NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, September 29th.
Army's largest base reeling from four apparent suicides in one weekend
Pakistan cuts NATO supply line after border firing
Marine combat cameraman from Camp Pendleton killed in Afghanistan
Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: At least two officers were killed and three civilians were wounded when police and gunmen traded fire in Baghdad on Thursday after an apparent bank robbery attempt, Iraqi Interior Ministry officials said. The officials said the gunmen tried to storm into the state-owned al-Rafidain bank in the Bayaa neighborhood of southwestern Baghdad just before noon. Gunmen detonated four bombs outside the bank to distract Iraqi security forces. Later, clashes erupted between the attackers and Iraqis security forces for 30 minutes. Iraqi security forces arrested two people and they sealed off the entire neighborhood searching for other attackers.
#2: Two rockets hit the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, a source from the U.S. embassy said on Wednesday, noting that the region has been witnessing tight security measures since the morning. “The two rockets hit the GZ this afternoon (Sept. 29), with no reports on damage,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Samarra:
#1: Four policemen were seriously wounded in two thermal bombs explosions in central Samarra, a source from the Samarra Operations Command said on Wednesday. “Gunmen threw 2 thermal hand grenades on police forces in al-Shurta neighborhood in central Samarra, injuring four policemen,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Mosul:
#1: Security forces defused on Wednesday a car bomb in southern Mosul, according to a police source. “A force from the 3rd division of the federal police managed today (Sept. 29) to defuse a car crammed with explosives in Dourat Baghdad region, southern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#2: An Iraqi soldier was wounded on Wednesday by a hand grenade in western Mosul, a police source said. “Unknown gunmen threw a hand grenade on Wednesday evening (Sept. 29) on an army checkpoint in al-Islah al-Zeraie region, western Mosul, injuring an Iraqi soldier,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#3: An explosive charge went off Thursday in front of the Faculty of Medicine in Mosul, without leaving casualties, a police source said. “The bomb exploded in front of the Faculty of Medicine in western Mosul, without causing casualties,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The bomb went off spontaneously without targeting any security patrols,” he added.
Al Anbar Prv:
#1: Four civilians were wounded Wednesday in a double explosion in northern Falluja, a police source said. “A bomb contains amount of TNT and C4 went off on Wednesday (Sept. 29) near a police house in al-Saqlawiya district, northern Falluja, causing material damage to the house,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A local-made bomb exploded five minutes after the first explosion, injuring four civilians,” the source explained. “Police forces foiled a third explosion in the same place,” he added.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: A suicide attack on a NATO convoy killed three civilians and wounded nine others Thursday near the airport in the Taliban heartland of Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, a local official said. The suicide attacker detonated explosives while in his vehicle, causing the casualties, said Zulmai Ayubi, a spokesman for the Kandahar governor. He did not have further details.
#2: At least three security personnel were killed as NATO helicopters struck at a check post in northwest Pakistan's tribal area on Thursday morning, reported local media Express. Express quoted security sources as saying that NATO helicopters crossed into Kurram tribal region from Afghanistan and hit a Pakistani border post.
#3: Afghan troops killed four insurgents during an operation in Kandahar, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
#4: Three Afghan soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb in southern Uruzgan province, the defence ministry said on Thursday.
#5: Afghan and U.S.-led coalition forces killed three insurgents during a clearing operation aimed at disrupting the Taliban's freedom of movement in northern Kunduz province on Wednesday, the U.S. military said.
DoD: Lance Cpl. Ralph J. Fabbri
Thursday, September 30, 2010
War News for Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
War News for Wednesday, September 29, 2010
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, September 27th.
Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: A roadside bomb went off near a parking lot in Baghdad's northern neighborhood of Kadhmiyah, wounding six people, three of them in critical conditions, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
#2: In a separate incident, an explosive charge detonated in Saidiyah neighborhood in southern Baghdad, wounding four people, the source added.
#3: Two persons were killed and eight others were wounded in a sticky bomb blast in northern Baghdad, a police source said on Tuesday. “A bomb, stuck to a small bus, went off on Tuesday evening (Sept. 28) near al-Nabi Mohammad mosque in al-Tarmiya region, northern Baghdad, killing two persons and injuring eight,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#4: Two civilians were wounded on Wednesday when a roadside bomb went off in central the Iraqi capital. “The blast took place near the al-Shorooq Building, central Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#5: Four civilians were wounded on Wednesday when a roadside bomb went off in central the Iraqi capital. “The blast took place near the National Theater, central Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#6: A bomb squad of the Iraqi Interior Ministry defused on Wednesday a roadside bomb in central the Iraqi capital. “The bomb was planted in the al-Firdouss Square, central Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Tarmiyah:
#1: In a separate incident, a bomb exploded outside a Sunni mosque in the town of Tarmiyah in the north of Baghdad late on Tuesday, killing two worshippers and wounded eight others, a local police source told Xinhua. The blast occurred as the worshippers were leaving the mosque after the evening prayers, the source said.
Samarra:
#1: In the early hours of Wednesday, gunmen believed to be al-Qaida militants stormed the house of Major Sa'id Ali, chief of the al- Jillam police station, and shot him dead in front of his family members in the city of Samarra, some 120 km north of Baghdad, a local police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
Saqlawiya
#1: A bomb planted in a police officer's house exploded, wounding three women and a man, in the town of Saqlawiya, 50 km (32 miles) west of Baghdad, a police officer in the Saqlawiya police station said.
Qalat Yawer:
#1: Police in Iraq's Kurdish region shot and killed a suicide bomber trying to attack a checkpoint near a military base on Wednesday, a Kurdish security official said. Jabbar Yawer, a Kurdish security forces spokesman, told CNN that the incident took place near Qalat-Deza, a town near the Iranian border about 80 kilometers or nearly 50 miles north of the city of Sulaimaniya. Kurdish security forces, known as the peshmerga, manned the base. The attacker's explosives-filled vest detonated and wounded two policemen after he was shot dead, Yawer said.
Hawija:
#1: Explosives in a booby-trapped house used by an armed group went off when an Iraqi police and army patrol tried to raid it, wounding three soldiers, in Hawija, 210 km (130 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
Kirkuk:
#1: Four army and police elements were wounded on Tuesday in an explosion in southwest of Kirkuk, Kirkuk Districts Police Department (KDPD) chief said. “A joint force launched on Tuesday (Sept. 28) a security operation in al-Huweija district, southwest of Kirkuk,” Brig. Sarhad Qader told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A house bomb went off in a region in al-Huweija, when the forces approached it, injuring three soldiers and one policeman,” he added.
#2: A roadside bomb wounded an off-duty policeman when it went off near his house northwest of Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, on Tuesday, police said.
Mosul:
#1: Gunmen killed a tribal leader after they stormed his house in eastern Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, on Tuesday, police said.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: "Three Taliban militants were killed as security forces raided Taliban hideouts in Muqar district in the southern Ghazni province Tuesday night," governor of Muqar district Sahib Khan told Xinhua. Six more militants including their commander namely Khan Alizai were detained during the overnight operation, he asserted. Taliban militants have yet to make comment.
