War News for Thursday, April 01, 2010

MNF-Iraq (OIF) is reporting the death of a U.S. Soldier from non-combat related injuries in Baghdad, Iraq on Monday, March 9th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier in an IED attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, April 1st.


WHO investigates Iraqi birth defects:

OPEC Output Falls From a 14-Month High, Survey Shows:

CERA: Iraq's Oil Revolution Is Massively Over-Hyped, There's No Way They Can Expand As Fast As They Hope

One missing after US Navy plane crashes into Arabian Sea:

When Military Moves a War, There Are No Shortcuts:

Five Kurdish rebels killed in Turkish fighting:


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: Policemen found two bodies of a woman and a girl in northeastern Baghdad, a police source said Thursday. “Police forces found late Wednesday (March 31) two slaughtered bodies of a woman and a girl in al-Basateen neighborhood in al-Shaab region, northeastern Baghdad,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: Unknown gunmen killed an official of the health ministry late Wednesday in western Baghdad, a police source said Thursday. “The gunmen stormed the house of deputy director of the health ministry, Mohammad Jalab Ahmad, in al-Shamasiya region in western Baghdad,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: A roadside bomb targeting a liquor store wounded two people in northern Baghdad, police said.

#4: A roadside bomb targeting a liquor store wounded one person on Wednesday in Yarmouk District, west-central Baghdad, police said.

#5: A roadside bomb wounded two people on Wednesday in Bayaa District, southwestern Baghdad, police said.

#6: Gunmen shot dead the owner of a mobile phone store inside his shop on Wednesday in Ur District, northeastern Baghdad, police said.


Tikrit:
#1: One civilian and a child were wounded on Thursday in a roadside bomb explosion in central Tikrit, according to a police source. “The bomb exploded this morning (April 1) targeting a U.S. vehicle patrol in al-Arbayeen street in central Tikrit,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The blast wounded a citizen and a child and damaged the U.S. vehicle,” he added.


Baaj:
#1: One gunman was killed while he was trying to plant an improvised explosive device (IED) in Ninewa, a local police source said on Wednesday. “The incident occurred in al-Biaaj district (126 km west of Mosul),” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.The source did not give further details.


Hawija:
#1: One citizen was wounded in an improvised explosive device blast in southwest of Kirkuk, a local police chief said.“The bomb went off late Wednesday (March 31) in front of a citizen’s house in central al-Huweija district, southwest of Kirkuk, seriously injuring him,” Brig. Sarhad Qader told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Mosul:
#1: One woman was killed on Wednesday when unknown gunmen broke into her house in Mosul City, a local police source said. “On Wednesday evening, unknown gunmen broke into a house in al-Intisar neighborhood, eastern Mosul, and killed a woman inside…,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Tal Afar:
#1: Three gunmen were wounded while they were planting an explosive device in northern Talafar, while a fourth gunman was arrested following the blast, a local police chief said on Wednesday. “This evening, an improvised explosive device (IED) hit four gunmen inside a children’s toy store in al-Salam neighborhood, northern Talafar (60 km northwest of Mosul),” Col. Ali Hadi Obeid told Aswat al-Iraq news agency



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: AN Australian soldier has been wounded in Afghanistan after his patrol was fired upon by insurgents. The soldier was airlifted to Tarin Kowt and is in a satisfactory condition.
The incident occurred on Wednesday in the Mirabad Valley region of Oruzgan Province. The 1st Mentoring Task Force and Afghan National Army patrol was on foot at the time of the attack. He was wounded in the initial exchange of gunfire during the attack. "Insurgents fired at the patrol as they moved through the complex terrain of the Mirabad Valley," Major General Cantwell said. The patrol provided suppressing fire at the insurgents as the wounded soldier was moved to safety for initial treatment before he was evacuated by air. However, the enemy forces then relocated and re-engaged with small arms fire.

#2: Pakistani troops stormed militant positions and helicopters destroyed vehicles carrying insurgents near the Afghan border Thursday, killing 28 suspected militants and forcing thousands of civilians to flee, officials said. The offensive in the Orakzai tribal region is aimed at flushing out Pakistani Taliban insurgents who had fled an army onslaught further south. Government official Sami Ullah said at least 18 militants died in clashes with troops in Orakzai. As a group of insurgents fled to the neighboring Kurram region, helicopters hit three vehicles, killing 10 more militants and wounding some others, local military commander Lt. Col. Akbar Butt said.

#3: A bomb attack during a humanitarian program killed at least seven civilians and injured 20 more people near Lashkar Gah, Helmand's provincial capital in southern Afghanistan. Just prior to the explosion, seeds were handed to farmers by government officials, but it is still unclear whether some of them were harmed. The aid was part of a program aiming to stop locals from growing opium poppy, according to Helmand’s Gov. Ahmadi.

#4: Taliban commander Ziaur Rehman was killed in a shootout between different tribes in northwest Pakistan's Orakzai tribal agency, local sources said Thursday. Another six terrorists were also killed in the security forces offensive on late Wednesday night, local sources said.


DoD: Pfc. James L. Miller