War News for Saturday, August 31, 2013

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from a direct fire attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, August 31st.

The DoD is reporting what appears to be a new death unreported by the military. Sgt. 1st Class Ricardo D. Young died from a small arms weapon attack in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, August 28th.

Reported security incidents
#1: A suicide bomber has killed 18 people after detonating explosives close to a police checkpoint in southern Afghanistan. Javed Faisal, a spokesman for the provincial governor, initially said the suicide bomber was in a car that was being searched by police, but later said new information indicated the bomber had been on foot. Along with the branch building of the New Kabul Bank, several small shops and vehicles were damaged.
 #2: Another 12 people were killed in an ambush involving a roadside bomb in Sangin district in Helmand province, also in the south, on Friday evening, said Omer Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor. Sangin is the scene of an ongoing operation by Afghan forces against the Taliban. Mr Zwak said 11 men and one woman died in the attack, and that the vehicle also was hit by several rounds of gunfire.

#3: A US drone targeted a vehicle in North Waziristan tribal agency on Saturday, killing four suspected militants said to be of Turkmen origin. According to local security officials and intelligence sources, the drone fired two missiles around 12:30 pm at a vehicle near a seminary in Hesokhel Musaki village in Mirali, around 40 kilometres east of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan which is said to be a stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda-linked militants.

#4: Two commanders among ten militants were killed in Mand area of Balochistan on Saturday morning, official’s sources confirmed. Frontier Corps spokesman told that FC convoy was on routine patrolling when armed men ambushed them in dokob area of Mand district. The FC personnel repulsed the attack and shot killed ten miscreants while several others suffered injuries. Two militant commanders were among the dead, spokesman claimed.

#5: At least 16 Taliban militants were killed or injured following military operations in central Maidan Wardak province of Afghanistan, local government officials said. Provincail government media office following a statement confirmed 16 militants were killed in separate incidents across Maidan Wardak province during the past 48 hours, and 10 others were arrested.


US/DoD: Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis

War News for Friday, August 30, 2013

Reported security incidents
#1: Officials in Afghanistan's northern province of Kunduz say a district governor has been killed in a suicide bombing attack. Dashi Archi district Governor Sheik Sadruddin Sadee died when the bomber detonated his explosives at a mosque on August 30. The local police chief's spokesman told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that the attack killed six other people and injured 12. Reports say the bombing occurred as mourners were attending a funeral ceremony for a tribal elder.

#2: 57 militants were killed in operations launched by the Afghan police, army and the NATO-led coalition forces since Thursday, the country's Interior Ministry said on Friday. "During joint cleanup operations conducted by Afghan police, army and the coalition troops, 57 Taliban insurgents were killed, 10 wounded and four detained over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement. The raids took place in Baghlan, Kunduz Nangarhar, Kapisa, Sari Pul, Jawzjan, Kandahar and Helmand provinces to clear the areas from militants, the statement said.


US/DoD: 1st Lt. Jason Togi

US/DoD: Sgt. 1st Class Ricardo D. Young

War News for Thursday, August 29, 2013

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in western Afghanistan on Wednesday, August 28th.

 

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in esatern Afghanistan on Wednesday, August 28th. (see #1 below)

Flattened Afghan village reflects on US bombardment


Reported security incidents
#1: Seven people were killed in an attack claimed by the Taliban on a base operated by Polish and Afghan forces in eastern Afghanistan. Ghanzi province's deputy governor said the attackers detonated an explosive-laden truck at the rear of the base and a car bomb at the main gate, before a six hour gunbattle inside involving up to 10 of the 15 assailants. Four policemen and three civilians were killed, and 10 Polish soldiers and 52 Afghan security force members and civilians had been wounded by the time the fighting ended around 10 p.m., Ahmadullah Ahmadi said.

The ambush raised the death toll from Taliban strikes on Wednesday to more than 30, including a US soldier, four policemen and three civilians who died when insurgents tried to storm a NATO-Afghan base in the eastern city of Ghazni. In Wednesday's attack in Ghazni, about ten insurgents attacked a base that houses the provincial reconstruction team, one of the units that deploys foreign military and civilian staff to help development projects. After a suicide bomb was detonated at the entrance, some insurgents managed to enter the base before being shot. Ten Polish soldiers were wounded.

#2: Taliban insurgents have killed 15 police on a key highway in western Afghanistan, officials said Thursday, the latest in a growing number of rebel attacks as NATO-led troops withdraw. "Highway One" is Afghanistan's main national road, connecting the cities of Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif. "A convoy of police who went to inspect a highway patrol unit were caught in a Taliban ambush on Wednesday," Farah province spokesman Abdul Rahman Zhuwandi told AFP. "There was fighting between them in which 15 national police were killed and 10 wounded, while several Taliban were also killed."

#3: A 24-year-old Navy SEAL from Billings is recuperating at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., after being critically wounded in Afghanistan by a makeshift bomb.

#4: Three US-led soldiers have been wounded in a bomb attack that hit a tank in Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar. Afghan security sources said the attack was carried out in Daman District overnight. Local officials say the tank hit a roadside bomb.

War News for Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Reported security incidents
#1: A provincial spokesman says four Afghan civilians have been killed and 15 wounded in a suicide car bomb attack targeting a coalition convoy in southern Afghanistan. Spokesman Omer Zwak of southern Helmand province says the attack happened in the provincial capital city of Laskar-Gah.

#2: At least 36 Taliban gunmen were killed and eleven others arrested by Afghanistan's Security Forces and International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) in the past twenty-four hours in various provinces in Afghanistan. The Afghani Ministry of Interior, in a statement issued today, stated that its forces and the ISAF carried out numerous joint (clean-up) operations in Baghlan, Maidan Wardak, Nangarhar, Qandahar, Helmand and Logar provinces in the past twenty-four hours, killing thirty-six , wounding ten and arresting eleven armed Taliban militants.