DoD: Sgt. Mark A. Simpson
DoD: Spc. Donald S. Morrison
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
War News for Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The DoD is reporting a new death unreported by the military. Pfc. Clinton E. Springer II died from a non-combat related incident in Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday, September 24th.
The DoD is reporting another new death unreported by the military. Spc. Marc C. Whisenant died in a vehicle accident in an undisclosed location in Kuwait on Friday, September 24th.
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, September 27th. News reports this is a Polish soldier who died in the south-eastern area of the Ghazni Province.
Report: 2 Army soldiers killed by third in Iraq
C.I.A. Steps Up Drone Attacks in Pakistan to Thwart Taliban
Petraeus Says Taliban Have Reached Out to Karzai
Rebuke from Islamabad after NATO airstrikes kill 55 on Pakistani soil
Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: Two civilians were wounded Monday in a sticky bomb explosion in southeastern Baghdad, according to a security source. “The bomb, stuck to a civilian car, exploded on Monday afternoon (Sept. 27) in a garage in southeastern Baghdad, injuring two passing civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#2: An improvised explosive device went off on Monday near an army vehicle patrol in northern Baghdad, eyewitnesses said. “The bomb exploded in al-Safina region, northern Baghdad, with no word on damage or casualties,” the witnesses told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#3: An officer of the Iraqi Interior Ministry was wounded on Tuesday when a sticky bomb attached to his car went off in eastern Baghdad. “The blast occurred today in the al-Baladiyat neighborhood, eastern Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#4: Clashes have erupted on Tuesday between unknown gunmen and security forces in the al-Neayria area, eastern Baghdad. “Police forces sealed off the area,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Amarra:
#1: One U.S. soldier was wounded on Monday by a sniper in central Amara, a security source said. “The soldier was wounded while conducting a joint operation with Iraqi army forces in al-Askari neighborhood in central Amara,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The soldier, who was wounded on his leg, was carried to a nearby hospital for treatment and he is in a stable condition,” the source added.
Nassiriya:
#1: A car bomb was defused on Monday in a rural area in eastern Nassiriya, according to a security source. “Acting on a tip-off, policemen managed on Monday (Sept. 27) to defuse a booby-trapped car in al-Kariedi region in Said Dakhiel region, northeastern Nassiriya,” the source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The car contains amounts of TNT, C4 and two Katyusha rockets,” he added.
Kirkuk:
#1: Gunmen in a speeding car shot dead a civilian in southeastern Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
Mosul:
#1: A young man was killed on Monday in a random shooting in western Mosul, a police source said. “The man was killed as a result of a random shooting in al-Harmat region, western Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, pointing out that the 16-year-old victim got a bullet in his head, killing him on the spot.
#2: A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army foot patrol wounded two soldiers in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: A suicide bomber killed a deputy provincial governor and five others Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan, police said. The bomber rammed a motorized rickshaw loaded with explosives into one of two vehicles in a convoy taking Deputy Gov. Khazim Allayar to his office in Ghazni city. His adult son, a nephew and a bodyguard were also killed, said Ghazni province police chief Zarawar Zahid. Two civilians nearby were also killed in the blast and a number of others wounded, he said.
MoD: Corporal Matthew Thomas
DoD: Pfc. Clinton E. Springer II
DoD: Spc. John Carrillo Jr.
DoD: Pfc. Gebrah P. Noonan
DoD: Spc. Marc C. Whisenant
DoD: Pfc. William B. Dawson
DoD: Pfc. Jaysine P. S. Petree
News: Sergeant Kazimierz Kasprzak
Monday, September 27, 2010
War News for Monday, September 27, 2010
NATO is reporting the deaths of two ISAF soldiers from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, September 26th.
Helicopter Attacks Militant Meeting in Somalia
EXCLUSIVE-Virginia veteran report shows high depression rate
Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: An anchorman for Iraq’s state sponsored al-Iraqiyah television was seriously injured when a bomb attached to his car exploded, the broadcaster said. The attack on Alaa Mohsen took place today in the al- Sayidiya neighborhood of southern Baghdad, al-Iraqiyah said.
#2: Unknown gunmen on Monday used guns with silencers to kill an Iraqi cop working for the police academy in Baghdad. “The policeman was killed in the Salah al-Din Intersection, western Baghdad, when he was on his way to work,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Kurdistan:
#1: Kurdish rebels fighting Iran's government from bases across the border in Iraq are denying that Iranian forces carried out a cross-border raid. Iran's state television reported Sunday that Revolutionary Guard forces crossed into Iraq and killed 30 fighters from a group involved in a bombing last week of a military parade in northwestern Iran. Iranian officials have blamed the attack on Kurdish rebels. Sherzad Kamanger, a spokesman for Iranian Kurdish rebels based in Iraq's Qandil Mountains, said Monday that there have been no recent battles with the Iranians, though there was some Iranian artillery shelling late Sunday on four border villages that injured one civilian.
Tikrit:
#1: A roadside bomb went off today targeting a police officer’s car in the al-Qaddissiya neighborhood, 15 km north of Tikrit, wounding him, his wife, and their 6-year old daughter,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#2: “Another roadside bomb went off today within the first blast’s area targeting the car of a local businessman, wounding him and damaging his car,” the source added.
Baiji:
#1: Three bombings targeted an awakening force patrol wounding three members, in Al Risala District, central Baiji. Unknown gunmen detonated bombs early Monday near the house of police major Faez Jalili and the house of his brother, a traffic policeman, seriously wounding the police major, his son, his brother and his wife. The houses were subject to major damages.
Kirkuk:
#1: In a separate incident, unknown gunmen shot dead Dr. Mohammed Anan Saleh while he was leaving his house in Tiseein District, central Kirkuk.
#2: Kirkuk Rescue Police Chief was wounded along with three of his bodyguards and a boy in a car bomb explosion that targeted his convoy in southern Kirkuk, a security source told Alsumaria News.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: NATO helicopters in eastern Afghanistan launched rare major airstrikes into Pakistan, reportedly killing more than 50 militants, officials said Monday. The first strike took place Saturday after insurgents based in Pakistan attacked an Afghan outpost in Khost province, which is located right across the border from Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area, said U.S. Capt. Ryan Donald, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. "The ISAF helicopters did cross into Pakistan territory to engage the insurgents," Donald said. "ISAF maintains the right to self-defense, and that's why they crossed the Pakistan border." The strike killed 49 militants, said U.S. Maj. Michael Johnson, another ISAF spokesman. The second attack occurred when helicopters returned to the border area and were attacked by insurgents based in Pakistan, said Donald. "The helicopters returned to the scene and they received direct small arms fire and, once again operating in self-defense, they engaged the insurgents," Donald said. The strike killed at least four militants, Johnson said.
#2: international forces began a key combat phase to drive out Taliban fighters around the southern city of Kandahar. International and Afghan forces in the south, meanwhile, were moving into two or three areas around Kandahar city in southern Afghanistan at once to pressure the Taliban "so they don't get the chance to run away," Shah Mohammad Ahmadi, chief of Arghandab district northwest of the city, said Monday. NATO said militants have fought back with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. It said no Afghan or coalition troops have been killed in the operation.
