War News for Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Reported security incidents
#1: Up to six Taliban militants and two policemen were killed following a clash between the police and militants in Afghanistan's northern province of Faryab overnight, the police said Wednesday, Xinhua reported. "A group of armed militants, numbered around 20, launched an armed attack against Afghan Local Police (ALP) checkpoints in Shirin Tagab district, sparking a gun battle lasting for hours Tuesday night," acting-provincial police chief, Nabi Mullahkhil, told Xinhua. He said the fighting left two ALP cops and six militants dead in the province 425 km northwest of Afghan capital Kabul. "A Taliban deputy shadowy district chief for the district named Qari Firoz was among the dead and the ALP also arrested three militants besides seizing weapons after the clash," he added.

#2: Afghan security forces supported by the NATO-led coalition troops have killed 30 armed Taliban militants in operations during the past 24 hours, the Afghan interior ministry said Wednesday. "Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army and Coalition Forces launched eight joint clearance operations in Nangarhar, Kapisa, Kunduz, Kandahar, Helmand, Sar-e-Pul, Logar and Paktiya provinces," the ministry said in a daily statement. As a result of these operations, 30 armed Taliban were killed, 11 wounded and nine others were arrested by Afghan National Security Forces, it said, giving no casualties on the security forces.

#3: A suicide bomber blew himself up in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar on Wednesday, killing at least six people including a senior police officer and wounding more than 30, officials said. The blast ripped through a congested area of the city, which lies close to Pakistan's lawless tribal areas and is frequently hit by bombings, around 9:00 am (0400 GMT). Police official Badshah Khan said the bomber, who was on foot, targeted the vehicle of senior investigator Hilal Haider, killing him and a number of his colleagues. Another officer, Asif Iqbal, told AFP there were six dead including four policemen. Hospital officials and senior administration official Habibullah Arif said more than 30 people were wounded in the blast and some were in a critical condition.

#4: Elsewhere on Wednesday, a roadside bomb in the tribal district of Kurram killed a police official and wounded 14 other people, local administration official Shamshad Khan said.

#5: A helicopter of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) made an emergency land near Pishin, Balochistan on Tuesday. According to a private TV channel report, during the emergency landing due to technical fault, the pilot was injured who was immediately shifted to hospital. The helicopter made the emergency landing near Band Khushdil.


DoD: Pfc. Brandon L. Buttry