#3: Meanwhile Afghan militants have torched 40 vehicles including oil tankers and transport vehicles,and killed six drivers in Balaboluk District of Farah Province. The spokesman for governor of Farah Province, Abdorraman Zhwandi, said that a rocket fired from an unknown direction landed among oil tankers and other transport vehicles in the Farah-e Rod area in Balaboluk District late Tuesday and one tanker caught fire as a result. The fire spread to other vehicles quickly and 40 big transport vehicles and transport vehicles were burnt. Six drivers were killed and 10 others injured as a result," Zhwandi told the Afghan Islamic Press.

#4: The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants on Tuesday attacked security forces in South Waziristan, killing two personnel and injuring nine, a security official told The Express Tribune. The militants launched an offensive on the forces’ compound near Sararugh Bazaar at about 1am. In retaliation The security forces killed four militants, including three suicide bombers. However, the fourth bomber blew himself up. The fight lasted four hours. The militants used suicide bombers and light and heavy weapons, another security official said.

#5: A coalition press office said in a statement Wednesday that, four militants were killed and three others detained in Kabul. The incident took place in Sarubi district of the province, where the statement said the operation targeted the insurgent network in Uzbeen valley, specifically the Qali Kalan, Siri Kala, and Walud Ozbin villages in order to preserve security around the Afghan National Army Outpost Rocco.

#6: In a related development which happened in Taliban's birthplace of the neighboring Kandahar province, a man in uniform opened fire on the Public Protection Police Force (PPPF) and injured 15 personnel on Wednesday, a local official Atash said. "A man dressed in the uniform of the PPPF entered the compound of the body in Daman district at around 09:00 a.m. local time today and opened indiscriminate fire injuring 15 persons," Atash told Xinhua.
 #7: Officials in the ministry of mines of Afghanistan on Wednesday confirmed that militants launched a rocket attack on the ministry compound late Tuesday night. A spokesman for the ministry of mines of Afghanistan, Mohammad Rafi Sediqi said the rocket hit the working office of the mines minister, Wahidullah Shahrani, injuring one person.

War News for Tuesday, August 27, 2013

NATO is reporting the death of another ISAF soldier from a roadside bombing in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Monday, August 26th.

Top Ingushetia security official killed in attack: reports


Reported security incidents
#1: The Afghan Taliban executed six men who worked for a government programme in western Herat. The men were shot in the head late on Monday, despite efforts by governor Fazlullah Wahidi to convince the Taliban the men did not work for him. The Afghan men worked for a World Bank-funded programme created by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development that aims to improve project management before the pullout of most foreign troops from the country next year.

#2: According to sources, militants stormed the security forces positions with heavy weapons in tehsil Sararogha of South Waziristan Agency (SWA).The security forces killed at least four terrorists in their prompt retaliation, forcing the attackers to flee. The security forces took in custody three bodies of the terrorists. One of the terrorists blew him up killing a security man and injuring two others. The security sources claimed that two suicide bombers were among the miscreants killed in the clash.

#3: Ten militants were killed Tuesday morning as they launched attack on Afghan border police checkpoints in Bala Murghab district of the western province of Badghis, a provincial source said, adding the clash is still continuing there. "Militants numbered several hundred raided the Afghan Border Police (ABP) checkpoints in areas near the border with Turkmenistan early Tuesday morning. The clash is going on up to now later Tuesday," the provincial governor Ahmadullah Ahmadzai told Xinhua.

#4: Afghan National Police (ANP) have eliminated 27 militants and injured 11 others during separate cleanup operations since Monday morning, the country's Interior Ministry said Tuesday. "The ANP carried out several cleanup operations in close cooperation with army, National Security Directorate (NDS) and coalition forces in Kunduz, Kapisa, Balkh, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Wardak provinces. As a result 27 armed Taliban were killed and 11 others were wounded," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates.
 

War News for Monday, August 26, 2013

Reported security incidents
#1: Two Afghan army soldier and five militants were killed Monday morning when Taliban raided an Afghan army base in Tagab district of the eastern province of Kapisa, an official said. "The Taliban militants numbered around 15 tried to enter the army base in Orsak area of Tagab district at around 6:30 a.m. local time. They attempted to take control of the compound. They failed to enter pass the first gate as the army soldiers responded to the attack, killing five militants," the provincial government spokesman Fiaz Qadiri told Xinhua. He said two Afghan army soldiers were also killed in the incident, adding the gunfight also injured 10 militants. The injured militants were captured by the troops, he added. The militants also detonated a car bomb near the gate of the facility.

#2: Armed militants have torched two NATO oil tankers that were carrying fuel for US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan. The tankers came under attack in Khuzdar district of Balochistan when militants opened fire on the tankers in order to stop them. No one was injured in the attack. The drivers escaped the attack and managed to flee from the tankers.

#3: Twelve militants were killed and 16 others arrested as Afghan army and police launched several cleanup operations within a 24-hour period, the country's Interior Ministry said Monday morning. "The Afghan National Police (ANP) conducted several clearance operations with the cooperation of Afghan National Army, NDS ( National Directorate of Security) or intelligence service to clean some of the areas from terrorists and enemies of peace and stability in Baghlan, Kapisa, Kunduz, Jowzjan, Uruzgan, Wardak, Logar, Farah and Helmand provinces. Up to 12 armed Taliban were killed, two wounded and 16 others were arrested over the last 24 hours during the above raids," the ministry said in a statement.

#4: According to Afghan defense officials, at last 5 Afghan national army soldiers were killed and 13 others were injured during military operations across the country. The Ministry of Defense following a statement said the Afghan national army soldiers were killed or injured in militants direct attack and roadside bomb blasts. The statement further added, three Afghan national army soldiers were killed in Dehrawood district of southern Uruzgan province, one soldier was killed in Maiwand district of southern Kandahar province, and another soldier lost his life in Marjah district of southern Helmand province. The defense ministry also added that 13 soldiers were injured during military operations across the country during the past 24 hours, while eight militants were also killed during the operations. According to ministry of defense, six militants were killed during military operation in eastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan, during a military operation conducted by Afghan security forces to clear the area from militants activities.