#3: In another volatile section of the nation, British officials said Monday that they were in contact with Afghan authorities about the disappearance of a British aid worker and three of her Afghan colleagues. The four were ambushed Sunday as they traveled in two vehicles in northeastern Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. Police fought a gunbattle with the kidnappers near the attack site before the assailants fled, Kunar police chief Khalilullah Zaiyi said.
#4: Seven Taliban militants were killed in two separate incidents Sunday night in country's eastern Paktika province, spokesman of provincial administration said Monday. "In the first incident, four militants including a group commander Gul Mohammad were killed as warplanes of international troops pounded their position in Mata Khan district late Sunday," Mukhlis Afghan told Xinhua. He said, Gul Mohammad was a homemade and roadside bombs expert and was involved in organizing of dozens of roadside bombings targeting security forces in the province. Three other militants, in separate incident, were killed in Waza Khwa district, he further said. "A group of militants stormed police outpost in Waza Khwa district but police repelled the attack, killing three rebels," Afghan added. No police or civilians were injured in the incidents, he emphasized.
#5: Two US drone strikes targeting vehicles killed seven militants on Sunday in Pakistan's rugged tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said. Both attacks took place in Asar village of Datta Khel town, some 50km (31 miles) west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district known as a hub for Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants. "The US drone fired three missiles at the militants' vehicle, killing four rebels," a senior security official in the area said of the first strike, adding that the nationalities of those killed were not immediately known. Another senior security official in the area confirmed the strike and toll. The second strike, also targeting a vehicle, killed three rebels in the same village. "Four missiles fired from a US drone on another vehicle which was going to the site of the first attack for rescue work, killing three militants," a senior security official in the area said.
#6: Swedish documentary filmmaker Pål Hollender fled Afghanistan on Sunday night to seek medical treatment in Dubai after he was shot in the arm while filming a new documentary in the country.
#7: Seven Taliban militants were killed Monday as Afghan and NATO-led forces raided their hideouts in Deyak district of the southern Ghanzi province, provincial police chief said. "Troops with Afghan National Army (ANA) and police backed by NATO-led forces conducted a cleanup operation in Alo Khil village of Deyak district this morning as a result seven insurgents have been killed," Zarawar Zahid told Xinhua. The operation launched at 9 a.m. local time is still going on to wipe out insurgents and ensure viable peace there, the police cheif further said.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
News of the day for Sunday, September 26, 2010
Reported Security Incidents
Baghdad
An employee of the Committee on Anti-Corruption is flagged down on the airport road and shot dead. You may remember this highway as the site of constant attacks during the height of the insurgency in 2006.
An employee of the culture ministry is shot dead in Jami’a by assailants using silenced weapons.
A bomb near a gas station on al-Sadoun Street destroys several cars. Reports so far are unclear on casualties but the latest from Aswat al-Iraq says at least person injured. Update: Xinhua clears up the confusion: Six people are injured as an explosion apparently targets the car of Sa'id Ne'mah Jaiyash, head of the office of the Shiite politician Mowafaq al-Rubaie.
In what is evidently a separate incident, a bomb in Karradah targeting a police patrol kills one passerby and injures 7. There does not appear to be any Sadoun Street in Karradah but honestly, I can't find it anywhere. -- C
A member of Parliament from the Iraqiya bloc escapes an assassination attempt by car bomb in Mansour.
Roadside bomb injures 3 people near Beirut Square. Beirut Square is the intersection of Palestine and Thawra Streets. This clearly does not correspond to any other reported incident, but it is only mentioned by Reuters.
Two Katyushas strike the Green Zone, no information at this time on damage or casualties.
Mosul
Two brothers are shot dead in separate attacks. It is not clear whether this was politically motivated.
Falluja
Suicide car bomb attack on a checkpoint kills 3 police, injures 3 more police and one civilian. Fox News reports 4 police officers killed by I won't link to them. -- C
Abu Skheir, north of Basra
Police find and deactivate 3 rockets set to be launched. This report also mentions numerous arrests in Basra, but only 4 appear to have been of possible insurgents.
Other News of the Day
Iraq inaugurates a new fleet of patrol boats to police the Umm Qasr oil terminal. However, if you read down a bit you will learn that "Crews for the high-speed patrol boats are currently being trained in the United States, where they were manufactured, with 15 ultimately set to be delivered to Iraq." So in other words, they had a ceremony but they don't actually have the boats yet. Oh well.
The total compensation paid by the U.S. to victims of prisoner abuse in Abu Ghraib is, err, zero. Excerpt:
Fending off demands that he resign over the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, Defense Secretary Donald H Rumsfeld told Congress he had found a legal way to compensate Iraqi detainees who suffered "grievous and brutal abuse and cruelty at the hands of a few members of the United States armed forces." "It's the right thing to do," Rumsfeld declared in 2004. "And it is my intention to see that we do."
Six years later, the US Army is unable to document a single payment for prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. Nor can the more than 250 Iraqis or their lawyers now seeking redress in US courts.
Iraqi government to eliminate all visa fees for Iranians.
The Arab League is reportedly considering sending forces to Iraq to fill security role being abandoned by the U.S.
Afghanistan Update
Two NATO troops killed by an IED in southern Afghanistan, no further details at this time.
According to this Pakistani newspaper, a U.S. "tank" was destroyed by a bomb in Zarghoon village. No telling if this refers to the same incident, or even if it's true -- only a Taliban web site is offered as a source.
Four Afghan security police and two cars disappear in Ghazni. Taliban claim to have captured them.
The Independent Electoral Commission says 97% of ballots have been counted. The IEC has so far received 3,460 complaints of voting irregularities.
Quote of the Day
My brother-in-law had friends he was visiting in Waziristan. As he was a guest there - and as is the custom of the people - many of the locals gathered to welcome him into the area. He was sat with a group of these people from the community when everybody gathered to pray the evening prayer (‘Isha) together. The drone attack happened in the middle of the prayers and the entire congregation was martyred. . . . People who had witnessed the attack had come to tell us and described what they saw of the remnants and damage in the aftermath. They said the attack was so severe that they could not even distinguish the bodies from one another- even the bones of the people were completely blown apart. The dead were completely unrecognisable.
Haider. I cannot vouch for the source but this scenario is certainly plausible. -- C
Saturday, September 25, 2010
War News for Saturday, September 25, 2010
USF-Iraq is reporting the deaths of two United States Forces - Iraq service members from a non-combat-related incident in an undisclosed location in Iraq on Friday, September 24th. One additional soldier was injured in the incident.
NATO is reporting the deaths of two ISAF soldiers from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, September 24th.
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED blast in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, September 25th.
