War News for Saturday, December 15, 2011

Reuters is reporting the death of a U.S. soldier while "conducting combat operations" somewhere in central Iraq presumably on Friday, January 14th


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: A policeman and a civilian have been injured in an explosive charge blast in northern Baghdad's Aadhamiya district on Saturday, a security source said. "An explosive charge blew off in Antar Square of northern Baghdad's Aadhamiya district, seriously wounding a policeman and a civilian," the security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, giving no further details.

#2: A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded four people, including one policeman, in Baghdad's southwestern Bayaa district, an Interior Ministry source said.


Diyala Prv:
#1: An Iraqi army soldier was wounded in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast northeast of Baaquba city on Friday, a local security source said. “An IED blast targeted an army patrol in the area of Mandili, Khanaqin district, northeast of Baaquba, leaving one solider wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Mosul:
#1: Two Iraqi soldiers opened fire on U.S. troops in the northern city of Mosul Saturday, wounding three of them, Iraqi army and police sources said. They said the incident occurred while U.S. soldiers were training an Iraqi military unit at al-Ghazlani U.S. military camp in southern Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad. "Two soldiers from Iraq's 11th brigade, 3rd division, opened fire during training conducted by American forces inside a U.S. military base and wounded three soldiers," said one military source, who declined to be named. Another military officer and a senior police official confirmed the incident.

#2: A policeman on a leave of absence from duty was killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) attached to his vehicle went off southeast of Mosul city on Friday, a security source said. “The IED, which was attached to the policeman’s civilian vehicle, went off in al-Nimrod district, (40 km) southeast of Mosul, leaving him killed,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: NATO says a U.S. Marine has shot and killed an Afghan policeman after an argument in southern Afghanistan. The military coalition said the two men had a dispute Saturday at a patrol base in Sangin, a volatile district of Helmand province. It says that after the dispute, the Afghan policeman reportedly made threats and handled his weapon carelessly. The Marine reported the behavior to his superiors. NATO says the Afghan policeman left his post, but returned and pointed his gun at the Marine, who shouted at him to put the weapon down. The coalition says that when he didn't, the Marine fired two rounds, killing the Afghan policeman.

#2: At least 16 NATO oil tankers were torched by unidentified attackers in Pakistan's Balochistan province, a media report said Saturday. The incident occurred Friday night in the Mangoli area of Dera Murad Jamali city in which one of the drivers was injured, while the fire also engulfed a nearby hotel, The Express Tribune reported. Sources said the attackers also fired gunshots and managed to escape after a crossfire with the police.

Gunmen in Dera Murad Jamali set ablaze 16 vehicles carrying fuel supplies for Nato troops in Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said. The convoy was attacked before dawn outside the town of Dera Murad Jamali, some 400 kilometres southeast of Quetta, the capital of restive Baluchistan province, local administration chief Abdul Fatah Khajjak said. "The attackers, riding in a car, opened fire on oil tankers parked at a petrol pump waiting for daybreak to resume their journey to Afghanistan," Khajjak said. Some 16 oil tankers caught fire, but two more parked a distance away were undamaged, he said. One of the fuel tanker staff was wounded by the gunfire.

#3: Seven Afghan taxi drivers were killed on Friday after insurgents accused them of spying for the government, forced them into a vehicle and made them drive it over a roadside bomb, a government official said. Mohammad Jan Rasoolyar, spokesman for the governor of southern Zabul province, said the taxi drivers transported people between Zabul and neighbouring Kandahar province. He said they were beaten by the insurgents before being forced into a vehicle and made to drive over a roadside bomb, adding that their taxis were also burned.

#4: An electricity tower was destroyed in a blast that took place Saturday afternoon near the city of Peshawar in northwest Pakistan, said local sources, adding no casualties were reported.