 

US/DoD: Spc. Kenneth Clifford Alvarez

US/DoD: Pvt. Jonathon Michael Dean Hostetter

POL/DM: chorąży Mirosław Łucki

News of the Day for Sunday, August 25, 2013

An explosion near the home of a schoolteacher in Sangin, Helmand province, kills two of his children. The teacher had previously been threatened by Taliban but had continued working.

Afghan forces arrest a Taliban "sub-commander" in Nangarhar, following a battle in which two insurgents are killed. (This article has a very triumphalist tone, but it is not clear how important this individual really is. Nevertheless is it clear that there are now substantial effective Afghan government forces. The problem remains their lack of independent logistics capacity.)

Four civilians, three of them women, are killed when their vehicle is ambushed in Baghlan province. The report does not  suggest a motive for the attack.

A district chief in Orgun province is injured in a car crash attributed to excessive speed, and his driver is killed. I post this because Wakht indicates that military drivers habitually drive recklessly. Or, as they put it in their inimitable English, "Speed beyond limit was one the dangerous cases more popular among the military drivers than those of ordinary people countrywide."


Wakht also reports on several clashes in Maidan Wardak with Pakistani nationals.

Karzai, to the dismay of the U.S., is in no hurry to sign a security agreement governing the U.S. presence post 2014. In fact, he indicates he may wait until after the presidential election, which means he would either sign an agreement as a lame duck or leave office without one. (Remember that the U.S. did not secure such an agreement with Iraq and ended up withdrawing entirely. That might be fine with many Americans, but it is not what the government wanted for Iraq, or Afghanistan. - C)

This is a weird story which I don't know what to make of. Karzai tells the Ulema that Taliban representatives have contacted the government, saying “Taliban leaders recently have said that they are completely without authority, and we are unaware of the killings and explosions in Afghanistan, which are claimed under the Taliban group’s name.” Not surprisingly, the Taliban themselves say otherwise. [G]roup spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid in a statement said that Taliban did not have any secret contact with the Afghan government, and the remarks by Karzai is due to his ignorance and lack of logic. . . . Taliban militants are instantly claiming responsibility behind any attack which are carried out by them, and they inform the media agencies regarding the details of the attacks." 

 Karzai will visit Pakistan on Monday for his first talks with new PM Nawaz Sharif. (That's assuming Karzai can find all his marbles. -- C)

War News for Saturday, August 24, 2013

NATO is reporting the deaths of two ISAF soldiers from a roadside bombing attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, August 23rd.

 

NATO is reporting the death of another ISAF soldier from an IED blast in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, August 24th. News reports a blast killed one Polish soldier and wounded two others.

 

Polish soldier killed in action in Afghanistan

Afghan massacre soldier Robert Bales gets life sentence


Reported security incidents
#1: Twenty militants were killed, five wounded and nine others arrested during operations in several Afghan provinces since Friday morning, said the Afghan Interior Ministry earlier on Saturday. "Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) conducted several cleanup operations with the cooperation of Coalition Forces in Laghman, Baghlan, Kunduz, Kandahar, Zabul, Herat, Badghis and Helmand provinces over the last 24 hours. As a result 20 armed Taliban were killed, five wounded and nine others were arrested by the ANSF," the ministry said in a statement.
 

War News for Friday, August 23, 2013

Africa and Pakistan Face Polio Outbreaks, in Blow to Global Fight


Reported security incidents
#1: A remote controlled blast occurred at Kohat Road in Peshawar when the convoy of security forces was passing through the Bazid Khel area Friday, Local tv reported. According to police, the security personnel were on their way when a bomb fixed in the motorcycle went off near the convoy at Kohat Road, causing a huge blast. As a result, one of the vehicles was partially damaged due to the impact, however, no casualty or injury was reported.

#2: A Pakistan Army soldier and a civilian were killed and over a dozen others, mostly army troops, were wounded in a bomb blast targeting a military truck in Karachi late Thursday. The blast took place around 10:00pm at Korangi No. 5 outside the Rangers Headquarters Wing 84 when a truck carrying Pakistan Army troops cruised past, police said. Two persons were killed and 18 others, including 11 army troops, were injured.

#3: At least 15 Taliban militants were killed and dozens others were injured following joint military opertions by AFghan national army and Afghan Local Police (ALP) forces in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan. According to local government officials, the operations were launched by Afghan army and Afghan Local Police (ALP) to clear the ara from militants activities. A spokesman for the provincial security department, Shamim Ahmad Noorzai said the operations were launched in Nad-e-Ali, Nawa and Marjah districts. Mr. Noori further added that Taliban militants suffered heavy casualties during the operations, but Afghan security forces did not suffer any casualties.

War News for Thursday, August 22, 2013

NATO exports shoot up as ISAF exits Afghanistan


Reported security incidents
#1: A senior Taliban commander and three bodyguards have been killed by a roadside bomb in a remote region of northwestern Pakistan. Hafizullah Wazir, a journalist in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal district, told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on August 22 that the bomb hit a vehicle carrying commander Ghulam Jan late on the previous day. Wazir said the incident happened in Mana, a village near Pakistan's western border with Afghanistan.

#2: The son of an Afghan police official was killed and three policemen injured Wednesday night in a suicide bombing in Laghkar Gah, the provincial capital of southern province of Helmand, the authorities said Thursday morning. "A militant detonated his explosive jacket at the gate of resident of Abdul Satar Noorzai, commander of 1st Battalion of the Afghan National Police (ANP), in Lashkar Gah at round 9:00 p.m. local time Wednesday, killing his teenage son and injuring three ANP cops," the provincial government spokesman Omar Zwak told Xinhua.

#3: At least 15 Taliban militants were killed and dozens others were injured following joint military opertions by AFghan national army and Afghan Local Police (ALP) forces in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan. According to local government officials, the operations were launched by Afghan army and Afghan Local Police (ALP) to clear the ara from militants activities. A spokesman for the provincial security department, Shamim Ahmad Noorzai said the operations were launched in Nad-e-Ali, Nawa and Marjah districts. Mr. Noori further added that Taliban militants suffered heavy casualties during the operations, but Afghan security forces did not suffer any casualties.