Turkey clarifies 1973 oil pipeline deal with Iraq over reports
Stryker vehicles refurbished in Alabama
Obama invokes 'state secrets' claim to dismiss suit against targeting of U.S. citizen al-Aulaqi
Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: Unknown gunmen killed a police colonel and injured his wife in northern Baghdad, a police source said on Friday. “Colonel Hazem Saleh was killed and his wife was wounded when gunmen opened fire at them while driving their car near Zeraa Dejla bridge in northern Baghdad late Thursday (Sept. 23)
#2: “Unidentified gunmen hurled a hand-grenade at a police patrol in the area of al-Mashtal, southeastern Baghdad, leaving three patrolmen wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#3: “A sticky improvised explosive device (IED) went off near a police vehicle in al-Baladiyat neighborhood, eastern Baghdad, leaving two policemen wounded,” he added.
Kirkuk:
#1: Five civilians were wounded when a Katyusha rocket hit a region in southwest of Kirkuk, a source from the joint coordination center in Kirkuk said on Friday. “The rocket hit a house in al-Huweija district, southwest of Kirkuk, late Thursday (Sept. 23) injuring five civilians,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Mosul:
#1: A police force shot down a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt before attacking worshippers performing the Friday prayers at al-Nabi Shiet Mosque in central Mosul city. “A suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt and clad in police uniform tried to attack al-Nabi Shiet Mosque in central Mosul but policemen shot him dead,” a security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A policeman was killed and another and a civilian worshipper were wounded in the incident,” he added.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Also in the east, more than 30 insurgents were killed during an operation involving a combined force of about 250 Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, and coalition soldiers in Alishing district of Laghman province. No civilians were harmed during the operation, NATO said.
#2: Intelligence officials say a suspected U.S. missile strike has killed four alleged militants in northwestern Pakistan. They say three missiles struck a vehicle in a village in Datta Khel in the North Waziristan tribal area that is under effective militant control.
#3: One person was killed in when suspected militants attacked Nato supply tankers in central Balochistan on Saturday. Attackers set on fire two supply tankers carrying fuel for Nato forces deployed in Afghanistan as the convoy passed through Mangochir area of Kalat in central Balochistan. The attack was carried out through bouts of firing from the militants, which resulted in the death one of the truck drivers, according to a private TV channel. The convoy was on its way from Karachi to landlocked Afghanistan, through the Balochistan province, when militants opened fire.
#4: Several suicide bombers attacked a Nato-run base in southeastern Afghanistan on Friday, Nato and Afghan officials said, with at least two insurgents killed in the latest assault in the volatile Taliban stronghold. A spokesman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the attack was launched on a forward operating base (FOB) in Gardez city in Paktia province, not far from Afghanistan’s porous border with Pakistan. “We did have an attempted suicide attack on FOB Gardez, and there are reports of two enemies killed in action wearing suicide vests,” ISAF spokesman James Judge said. There was no word on any ppossible ISAF casualties. Rohullah Samon, a spokesman for the Paktia governor, said several armed insurgents and suicide bombers attacked the base. “A suicide bomber driving a car blew himself up at the military gate in a attempt to let other fighters in,” Samon said. He said two insurgents were killed and an Afghan security guard and an Afghan soldier were wounded.
#5: An air strike by ISAF troops killed five insurgents in southeastern Paktika province on Friday, ISAF said.
DoD: Lance Cpl. Anthony J. Rosa
Friday, September 24, 2010
War News for Friday, September 24, 2010
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, September 23rd.
British Cuts to Military Concern U.S. Officials
Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: A roadside bomb explosion killed four people and wounded four others on Thursday in Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said. The explosion took place when a minibus moving on a highway in Zaiyounah in eastern Baghdad came near, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.
#2: A policeman was killed by mistake when the Finance Ministry's security guards opened fire at a suspected car bomb, police and Iraqi army sources said.
Taji:
#1: Gunmen killed Lieutenant Colonel Hazim Salih, a member of the staff of the Council of Ministers, and wounded his wife in their car in the town of Taji, 20 km (12 miles) north of Baghdad, an interior ministry source said.
Dujail:
#1: The building that houses the Scientific Research department in the city of Dujail, 130 km to the south of Tikrit, was blown up, after working hours, Thursday, causing extensive material damages but no loss of lives.
Hawija:
#1: A rocket wounded five people when it landed in a residential area in Hawija, 210 km (130 miles) north of Baghdad, late on Thursday, police sources in Hawija and Kirkuk said.
Mosul:
#1: Gunmen invaded a house and killed the owner in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, the police operations centre in Nineveh province said.
#2: A woman was stabbed to death near her house in eastern Mosul, the Nineveh police operations centre said.
#3: A suicide bomber killed a policeman and wounded two people, including a policeman, when he blew himself up near a mosque in central Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, a source at the provincial police operations room said.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Police say a suicide bomber targeting a NATO convoy in northern Afghanistan hit a passing bus full of wedding party guests, killing a child and injuring 28 others. Deputy Police Chief Abdul Raouf Taj says most of the people injured Friday were women and children on their way to the wedding. He says there were no deaths in the convoy, which was near the explosion in Mazari Sharif city. The bus was passing by when the suicide bomber detonated his own car and was killed.
#2: Three persons were killed when pro-Taliban militants carried out three bomb attacks on trucks and tankers ferrying supplies to foreign troops in Afghanistan in the restive Khyber tribal region of northwest Pakistan,officials said. The bombings targeted the tankers and trucks along the Pakistan-Afghanistan highway and at a parking area in Landi Kotal in Khyber Agency on thursday. The Abdullah Azam faction of the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attacks, sources said. The blasts destroyed six oil tankers, eight container trucks, a pick-up, a mini bus and two trailers. Fire fighters struggled for a long time to extinguish the blaze triggered by
the blasts.
#3: Meanwhile in Sargodha, an explosion has been heard near an air force base before rescue teams and ambulances rushed to the Tariq Abad locality in the city and shops were closed and the people started running to safe places, witnesses said.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
War News for Thursday, September 23, 2010
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, September 22nd.
Oil Ministry: Iraq's oil exports, revenues decline in August
Airman fatally shot; soldier charged
More contractors than troops killed during past year in Iraq and Afghanistan
Attack on Iran thwarted by financial and material costs
3 Journalists Arrested in Afghanistan
U.S. covert paramilitary presence in Afghanistan much larger than thought
Former soldier killed in crash after returning to Iraq
Canadian Forces Release Statistics on Afghanistan Detainees
Scientists find new dinosaurs related to Triceratops (off topic but what the hell)
Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: One soldier was wounded Thursday by an improvised explosive device in western Baghdad, according to a security source. “The bomb exploded on Thursday morning (Sept. 23) targeting an army vehicle patrol in al-Aamiriya region, western Baghdad, injuring a soldier,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#2: Two mortar rounds slammed into the Green Zone, Wednesday. No casualties were reported.
#3: Two civilians were wounded by a mortar shell in the central Baghdad district of Karrada, police said.
#4: A roadside bomb went off near a police patrol, wounding three policemen, on Palestine Street in northeastern Baghdad, an interior ministry source said.
Diyala Prv:
#1: A roadside bomb targeted a farmer driving his tractor in his orchard in Qara Teppa village, north Baquba, Wednesday, causing him serious injuries.
