War News for Monday, December 03, 2011

CNN is reporting the deaths of two U.S. service members in an undisclosed incident in central Iraq on Sunday, January 2nd.

The British MoD is reporting the death of a British ISAF soldier from a roadside bombing in the Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, Afghanistan on Saturday, January 1st. 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 Sunday, January 2nd.


Iran downs Western drones

Afghanistan casualties mount for Fort Campbell's 101st Airborne

Demise of Iraqi water park illustrates limitations, abuse of U.S. funding program


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: In central Baghdad, gunmen early on Monday broke into the home of a Christian woman, Rafah Toma, shot her dead and made off with a number of her possessions, an interior ministry official said. Toma, who lived alone in Al-Wahda neighbourhood, is the latest victim of a string of attacks on Christians in Iraq, with the official saying she was likely targeted because of her religion.

#2: The interior ministry official, who would not be named, also said that a policeman was shot dead by gunmen with silenced weapons in Taifiya in northern Baghdad. He gave no further details. The policeman’s death followed a string of similar attacks on Sunday night in which a traffic police colonel, two other police, an army captain and an engineer were gunned down in five separate attacks in Baghdad by gunmen with silenced weapons.

The Iraqi capital witnessed on Sunday night the assassination of six security officers and elements, as well as government employees in different parts of the city, a security source said on Monday. “A group of unknown gunmen carried out an assassination campaign, pinpointed against a number of security officers and elements in different parts of Baghdad on Sunday night. The campaign included attempts targeting a Lt. Brigadier in the Traffic Department, who was assassinated in eastern Baghdad’s Canal district,” he said. An Army officer, holding the rank of major, was shot dead in central Baghdad’s Tahariat District, the source noted. An Interior Ministry element was also killed in the center of the city, along with another Interior Ministry element who was assassinated. An engineer in north Baghdad’s Aadhamiya district was killed in Suleikh district, northwest of Baghdad. The security official also said that a Lt. Brigadier in the Interior Ministry was wounded when a group of armed men opened fire on him close to northern Baghdad’s Al-Nidaa mosque.

#3: An Iraqi policeman has been killed by a group of gunmen, using guns with silencers attached, in northeast Baghdad on Monday, a security source said. “A group of unknown gunmen opened fire using guns with silencers attached on a policeman, who was passing in a car on northeast Baghdad’s Sarrafiya Bridge, killing him on the spot,” the security source said.


Diyala Prv:
#1: A suicide car bomber attacked an office of the Iraqi intelligence services in a city northeast of Baghdad, wounding 28 people, officials said. Abdul-Nassir al-Mahdawi, governor of volatile Diyala province, said a roadside bomb blew up shortly before the car bomber attacked the intelligence office's compound in the city of Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of the capital. Mahdawi said 28 people were wounded in the blasts. The majority of them were female students from a next door school. An Interior Ministry source in Baghdad put the toll at one person killed and 22 wounded, while a local police source said 15 were wounded. It was not clear whether the dead person the source was referring to was the attacker. The suicide bomber was stopped at the gate to the compound, said Major Ghalib Attiya al-Jubouri, a spokesman for the police force in Diyala.


Balad:
#1: Gunmen planted bombs near the house of Hardan Khalaf, a chief judge, wounding him along with eight members of his family and killing his nephew, in a town near Balad, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.


Kirkuk:
#1: Police said they found the body of a man who appeared to have been tortured and strangled, in eastern Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad.


Mosul:
#1: A parked car bomb went off near an Iraqi army patrol, killing one soldier and one civilian in the northern city of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, army and health sources said. The sources said three civilians were also wounded in the incident.

#2: A roadside bomb went off near an Iraqi army patrol and wounded one civilian in Mosul, police said.


Al Anbar Prv:
#1: Gunmen attacked a police checkpoint, killing one policeman and wounding three west of the city of Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: Monday, January 3rd, 2011 VOA News Officials in Afghanistan say an explosion in the western part of the country has killed one person and wounded five people, including a police officer. Authorities say the blast happened Monday morning in Herat. The Associated Press reports the blast was caused by a bomb placed outside a butcher shop that supplies meat to the Afghan army.

#2: A NATO oil tanker was destroyed completely in a bomb explosion in Pakistan's Khyber Agency, however, no casualties have been reported. According to security authorities, the oil tanker was heading towards Torkham border from Peshawar via Pak-Afghan border highway on Monday morning. The explosion took place at Ali Masjid area of Jamrud district in Khyber Agency, the Dawn reports. Following the blast, the Pak-Afghan border highway was blocked completely with a massive traffic pile-up, resulting in NATO supply suspension.


MoD: Private Joseva Saqanagonedau Vatubua

DoD: Sgt. Michael J. Beckerman