#4: National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief for Farah province survived a roadside bomb blast on Thursday morning. According to local government officials, the incident took place after a motorcycle packed with heavy explosives went off near the convoy of Gen. Abdul Samada, NDS chief of Farah province. Abdul Rahman Zhwandai, spokesman for Farah governor confirming the report said at least 16 people were killed or injured following the blast.

 

US/DoD: Master Sgt. George A. Bannar Jr.

 

War News for Wednesday, August 21, 2013

The US DoD is reporting the death of a soldier previously unreported by the military. 1st Lt. Timothy G. Santos Jr. died from a non-combat related illness in Fort Bliss, Texas on Sunday, August 18th. He was originally diagnosed on March 24, in Kuwait City, Kuwait. and was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Nearly 1 Million Pakistanis Affected By Floods


Reported security incidents
#1: Two policemen were killed and two others wounded Wednesday in roadside bombing in eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, said a provincial government spokesman. “One Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated by a remote control device at round 10:00 a.m. local time along Nangarhar-Kunar highway. The blast took place when an Afghan Local Police (ALP) vehicle was running at the area. As a result two ALP cops were killed and two more wounded,” spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai told Xinhua.

#2: A suicide bomber killed three people, including a policeman, when he targeted a security vehicle in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, an Afghan official said. Logar province spokesman Din Mohammad Darwesh said the attack took place in the provincial capital of Puli Alam. Another eight people were wounded, he added.

#3: A bomb blast at a railway station Wednesday killed at least two people in Balochistan, police and hospital sources said. The blast at Chaman, main city in Balochistan province, occurred when passengers were to board a train, witnesses said. The blast also injured 10 more people.

#4: A polio team was attacked in Gulshan-e-Maymar area of the city, Local tv reports on Wednesday. According to SSP Malir Ahmed Jamali, some motorcyclists came and opened fire on the polio team but fortunately no causality was reported.


#5: Three persons including two security men were injured in a blast that occurred in Mastung area of Quetta Wednesday, Local tv reported. According to police, an improvised explosive device (IED) went off with a blast near the vehicle of motorway police in Khad Kocha area of Mastung, leaving two security personnel and a passer-by injured.
#6: Thirty-five Taliban militants were killed and 11 others injured during cleanup operations since Tuesday morning, said the Afghan Interior Ministry Wednesday. The Afghan National Police (ANP) in cooperation with army, Afghan intelligence service and the coalition forces conducted several cleanup operations in Kunar, Laghman, Baghlan, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Wardak, Logar and Ghazni provinces over the last 24 hours. As a result 35 armed Taliban were killed, 11 wounded and nine others were arrested," the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates.

#7: According to reports, unknown gunmen have kidnapped two foreing aid workers in central Bamyan province of Afghanistan on Tuesday. The foreigners were reportedly working for Aga Khan Development Network, and were abducted while they were on their way from capital Kabul to Bamiyan province.

 US/DoD: 1st Lt. Timothy G. Santos Jr.

War News for Tuseday, August 20, 2013

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from a direct fire attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, August 20th.

After almost fourteen years the UK DoD re-release the names of fourteen people killed in the September 2nd Nimrod crash.

 

MARSOC sergeant killed in Afghanistan ATV accident, investigation says

 

In Afghanistan, redeployed U.S. soldiers still coping with PTSD

Reported security incidents
#1: Up to 11 militants were killed, 11 injured and 37 others detained in cleanup operations in different Afghan provinces within the past 24 hours, said the country’s Interior Ministry Tuesday morning. “Over the last 24 hours, Afghan National Police (ANP) in collaboration with the army and NATO-led coalition forces conducted several clearance operations in Nangarhar, Kunduz, Balkh, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Ghazni provinces. As a result 11 armed Taliban were killed, 11 wounded and 37 others were arrested,” the ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates.

Clash between militants and Afghan security forces left 18 Taliban fighters and two police dead in Zana Khan district of Ghazni province on Tuesday, a local official said.

#2: update A dozen police and 70 Taliban are dead after insurgents attacked a convoy in the western Afghan province of Farah, the security forces said Monday. Twenty-two other officers were wounded and five vehicles destroyed in Sunday's assault, a police chief in neighbouring Herat province, Abdul Hamid, told Afghan news agency AIP on Monday.

#3: A Taliban planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) killed a 70-year-old man in Panjwai district of southern Kandahar province early Tuesday morning, an official said.

War News for Monday, August 19, 2013

Reported security incidents
#1: Three persons including two policemen and a passerby were killed when unknown gunmen opened fire in Swabi area, Geo News reported Monday. According to sources, police personnel signaled a suspicious car to stop at a checkpoint in Kala Pul area of Swabi. Instead of stopping the car at the check post, the culprits opened fire on the police team that killed two cops and a passerby on the spot. Two policemen were also injured in the incident.

#2: Seventy-two militants and 11 policemen have been killed in a clash in western Afghan province of Farah, said a police source Monday.

News of the Day for Sunday, August 18, 2013

Several employees of the Ministry of Mines are kidnapped in Baghlan province, while on the road to Bamiyan. The exact number of abductees has not been reported. The Hezb-e-Islami party of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, we well as Taliban, are active in the area.

The Ministry of Defense announces deaths of 7 soldiers and 4 police in various incidents. Two soldiers were killed in Zherai district of southern Kandahar province, three soldiers in Mohammad Agha district of Logar province, and two in Zurmat district of Paktiya province, all by roadside bombs. Two more were injured by a blast in Zherai district of southern Kandahar province. At least two police officers were killed and three others were injured after their vehicle struck with a roadside bomb in Jaghato district on Sunday morning. In a separate incident on Saturday evening, at least two police officers along with three militants killed in Zankhan district.