Kut:
#1: Unknown gunman on Thursday killed the nephew of a ranking intelligence officer in Kut city, Wassit province. “A gunman wearing a facemask opened fire today in central Kut targeting the nephew of a ranking intelligence officer,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Jurf al Sakhar:
#1: Gunmen opened fire at a security checkpoint manned by the government-backed Sahwa militia, wounding one Sahwa member, in Jurf al-Sakhar, about 60 km (40 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
Irbil Prv:
#1: Two civilians were wounded Wednesday when an oil tanker exploded in southern Arbil, chief of local police said. “The blast occurred on Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 22) in Kouran Ainkawa region, southern Arbil,” Brigadier Abdulkhaleq Talaat told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Mosul:
#1: A house was damaged on Wednesday when a bomb exploded in west of Mosul, according to a police source. “The bomb went off on Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 22) in front of a citizen’s house in al-Ayadiya district, west of Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#2: Gunmen shot dead a civilian in southern Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
#3: A child was wounded when a roadside bomb exploded in front of the house of a traffic police officer in northern Mosul, police said.
#4: A roadside bomb wounded a passer-by in northern Mosul, police said.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: NATO says an insurgent attack on a joint Afghan army outpost in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistan border left more than 30 of the militants dead. NATO said in a statement Thursday that troops at the combat outpost in the Spera district of Khost province returned fire with mortars in that attack. Initial reports found there were no civilian casualties. There were no casualties among NATO or Afghan troops.
#2: Meanwhile, in the south, deputy provincial police chief Mohammad Mousa Rasooli said two civilians died and four were injured Wednesday when an insurgent threw a hand grenade at a police car in Zaranj district of Nimroz province. The grenade missed the car and exploded, killing and injuring the civilians.
#3: A powerful blast rocked a bazaar in Khost province, east of Afghanistan, on Thursday, injuring six persons, an official said. "The blast occurred inside a butcher shop that supplied meat to Afghan troops injuring six persons, all civilians including the butcher," a police officer told Xinhua but declined to be identified.
#4: Two bomb blasts in a span of few minutes in Jalalabad city, the capital of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, Wednesday night left 19 people injured, provincial administration spokesman said Thursday. "In a new tactic the anti-government militants planted two explosive devices in a residential area in the city after the first blast happened around 09:00 p.m., security forces rushed to the site but second explosive device went off," Ahmad Zia Abdulzai told Xinhua via cellular phone. He said the explosions had injured 19 people including 16 civilians and three personnel of security forces.
#5: Two ISAF troops and one civilian were hurt after an armed man targeted them with small arms fire in western Ghour province on Thursday, provincial officials say. "A man with a weapon attacked Lithuanian soldiers working under ISAF's Provincial Reconstruction Team early at eleven am today and two of them were wounded in the incident," a provincial spokesperson, Abdul Hai Khatibi, told TOLOnews reporter. While the two soldiers were busy shopping in Cheghcheran, provincial capital, they came under attack, Mr Khatibi said. A shopkeeper was also hurt in the incident and one of the wounded soldiers is said to be in severe condition.
DoD: Senior Airman Michael J. Buras
DoD: Lt. (SEAL) Brendan J. Looney
DoD: Senior Chief Petty Officer David B. McLendon
DoD: Petty Officer 2nd Class (SEAL) Adam
DoD: Petty Officer 3rd Class (SEAL) Denis C. Miranda
DoD: Maj. Robert F. Baldwin
DoD: Chief Warrant Officer Matthew G. Wagstaff
DoD: Chief Warrant Officer Jonah D. McClellan
DoD: Staff Sgt. Joshua D. Powell
DoD: Sgt. Marvin R. Calhoun Jr.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
War News for Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The Denmark DM is reporting the death of a Danish ISAF soldier from an IED attack south of patrol base Bridzar about six kilometers northeast of Geresk, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, September 22nd. One additional soldier was wounded in the blast. Here's the ISAF release.
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, September 21st.
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Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: Four policemen were wounded on Wednesday when a roadside bomb went off in the east of the Iraqi capital. “The bomb went off today in Beirut Square, eastern Baghdad, targeting a police patrol,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#2: A roadside bomb went off near a police patrol, wounding three civilians and one policeman, on a highway near Baghdad's southern Doura district, an interior ministry source said.
#3: A roadside bomb exploded near a group of street cleaners, wounding four, in the Bab al-Sharji area of central Baghdad, an interior ministry source said.
Diyala Prv:
#1: Three civilians were wounded on Tuesday by an improvised explosive device in north of Baaquba, a police source said. “The bomb exploded near a civilian car in Hamrien region in al-Saadiya district, north of Baaquba, injuring three civilians onboard,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Hilla:
#1: One civilian was killed and 56 injured Wednesday when explosive devices went off in a residential area south of Baghdad, police sources said. The devices had been stored along with rockets inside a house in the city of Hilla, some 100 kilometres south of Baghdad. Their explosion burned down one house and damaged some seven others, sources told the German Press Agency dpa.
Hamza:
#1: At least three people were killed and 40 injured Tuesday when three roadside bombs exploded in quick succession in an outdoor market in the town of Hamza, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of Baghdad, police officials said. The attacks happened about 8:30 p.m., they said, declining to provide details.
Amarra:
#1: An Iraqi army force defused on Wednesday a bobby-trapped motorcycle that was ready for detonation in a crowded area south of Amara city. “The bobby-trapped motorcycle was ready for detonation in a crowded in Qalaat Salih district, 45 km south of Amara,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Nassiriya:
#1: Seven people were wounded and a U.S. vehicle and three civilian cars were damaged when a bomb exploded in central Nassiriya on Tuesday, according to a security source. “Anti-Shields bomb went off Tuesday (Sept. 21) targeting a U.S. convoy in central Nassiriya, injuring seven persons, including three women and a child,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The blast damaged a U.S. vehicle and three civilian cars,” he added.
Kirkuk:
#1: A roadside bomb went off near a military vehicle carrying Iraqi soldiers, killing two soldiers and wounded one, in central Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
Mosul:
#1: One policeman was wounded on Tuesday in two separate blasts in southern and western Baghdad. “A roadside bomb went off today targeting a police patrol in the al-Daura neighborhood, southern Baghdad, wounding one policeman,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#2: “A sticky bomb attached to a civil servant’s car, who works for the Baghdad Provincial Council, went off today in the al-Amiriya neighborhood, western Baghdad, causing no casualties or injuries,” the source added.
#3: Iraqi army forces seized 123 roadside bombs southeast of the Mosul city, an army source said on Wednesday. “The bombs were found in the al-Namroud district, southeast of Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. He explained that the bombs were seized during a raid operation within the area relying on intelligence tip off.
#4: “A car bomb went off today in the Hamam al-Aleel district, 30 km south of Mosul, leaving no casualties,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#5: “A roadside bomb went off in the al-Suez area, eastern Mosul city, causing no casualties,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#6: Attackers detonated three roadside bombs in quick succession and then fired shots at a police patrol, killing three policemen and wounding 14 people, including 13 policemen and a civilian, in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, a source in the local police operations centre said.
Tal Afar:
#1: Police forces found on Tuesday morning (Sept. 21) a bullet-riddled female body in western Talafar,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The body belongs to a 22-year-old young woman,” he added, noting that the body was sent to the forensic medicine department in Mosul.
