,” Brig. Sarhad Qadir told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “With the help of bomb squad personnel, police forces have managed to detonate the car after evacuating the area,” the official pointed out.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Ten suspects were killed in overnight fighting following a raid on a militant hide-out near the Swat Valley area of Kabal, Maj. Mushtaq Ahmed said. Troops had been led to the site by Abu Faraj, a militant leader who was captured in September and accused of plotting suicide bombings in the area. Faraj also was shot and killed, Ahmed said, declining to provide more details.

#2: Five other militants were killed when security forces repelled attacks on three checkpoints in the Bajur area that borders Afghanistan, local official Adalat Khan said.

#3: Also Thursday, a roadside bomb targeted a police checkpoint at a bridge near the main northwestern city of Peshawar. Police officer Haroon Babar said no casualties were reported.

A blast occurred at a police checkpoint in northwest Pakistan's Peshawar on Thursday, injuring three policemen, local TV channel reported.


DoD: Pfc. Derrick D. Gwaltney

DoD: Lance Cpl. Jonathan A. Taylor