Eleven U.S. military personnel and 7 civilian employees are disciplined for placing ads on commercial web sites seeking sex, while deployed in Afghanistan. (Of course, the very idea of soldiers and sailors patronizing prostitutes is shocking, just shocking. Thank God it hardly ever happens.)

Twelve alleged Taliban, including a judge, are arrested in Kandahar province. Wakht news agency always has wonderful English translations, starting with their slogan, "Makes the Deference." Here's an excerpt from the article:

Spokesman for the provincial governor, Jaweed Faisal said in a statement that the security forces moved in, to clear some areas of the militants planted mines in Panjwayee district, where the horticultures’ owners complained about the growing mine plantation in their horticulture.

Local officials in Baghlan decry "Illegal Armed Groups."  These are not insurgents but rather private militias, often enjoying support of local elites. Excerpt:

"The former governor, police chief and other security officials knew that the armed men are active in the province, but they did not pursue them or seize their weapons, which is now a big issue for us. We will try to find and collect the illegal weapons," said Sultan Mohammad Ebadi, the current governor of Baghlan. . . .

He was reassured by the efforts he knows the Afghan security forces are making to combat insurgency in the province. But it seems the IAGs are another issue entirely, rearing up like a new Hydra head across the country, one that has yet to really be addressed by the insurgency-focused government and security forces.

War News for Saturday, August 17, 2013

Reported security incidents
#1: Nine building contractors and a policeman have been killed by insurgents in an attack on a camp in western Afghanistan, officials say. The contractors were working on a foreign-funded road building project in Herat province.The contractors were working on a foreign-funded road building project in Herat province. Police say Taliban militants armed with rocket propelled guns and automatic weapons attacked the camp.

#2: A separate assault saw five people, including women and children, killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand province. Five members of the same family were killed in the Marjah district of southern Helmand province when their van struck a roadside bomb, according to the Associated Press news agency.

 #3: as a result of suicide explosion 18 people including Afghan and NATO soldiers injured in Kandahar city on Friday. The incident occurred in a gathering of Afghan and ANTO forces in Dorahi –e- Arghesistan on Kandahar airport road. It has been said the Afghan and NATO soldiers were fixing a vehicle of NATO forces in the area. Jawid Faisal, spokesperson of the governor of Kandahar confirmed the incident. According to a national army soldier who was present in the area
8 NATO’s and 6 Afghan soldiers along with 4 civilians were wounded in this attack.

#4: An IED was defused near the residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pevaiz Khattak in the Hayatabad area of the city on Saturday. The IED was thrown outside a mosque in Hayatabad Phase 2 by men riding motorcycles. According to AIG Bomb Disposal Unit Shafqat Malik, the IED contained one kilogram of explosive material and was placed in a food canister.

#5: Afghan police in coordination with the national army and the NATO-led troops have killed 36 armed Taliban militants across the country over the past 24 hours, Interior Ministry said in a statement released here on Saturday. During the operations which had been carried out in Nangarhar, Baghlan, Zabul, Logar and Paktia provinces, five more militants sustained injuries and four others made captive.

#6: A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a private health clinic in Balablock district of Farah province with Farah city as its capital 695 km west of Kabul, leaving four people dead including the attacker and three others injured on Saturday, police said. In the meantime, Abdul Rahman Zhawandon, the spokesman for the provincial government, in talks with Xinhua confirmed the incident, saying "a man strapped explosive device on his body blew it up inside the private health clinic of an influential figure Zabith Jalil killing three of his bodyguards and injuring four others including Jalil."

War News for Friday, August 16, 2013

Laurel soldier injured in Afghanistan, 3 killed


Reported security incidents
#1: At least three passengers were killed and 23 others injured in a rocket and armed attack on a Rawalpindi bound train in Bolan district on Friday. Sources said that a rocket was fired at the Jaffar Express while it was passing through the mountainous region near Kolpur in Bolan district. He said that unknown armed men opened fire on the train following the rocket attack.

#2: Police encounter in Gulshan-e-Iqbal's Safari Park between police and criminals has left three policemen, including a DSP dead. The Wednesday midnight encounter which also left 3 criminals killed, began when beater of Gulistan Johar Thana, Waseem approached criminals of adjoining Madad Goth for demanding extortion money, which was more than the agreed amount.

#3: Two dozen militants have been killed and 10 others injured in different parts of Afghanistan, authorities said Friday.

#4: Five Afghan soldiers and three civilians were wounded Friday morning in suicide bombing in southern Afghan province of Kandahar, said a provincial source.

#5: A heavy explosion rocked capital Kabul on Friday afternoon. The incident took place in a densely populated area of Kabul city, however, no one was killed or injured following the blast. According to reports the incident took place in Cinema Pamir area of Kabul city after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives. In the meantime deputy security chief for Kabul city, Gen. Daud Amin said that the explosion took place after a magnetic bomb planted in a vehicle went off.

War News for Thursday, August 15, 2013

At least 33 killed in series of Baghdad bombings - police


Reported security incidents
#1: According to police sources, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Qasim Ghauri and two assistant sub-inspectors were martyred when an encounter took place in Gulshan-e-Iqbal area near Safari Park. Two other policemen were also injured during the action.

#2: A French soldier was found dead earlier this month at the airport of Kabul in Afghanistan, bringing the total fatalities in the restless country to 89 since 2001, according to local media report. Citing a military source, French daily Le Figaro said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the serviceman's death which was neither "the result of an attack nor a death during a fighting." The French soldier was found dead on Aug. 5 but the Defense Ministry declined to announce it in order not to disrupt the inquiry, according to the source.

#3: One Taliban commander was killed and seven others including five Taliban fighters and two policemen sustained injuries as clash erupted in Germ district of Badakhshan province 315 km northeast of Kabul on Thursday, a police official Sayed Jahangir Karamat said. The clash, according to the official, occurred early morning in Pul-e-Maghal area of Germ district when a group of Taliban militants attacked a police checkpoint and police returned fire killing Taliban commander Mullah Gulbudin and injuring five others. Two policemen were also injured in the firefight that lasted for a while.