#2: “Iraqi forces defused a big improvised explosive device in al-Ayadiya district, northern Talafar, without casualties,” the same source said.
#3: One gunman was wounded when a roadside bomb he was attempting to plant went off in Talafar suburb, northwest of Mosul city. “The incident took place yesterday night in the al-Uroba neighborhood, 60 km northwest of Mosul,” a local police source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency on Wednesday.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Afghan and NATO-led troops eliminated 27 Taliban militants in Khost province east of Afghanistan, an Afghan military officer in the province Mohammad Irsar said Wednesday. "The joint operation conducted in Mirsamar village of Spirai district late Tuesday night which left 27 rebels dead," Israr told Xinhua. Air power had also been used during the operation, he further said.
#2: update: Five workers of a construction company, including two Pakistani engineers, were killed and three others sustained injuries in a roadside landmine explosion in Pawran province of Afghanistan on Tuesday. The Ministry of Interior in a press statement said the blast occurred in Namak Aab area in Shinwari district when the vehicle of a construction company hit the landmine. The blast left five workers of the company dead and three others injured. The police rushed the injured to a nearby hospital, the statement added. Owner of the company, Haji Naveed, confirmed the incident and told media the vehicle was hit by explosion when the staff members were on their way to their area to inspect the ongoing projects. He said the dead included two Pakistani engineers, two guards and a driver.
#3: Pakistani security forces have killed at least 42 militants and destroyed their hideouts during a search operation in the outskirts of Peshawar city of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Officials told Press TV that three policemen were also killed and five soldiers injured when the security forces and police carried out the joint operation in the semi-tribal areas of Pistanwa, Hasankhel and Bora near the Afghan border. Security forces have also destroyed many hideouts of the militants, including the home of local commander Qari Ayub, according to a Press TV report. On Wednesday, a militant attack left 40 tribesmen killed and several others injured in northwest Pakistan.
#4: Taliban Insurgents launched rocket attacks on Herat city, the provincial capital of the western Herat province said on Tuesday night. The spokesman to the governor of Herat, Naqibullah Arween, and the province's deputy commander of police, Delawar Shah Delawar, confirmed the news adding that the attacks were carried out around 08:00pm last night, which had no casualties. "The rockets were aimed at the Italian Provincial Reconstruction Team's office, but the rockets hit residential areas, only smashing windows," said Delawar Shah Delawar.
#5: At least three troops were killed Wednesday when a roadside blast struck a military vehicle in Bara area of Khyber, one of the seven tribal agencies in Pakistan's restive northwest bordering Afghanistan, local sources said.
#6: Six Taliban militants were killed as NATO-led forces aircraft raided their hideout in southern Kandahar province on Tuesday, a statement of alliance released here Wednesday said. "A joint Afghan National Army and International Security Assistance Force patrol conducted a precision air strike in southern Afghanistan Tuesday, killing six insurgents who had fired mortars on their position during dismounted operations," the statement added. The precision air strike was conducted in the western Arghandab valley on the outskirts of Kandahar City, the capital of Taliban birthplace Kandahar province, it stressed.
DoD: Pfc. Joshua S. Ose
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
War News for Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Washington Post is reporting the deaths of nine soldiers in a helicopter crash in the Daychopan district, Zubal province, Afghanistan on Tuesday, September 21st. CNN is reporting these are American soldiers and two others were wounded in the crash along with an American civilian and an Afghani Army soldier. Here's the ISAF release.
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Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: (Monday) One policeman was killed and five others were wounded in a car bomb explosion in southern Baghdad on Monday, the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) announced. “A car crammed with explosives went off targeting a police vehicle patrol in al-Sidiya region, southern Baghdad, killing a policeman and injuring five,” the BOC said in a statement received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency. A security source had said earlier that a car bomb went off near an army vehicle patrol in al-Sidiya region, injuring seven soldiers.
#2: “A Katyusha rocket landed on the Tigris River, without damage,” the BOC added.
#3: An employee of the Culture Ministry was wounded on Monday in a sticky bomb blast in western Baghdad, a security source said. “A bomb, stuck to the car belongs to the Culture Ministry, went off at 8:30pm near al-Mulla Howeish mosque in al-Rabiaa street, al-Jameaa neighborhood in western Baghdad,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#4: Six bodyguards of former parliament’s speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, were wounded Monday when a mortar shell hit his house in Baghdad, an official source said. “A mortar shell hit the house of former Parliament’s Speaker, Mahmoud al-Mashhadni, inside the Green Zone in central Baghdad, ” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#5: Five cleaning labors were wounded on Tuesday when a roadside bomb went off in central Baghdad. “The blast took place in the Tayiaran Square, central Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#6: Three civilians and one policeman were wounded on Tuesday when a roadside bomb went off in southeastern Baghdad. “The blast targeted a police patrol in the Baghdad al-Jadeeda neighborhood, southeastern Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#7: A roadside bomb on Tuesday hit a U.S. convoy in southern Baghdad. There is no information so far about casualties or damage. “The blast occurred on the highway in the al-Daura neighborhood, southern Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. He did not mention further details, but explained that U.S. forces sealed off the blast area. For his part, the Media Adviser of the U.S. Army in Iraq, Nadir Suleiman, denied that U.S. forces have been targeted in Baghdad today.
#8: One policeman was wounded on Tuesday in two separate blasts in southern and western Baghdad. “A roadside bomb went off today targeting a police patrol in the al-Daura neighborhood, southern Baghdad, wounding one policeman,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#9: “A sticky bomb attached to a civil servant’s car, who works for the Baghdad Provincial Council, went off today in the al-Amiriya neighborhood, western Baghdad, causing no casualties or injuries,” the source added.
Tarmiya:
#1: Unknown gunmen on Tuesday killed a member of the al-Tarmiya local council, northern the Iraqi capital. “The gunmen on today’s dawn raided the victim’s house in the al-Tarmiya, northern Baghdad, and opened fire on him,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Kirkuk:
#1: An Iraqi police official says a roadside bomb in a restive northern city has killed two Iraqi soldiers. Col. Sherzad Murfali says the blast on Tuesday targeted an army patrol on the outskirts of Kirkuk, which is the center of a power struggle between Iraqi Kurds and the central government in Baghdad.
Mosul:
#1: A policeman was killed on Monday by unknown gunmen in central Mosul, according to a police source. “A policeman was killed when unknown gunmen opened fire on a police checkpoint in al-Midan region, central Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Eight Pakistani militants have been killed in a military offensive on their hideouts in the country's northwest tribal region, near the Afghan border. Pakistan's military gunship helicopters backed by artillery pounded militant positions in the Spairket area of central Kurram Agency on Monday, leaving eight militants dead and seven others injured, a Press TV correspondent reported. The operation comes after five people were killed and ten others injured in an exchange of fire between warring Mangal and Bangash tribes in Kurram.
#2: Road-side mine blast kills at least 6 employees of a road construction company in the central Parwan province on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred at 11:00am on Tuesday in the province's Shinwari district when the six men were on their way from Charikar, the province's capital, to Ghorband district, the Police Chief of Parwan told TOLOnews.