#4: At least 16 people were killed or injured following an explosion in north-eastern Takhar province of Afghanistan on Wednesday afternoon. According to local government officials, the incident took place in Khwajah Bahauddin district and targeted a convoy of the Afghan national police vehicles.

War News for Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Heavy rain in Lahore: 8 killed, 6 injured


Reported security incidents
#1: An unknown gang has kidnapped a female Afghan member of parliament, officials said Wednesday, in the latest example of prominent women being targeted in the country. Fariba Ahmadi Kakar and her three children were taken at gunpoint on Saturday in the central province of Ghazni on the main highway from Kandahar city to Kabul.

#2: At least three anti-government fighters were killed and six others wounded during a police clearance operation in Ghorak district of southern Kandahar province, an office said Wednesday.

#3: One policeman was killed and a dozen people were wounded Wednesday when a bomb went off in northern Afghan province of Takhar, a provincial government spokesman said. "The militants planted a bomb inside a restaurant in Khowaja Bahawoddin district. It was detonated at around midday. As a result one Afghan Local Police (ALP) cop was killed and 12 people were injured," spokesman Sayed Suleiman Muradi told Xinhua.

#4: Two bodyguards of a lawmaker were killed and three others wounded when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated in northern Baghlan province, 160 km north of Kabul, early Wednesday morning, a provincial police spokesman said. "The convoy of the Lower House of parliament Ahmad Shah Ramadan was running along the main road towards Kabul. An IED was detonated in Doshi area, killing two bodyguards and injuring three others," spokesman Jawid Basharat told Xinhua. However, Ramadan, the representative of northern Balkh province, was not in the motorcade as he was traveling by plane, he noted.

#5: On Tuesday night, one policeman and a civilian were killed and two people were wounded when a sedan touched off an IED in Almar district of northern Faryab province, 425 km northwest of Kabul, a provincial official told Xinhua anonymously.

War News for Tuesday, August 12, 2013

Al-Qaeda expands in Syria via Islamic State


Reported security incidents
#1: A bomb blast killed a public representative and injured his three friends as they visited a cemetery in the southern city of Kandahar, police said on Tuesday.

#2: Police have found eight bodies in Ghanzi province some 120 km south of Kabul, a local official said Tuesday. Our police found eight bodies from Muqar district Monday night, and all the victims apparently are civilians," deputy to provincial governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi told Xinhua.

#3: Two Taliban militants were killed and two others injured as clash flared up in Ghormach district, Faryab province Monday night, a local official said Tuesday. The clash, according to Mohammad Reza, occurred when Taliban militants opened fire on a police patrol and police returned fire killing two militants on the spot and injuring two others. There were no casualties on police, he added. #4: Fourteen militants have been killed in separate cleanup operations across Afghanistan over the last 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said Tuesday morning. "In past 24 hours, Afghan National Police (ANP) conducted several cleanup operations with the support of army, NDS or intelligence service and Coalition Forces in Ghazni, Kandahar, Kunduz and Balkh provinces, as a result 14 armed Taliban were killed, three wounded and two others were arrested," the ministry said in a statement.


US/DoD: Staff Sgt. Octavio Herrera

US/DoD: Sgt. Jamar A. Hicks

US/DoD: Spc. Keith E. Grace Jr.

War News for Monday, August 12, 2013

NATO is reporting the deaths of three ISAF soldiers from an insurgent attack in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, August 11th.

Defence announces end to combat duties in Afghanistan

Cholera outbreak infects over 1400 people in Badakhshan province


Reported security incidents
#1: At least four armed men were killed Monday in a search operation carried out by Frontier Corps (FC) personnel in Balochistan’s Bolan district. During the raid, an exchange of fire took place between militants and security personnel. Subsequently, four miscreants were killed, according to FC sources.

#2: The bomb planted near Carkhano market of Hayatabad has been defused on Monday here, Local tv reported.

#3: A roadside bomb struck a car in Charchino district of Uruzgan province 370 km south of Kabul on Sunday, killing three people and injuring two others, provincial police spokesman Farid Ayel said. "A mine planted by militants struck a civilian car at around 01: 00 p.m. local time today, killing two children and their father and injuring two others," Ayel told Xinhua.

#4: One police constable was killed and two others sustained injuries as police and Taliban militants came in contact in Baghlan Province, 160 km north of Kabul Sunday night, police said Monday. "The clash occurred in Baghlan-e-Markazi District late Sunday night when the Taliban rebels opened fire on police patrol, killing a constable and injuring two others," Sayed Mir, police chief of Baghlan-e-Markazi told Xinhua.

#5: At least 11 people were killed or injured following a string of explosions in southern Uruzgan province of Afghanistan.

News of the Day for Sunday, August 11, 2013

Update:  NATO says three troops killed in eastern Afghanistan, no further information as of now from NATO, but al Jazeera reports the casualties are American, and that the incident was an attack in Paktia.

Also, a female MP is abducted in Ghazni.



The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan accuses an Afghan contractor of defrauding the U.S. military of $77 million. There is of course, another side of this as well. According to IG John Sopko, Hikmatullah Shadman obtained contracts through rigged bids, bribery and kickbacks, in other words he presumably had co-conspirators in the U.S. military or DoD. SIGAR has not so far named any, however.

Update on three Chinese nationals are killed in a Kabul hotel room. Reports are somewhat confusing. This one says that a fourth Chinese man was abducted and escaped, and that a fifth is missing. Whether they were abducted from the same hotel room is unclear. The men are said to be independent small businessmen. Khamma news now reports that they may have been involved in prostitution. 

A provincial security official is injured by a roadside bomb in Paktiya province. His injuries appear to be serious. He has been transferred to Kabul military hospital.

Flooding problems continue, with 22 people now killed in flash floods outside of Kabul. There may be additional victims.

Fars news (which is not always reliable but appears solid here) reports that the son of female MP from Ghazni Bakht Bibi is kidnapped, and her son-in-law killed, when Taliban attack their convoy on the Kabul-Kandahar highway. Six of the attackers and two bystanders are said to have died in a firefight with their guards.