#3: Afghan and coalition forces killed at least 11 insurgents in southern Kandahar province in a two-day operation that ended on Monday, ISAF said.
#4: Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents in eastern Nangarhar province on Monday, ISAF said.
#5: Afghan and coalition forces killed two insurgents in northern Baghlan province on Monday, ISAF said.
MoD: Trooper Andrew Martin Howarth
MoD: Sergeant Andrew James Jones
DoD: 1st Lt. Scott J. Fleming
DoD: 1st Lt. Eric Yates
DoD: Staff Sgt. Jaime C. Newman
DoD: Sgt. 1st Class Ronald A. Grider
DoD: Spc. Timothy L. Johnson
DoD: Pfc. Barbara Vieyra
DoD: Maj. Paul D. Carron
DoD: Spc. Joshua A. Harton
Monday, September 20, 2010
War News for Monday, September 20, 2010
The British MoD is reporting the deaths of two British ISAF soldiers from a roadside bombing in the Lashkar Gah district, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Saturday, September 18th. Here's the ISAF release.
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from a non-combat related cause in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, September 18th.
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, September 18th.
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, September 18th.
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, September 20th.
At least 23 soldiers killed in Tajikistan ambush
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Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: Two mortar rounds landed inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Monday, but police did not say whether they caused injuries or damages. The Green Zone, formally known as the International Zone, houses Iraqi government offices and the U.S. Embassy.
#2: Elsewhere, a car bomb exploded at an Iraqi army patrol in southwestern Baghdad, wounding seven soldiers, police said.
“A car bomb went off today targeting an Iraqi army patrol in the al-Saydiya neighborhood, southern Baghdad, wounding seven soldiers, and damaging one of the patrol’s vehicles in addition to a number of nearby buildings,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “Two roadside bombs went off in a synchronized way within the same car bombing location, wounding three civilians,” the source added.
#3: In addition, a roadside bomb went off near a police patrol in another southwestern Baghdad neighborhood, injuring two bystanders, police said.
Two civilians were wounded on Monday when a roadside bomb went off targeting a police patrol in southwestern Baghdad. “The blast took place on the major road through al-Amil neighborhood, southwestern Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#4-5: Two roadside bombs went off on Monday in western and southwestern Baghdad, leaving no casualties.
#4: “A roadside bomb went off today in the al-Bayaa neighborhood, southwestern Baghdad,” a local security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#5: “A roadside bomb went off today in the al-Amiriya neighborhood, western Baghdad,” the source added.
Al Anbar Prv:
#1: A roadside bomb went off and killed a civilian and wounded three others, on Sunday, in northern Falluja, 50 km (32 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Four Polish servicemen sustained light wounds during motor attacks on the Warrior and Ghazni bases in south east Afghanistan where they were stationed, Saturday. Another soldier was hit when his unit was ambushed during a patrol.
#2: At least one paramilitary trooper was killed and another three injured on Monday morning as a group of militants attacked a check point in northwest Pakistan, local sources said. Sources said that unidentified militants attacked a security check point in Salaipatti of Bajaur, a tribal area near the border with Afghanistan.
#3: Afghan authorities said Sunday that they recovered the bodies of three election workers kidnapped Saturday during parliamentary balloting marked by violence and reports of widespread fraud. The election workers were abducted Saturday morning as they were taking ballots to a polling station in the northern province of Balkh, provincial spokesman Munit Ahmar said.
#4: A suspected U.S. drone fired three missiles at a house in northwestern Pakistan, killing five alleged militants in the 14th such attack this month — the most intense barrage since the airstrikes began in 2004. The house belonged to a local militant and was located in Datta Khel, a town in the North Waziristan tribal area.
#5: Four anti-government militants were killed as they came under air attack in the southern Ghazni province on Monday, police said. "Four Taliban rebels were busy in planting mines on a road in Arzo area when the international forces aircraft dropped a precious bomb, killing all on the spot early today," provincial police chief Zarawar Zahid told Xinhua. Arzo village is outside provincial capital Ghazni city which often used by security forces.
#6: Afghan and coalition forces killed five Taliban insurgents in northern Kunduz province on Sunday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said.
#7: Four Afghan soldiers received injuries as their vehicle ran over a mine in the eastern Khost province on Monday, an army officer in the province said. "A mine planted by militants struck a vehicle of national army, wounding four soldiers slightly in Musa Khil district at 01:00 p.m. today," Mohammad Israr told Xinhua. The vehicle was carrying ballot boxes to the provincial capital Khost city when faced the blast, but there was no damage to the ballot boxes, he emphasized.
DoD: Spc. Deangelo B. Snow
Sunday, September 19, 2010
News of the Day for Sunday, September 19, 2010
Reported Security Incidents
Baghdad
Car Bomb in a commercial district in Mansour kills at least 10, injures 10. The explosion apparently occurred near an AsiaCell store, a popular mobile phone provider. CNN says 58 people were injured in this explosion.
A second car bomb in Kadhimiya kills at least 19 and injures 53. Some reports say there were two bombs at this location, (while reported casualty totals in both bombings vary wildly. Typically, the reports with the highest casualty totals have later information, and are more accurate, so those are the ones I highlight.)
Three mortar shells land in the Green Zone. No word on damage or casualties. KUNA says they were Katyushas, and that one landed near the U.S. embassy.
A mortar shell also lands on the Babel Hotel, injuring 3 civilians.
Saleh Ali Hamad al-Ulwani, the tribal chief of al-Bu Ulwan clan, is killed by a sticky bomb in Abu Ghraib. One of his bodyguards is severely injured.
An IED in the market near al-Nahda garage in central Baghdad injures 3 people and causes severe damage to nearby stores.
A senior intelligence officer is severely injured by a sticky bomb in Salhiya, central Baghdad.
Other News of the Day
Kelly McEvers of NPR visits the village of Jubail, where earlier this week a raid by U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 7 people. (Don't worry, it wasn't a "combat" mission. And indeed, it doesn't sound much like combat to me.) Excerpt:
A boy pours guests small cups of Arabic coffee inside the funeral tent. Then Mahmoud Hassan, 43, walks reporters toward a house and shows them where he was sleeping when the raid began. "I was covered with a blanket, and they shot [at] me. They thought that I was dead," Hassan says. "Then immediately they got inside this room ... and started shooting. And I was there, watching them."
Hassan points to a smear of blood on the wall and an even thicker pool of blood on the floor. This is where he says his 70-year-old brother and three nephews were killed. "There was one small kid, he was in the fifth [grade]," Hassan continues. "They shot his father in front of him. Then they shot him dead also."
Hassan says both Iraqi and American soldiers did the shooting. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" shouts the otherwise reserved Hassan, when asked if he's sure that Americans took part. "The Americans were all over this house."
Afghanistan Update
Two British soldiers killed by an explosion while on a "ground domination" patrol [sic] in Lashkar Gah.