Governor of Baghdis province claims Pakistani and Uzbek infiltrators have caused a sudden increase in insurgent activity. "The insurgents have reportedly extorted local residents of Bala Murghab and forced young boys to join their ranks or face death." However, the local military commander says everything is under control.

What the heckis Wushu?

War News for Saturday, August 10, 2013

100 teachers and education officials killed in Afghanistan: MOE


Reported security incidents
#1: Three Chinese citizens were killed and another two remained missing Thursday in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, said Chinese Embassy here Friday. The fatal crime occurred in an apartment building in Kabul and was believed to target on Chinese citizens, the embassy said in a statement.

#2: At least two armed men were killed in retaliatory fire by Frontier Corps (FC) after the militants attacked the checkpost in district Mastung. According to FC spokesman, the two attackers were killed in retaliatory fire by the FC when armed men attacked the checkpost in Ispalangi areas.

#3: At least six militants have been killed in an exchange of firing during search operation by Balochistan Levies and security forces in Machh area of Bolan district.

#4: At least five members of a family were killed following a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in western Farah province of Afghanistan. A spokesman for the provincial security commandment, Ahmad Fawad Askari confirming the report said the incident took place after a corolla vehicle struck with the roadside bomb.

War News for Friday, August 09, 2013

Most of Lahore US consulate staff pulled out over terror threat


Reported security incidents
#1: update Nearly half the top police commanders in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province were killed Thursday when insurgents shot and killed a police inspector, then bombed his funeral hours later, where most of the province’s police commanders had gathered. At least 30 people were reported dead and 40 wounded.

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2013/08/08/4651303/pakistani-police-commanders-killed.html#storylink=cpy

#2: Two persons were killed and another injured when a car collided with a landmine in Shakh area of Upper Kurram here on Friday, sources said. According to details, an explosion occurs when a car collided with a land mine in Shakh area.

 #3: Gunmen killed nine people and wounded 10 others when they opened fire outside a mosque on Friday morning in the outskirts here, police said. Brohi said a former provincial minister with the Pakistan Peoples Party, which headed the last national coalition government, Ali Madad Jatak, was also in the mosque and may been the target. "But we are not sure at the moment and are investigating, " he said, adding that Jatak escaped unhurt although bullets hit his car.

#4: Afghan defense ministry officials on Friday said around 200 militants mostly foreigners were killed during the operations in eastern Logar province of Afghanistan. Defense ministry spokesman, Gen. Zahir Azimi said that the main operations in Azra district have ended, and Afghan national army is currently conducting search operation.

War News for Thursday, August 08, 2013

The US/DoD is reporting the death of Spc. Nickolas S. Welch who died at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on Tuesday, July 6th. He was wounded from a roadside bombing in Soltan Kheyl, Wardak Province, Afghanistan on Tuesday, July 23rd.

Budget cuts spell end of fire-ravaged nuclear sub -- Casey James Fury simply didn't want to be at work. Fury admitted to setting fire to the USS Miami, a nuclear sub, in May 2012 while it was in dry dock.


Reported security incidents
#1: An explosion has killed at least 10 women in a graveyard in eastern Afghanistan as the country celebrated the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan, officials say. Police were unable to confirm the cause of the explosion in the Ghani Khel district of the province of Nangarhar.

#2: The Taliban ambushed a convoy of a female Afghan senator on Wednesday, seriously wounding her in the attack and killing her 8-year-old daughter and a bodyguard, officials said. Senator Rouh Gul Khirzad's husband, son and another daughter were also wounded in the attack in the Muqur district of Gazni province, according to Deputy Governor Mohammad Ali Ahmadi. Ahmadi said the ambush took place on the main highway from Kabul to the southern city of Kandahar.

#3: DIG Operations Quetta Fayyaz Ahmed Sumbal and 28 other policemen were killed while 42 others injured in a powerful blast in Quetta on Thursday, Local TV reported. The blast occurred in a lawn of the mosque where preparations were being made for the funeral prayer of Station House Officer (SHO) City Mohibullah, who was shot dead on Thursday morning. Sources said higher police officials were also attending the funeral prayer.

#4: Three civilians, including two children, were killed and nine others wounded in two back-to-back explosions in eastern Afghan province of Wardak, the provincial government said in a statement. "The enemies of Afghanistan initiated a roadside bombing in Tatro area of Nirkh district at around 7:00 p.m. local time. Several people gathered following the blast. But another explosion went off causing the casualties," the statement said.

#5: Several people including Afghan civilians and security forces were injured following an explosion in eastern Ghazni province of Afghanistan on Wednesday evening. Deputy provincial governor Mohammad Ali confirming the report said at least 13 people were injured following the explosion. Mr. Ahamdi further added that the explosion took place in Ghazni city roundabout. He said Afghan police and children were among those injured. #6: A heavy explosion rocked southern Helmand province of Afghanistan on Wednesday evening. According to reports the incident took place after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near the Helmand Radio Television located in Malalai Park while the convoy of provincial security chief was crossing the area. Provincial governor spokesman Omar Zwak said at least four security guards of the security chief Gen. Mohammad Hakim Andar were injured, and the health condition of one of them is critical.

#7: He said the incident took place after a suicide bomber rammed a vehicle laden with explosives into the convoy of Gen. Mohammad Hakim Andar. According to Mr. Zwak at least two civilians were also injured following the explosion.


DoD: Spc. Nickolas S. Welch

War News for Wednesday, August 07, 2013

US declares Pak tribal Bahawal Khan as 'global terrorist'

More rain forecast for upper KP: Met Office

Bomb targeting MPA kills 7, injures 27

Obama administration authorized series of recent drone strikes in Yemen


Reported security incidents
#1: Three persons including two children were killed in an explosion at Goth Pervaiz Domki near Jahan Bukhshpur on Wednesday here, Local TV reported. Police said that an explosion took place at Goth Pervaiz Domki near Bukhshpur here resulting in the death of three persons including two children and wounded one according to initial report.