Voter turnout is said to be light amid insurgent violence and threats. The Interior Ministry reports 33 bomb explosions and 63 rocket attacks, which they dismiss as "insignificant." The overall take by Elisabeth Bumiller and Rod Nordland of the NYT is more pessimistic:
Many polling centers were largely empty for most of the day, in sharp contrast to presidential elections a year ago, when voters waited in long lines. And where there was voting, there were numerous reports of fraud, from vote buying to ballot stuffing. . . .
But the Free and Fair Elections Foundation, the independent Afghan monitoring organization, cited “widespread irregularities. Insecurity and violence shaped the voting process in large swaths of the country,” the group said in a statement late Saturday.
The full extent of any fraud may not be known for some time, if ever. The election, in which 2,500 candidates ran for 249 seats, was monitored by fewer than half the number of international observers than those who observed in last year’s balloting, and they were confined to provincial capitals because of safety concerns.
Six children are reported killed by a rocket attack in Kunduz, according to the government. However, according to other reports the children were actually playing with an unexploded rocket.
U.S. soldier killed Sept. 17 by an RPG attack in Kandahar is identified as Spc. Deangelo Snow, of Saginaw, Mich., assigned to the 526th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
Charges are filed in the case of 5 U.S. soldiers accused of killing Iraqi civilians for sport. "According to statements given to investigators, members of the unit - 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment - began talking about forming a "kill team" in December, shortly after the arrival of a new member, Staff Sgt. Calvin R. Gibbs, 25, of Billings, Mont. Gibbs, whom some defendants have described as the ringleader, confided to his new mates that it had been easy for him to get away with "stuff" when he served in Iraq in 2004, according to the statements."
Quote of the Day
It seems to me that only jingoistic blindness can account for the belief that it is "obscene" to compare the American architects and enablers of the attack on Iraq and the worldwide torture regime (among other crimes) to "killers and terrorists." The former are the latter, by definition.
Glenn Greenwald. (Warning: Annoying popup.)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
War News for Saturday, September 18, 2010
The DoD is reporting a new death unreported by the military. Sgt. Ryan J. Hopkins died at the Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas on Friday, January 8th 2010. He was injured from a vehicle accident in Baghdad, Iraq on Saturday, October 4th, 2008.
The DoD is reporting another new death previously unreported by the military. Sgt. John F. Burner III died from a non-combat related injury in Iskandayiya, Iraq on Thursday, September 16th.
NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an IED attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Friday, September 17th.
Reported security incidents
Baghdad:
#1: An Iraqi soldier was killed and 11 people were wounded in an overnight double bomb explosions which struck the Iraqi army in a Sunni neighborhood in western Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source and a witness said on Saturday. The attack took place at about 11:00 p.m. on Friday (2000 GMT) when a bomb exploded in Baghdad's western neighborhood of al- Khadraa near a crowd of Iraqi soldiers and civilians who gathered near a previous explosion at the scene, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Six soldiers were among the wounded people, the source said.
An Iraqi soldier was killed and five others wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in al-Khadraa neighborhood, western Baghdad, on Friday, a local Iraqi police source said. “A stun charge went off near a gathering of civilians and military persons, followed by an IED blast that left a policeman killed and five military servicemen, including two officers, wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The explosion also left four civilians injured,” the source added.
#2: Two policemen were wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in northern Baghdad on Friday, a local security source said. “An IED went off near a police patrol in the area of al-Adhamiya, northern Baghdad, leaving two policemen wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#3: An official at the interior ministry’s passports affairs department was killed in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in western Baghdad on Friday, a local Iraqi police official said. “An IED attached to the official’s vehicle went off near al-Sa’a restaurant in al-Mansour area, western Baghdad, killing him instantly,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#4: A roadside bomb went off in Athamiyah neighbourhood, north Baghdad, Friday, without causing any casualties.
Hawija:
#1: Two people were killed and nine others, including a policeman, wounded in a bicycle bomb blast in al-Huweija district, southwestern Kirkuk, on Friday, a senior police officials said. “A bicycle bomb went off near a police patrol in central Huweija, (65 km) southwest of Kirkuk, leaving two local residents killed and nine others, including a patrolman, wounded and causing damage in the site,” Brig. Sarhad Qader, the director of the Kirkuk Districts’ Police Department (KDPD), told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
Kirkuk:
#1: One unidentified body was found in Kirkuk city, Friday. It was covered with gun-shot wounds.
Mosul:
#1: An army force shot dead a gunman and arrested four others in a raid searching for wanted persons in eastern Mosul city on Friday, an Iraqi military source said. “A force from the Iraqi army’s 2nd Division stationed in Mosul, acting upon intelligence tip-offs, killed a gunman during a raid on a hideout in al-Zahraa neighborhood, eastern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.
#2: An off-duty soldier was killed by gunmen in a marketplace in eastern Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, a police source in the provincial police operations centre said.
#3: A suspected militant was killed in a gunfight when an Iraqi army unit raided a house in eastern Mosul, a media official in the 2nd Iraqi Army Division said. Four suspected militants were arrested and an explosives belt seized.
Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Rocket attacks by Taliban insurgents claimed two civilians' lives and injured two others in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province on the voting day on Saturday, police said. "One rocket fired by Taliban rebels hit the provincial capital Assadabad this morning, leaving one child dead and another wounded, " provincial police chief Khalilullah Ziae told Xinhua. Another rocket hit Asmar district, killing a woman and injuring a man, the official added.
Rocket attacks killed six people in eastern provinces Kunar and Nangarhar, and Takhar in the north, local officials said.
and three others struck the eastern city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, officials said. There were no reports of casualtys.
#2: Insurgents also fired a rocket near NATO headquarters in Kabul shortly before polls opened at 0230 GMT, but no casualties or damage were reported.
#3: Toryalai Wesa, the governor of Kandahar province said he survived a roadside bomb attack while visiting polling centres in the volatile region.
#4: A bomb attack at a polling centre in the eastern city of Khost -- not far from the Pakistan border -- wounded three people, while 16 Afghan security personnel were wounded in clashes in the north, local officials said.
#5: In a southern neighbourhood of Kabul, a roadside bomb exploded near a polling station 40 minutes before opening. Voting did not start because of the blast.
#6: The Australian Defense Department on Saturday confirmed that several hundred Afghanistan locals turned on Australian soldiers, after a rumor that Australian troops were burning copies of the Koran. According to ABC News, the Australian soldiers were conducting a regular burn-off of rubbish and documents in a pit north of the main army base near Tarin Kowt, when an angry mob of local men threw rocks and forced the soldiers back into the base. The Defense statement also said that one protester aimed an AK- 47 rifle at one of the coalition soldiers, who then shot the protester.
#7: A Taliban attack near a polling station in Afghanistan's north killed one Afghan soldier and six pro-government militiamen on Saturday, police said. "One national army and six Arbaki (militiamen) were killed in the attack," Baghlan's police chief, Abdul Rahman Rahimi, told reporters by phone. Five others were wounded in the attack in Baghlan province, which took place near a polling station and an adjacent security outpost.
DoD: Sgt. John F. Burner III
DoD: Sgt. Aaron K. Kramer
DoD: Senior Airman Daniel R. Sanchez
IT/DoD: Lieutenant Alexander Romans