#2: Six militants had been killed and 25 others arrested as Afghan National Police (ANP) launched cleanup operations in six provinces, the country's Interior Ministry said Wednesday morning. In past 24 hours, the ANP conducted several clearance operations with the cooperation of Afghan National Army, NDS ( intelligence service) and Coalition Forces in Nangarhar, Baghlan, Badakhshan, Uruzgan, Logar and Helmand provinces. As a result six armed Taliban were killed, one wounded and 25 others were arrested, " the ministry said in a statement issued here.

#3: At least two people were killed and 15 others wounded in an explosion near shopping centre of a local market in Mastung, Geo News reported. Police have confirmed the blast, however, the nature of the blast was yet to be ascertained.

War News for Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Taliban reject Afghan elections, vow to fight until troops leave

Eid message: Mullah Omar blames US for Qatar dialogue deadlock

13 abducted passengers, security man killed

About 65,000 people affected by current floods: PDMA

Suspected US drone kills 4 in Yemen


Reported security incidents
#1: An attack on Monday at against German soldiers stationed in Afghanistan has left five injured. Terrorists reportedly used explosives and bazookas to target the group, who were near the camp in the Kunduz Province. The Bundeswehr confirmed on Monday morning that a group of soldiers were on patrol seven kilometres from the Kunduz camp when they came under attack from explosives.

#2: A bomb exploded on Tuesday at a busy square of Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, leaving one child dead and two others wounded. One witness told Pajhwok Afghan News the attack targetted a police pickup that was passing through the crowded area, called Talashi Chowk.

#3: Nine militants were killed during military operations in different Afghan provinces over the last 24 hours, the authorities said Tuesday morning. "Afghan police and army conducted several cleanup operations across the country over the last 24 hours, killing six armed Taliban, wounding three and capturing eight Taliban," the Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement providing daily operational updates. In addition, three militants were killed and four others arrested when Afghan army conducted an operation in the country's western province of Herat, a police spokesman said. "The operation was kicked off in Zakhil Ha area of Karukh district late on Monday. But two army soldiers were also killed as a result of the raid," spokesman Abdul Raouf Ahmadi told Xinhua.

War News for Monday, August 05, 2013

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier from a non-combat related injury in an undisclosed location in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, August 5th.

The polish MND is reporting the death of a Polish soldier. kapral Łukasz Sroczyński died at the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw on Saturday, August 3rd. He was wounded from a direct fire/gunshot wounds attack in Ghazni, Afghanistan on Saturday, December 22nd, 2012. Two additional soldiers were wounded in the attack.

Monsoon Floods Kill Dozens in Asia

Train blast leaves 3 people dead near Toba Tek Singh


Reported security incidents
#1: Four civilians have been killed by a bomb hidden inside a cart at a livestock market in southern Afghanistan, a provincial official said. Jawed Faisal, a spokesman for the governor, said 10 other people were injured in the blast in the city of Kandahar. It was not clear what the bomb was targeting.


Pol:MND: kapral Łukasz Sroczyński

News of the Day for Sunday, August 4, 2013

Following the suicide attack on the Indian consulate yesterday in Jalalabad, a bomb attack on a convoy carrying state prosecutor Abdul Qayum injures 16 people, including Qayum, 3 of his bodyguards, and 12 bystanders.

The National Directorate of Security says it arrested 7 members of the Haqanni network in Kabul, who were planning suicide attacks on government offices and a hotel. (As you may recall always seemed to be the case when we were aggregating such arrests in Iraq, the prisoners confessed immediately and revealed all their plans. I've always found that curious . . .  C)

A would-be suicide bomber in an Afghan police uniform is shot by police in Tarinkowt, Uruzgan before he can carry out his plan, which was apparently to attack police collecting their pay.

President Karzai is in Iran for the inauguration of new president Hassan Rouhani.

Heavy floods have killed dozens of people in eastern parts of Afghanistan. Hundreds of houses, bazaars and businesses are flooded out. Rains are forecast to continue.

There were once 20,000 U.S. Marines in Helmand. Now there ar 8,000. NPR reports on the departure of Regimental Combat Team 7.

War News for Saturday, August 03, 2013

Reported security incidents
#1: At least nine civilians were killed and 20 injured on Saturday when suicide bombers detonated an explosives-packed car outside the Indian consulate building. At least six of the dead and three of the were children. "A car containing explosives hit a barrier near the consulate and detonated," Nangarhar province spokesman Ahmadzia Abdulzai, told news agency AFP. He added that three bombers were believed to have been involved in the attack, which left surrounding shops badly damaged. "The bombers' target was the Indian consulate in Jalalabad city, but they were identified by police some 100 meters from the consulate, so they detonated the explosives close to a mosque," Amin said.

#2: More than 20 Afghan policemen and dozens of Taliban insurgents were killed Friday when hundreds of fighters ambushed a police and military convoy in eastern Afghanistan, officials said. The five-hour battle in the Sherzad district of Nangarhar province occurred after the convoy was attacked as it returned from an operation to rescue a politician being threatened by the Taliban. "It was an intense battle and insurgents used heavy and light weapons to attack the convoy of our security forces in Sherzad district," Nangarhar deputy police chief Masoom Khan Hashemi told AFP. "We lost 22 of our brave policemen, but the militants have been taught a lesson of our strength, their attack was completely repelled and 60 of their fighters were killed," Hashemi said, adding a further 16 insurgents were killed during the rescue of the politician.
 

War News for Friday, August 02, 2013

US Army officer found guilty in Afghanistan shootings

Kerry: Pakistan drone strikes to end 'soon'

Afghans Yield in Dispute With U.S. Over Stiff Fines for Cargo Shipments


Reported security incidents
#1: Saifullah Baidar, chief of Koh-e-Safi District in Parwan Province, July 31 escaped a roadside bombing while another man was killed by a separate land mine, media reported. An improvised explosive device (IED) in the Belan area damaged Baidar's car but did not hurt him, Pajhwok Afghan News reported. Separately, a roadside blast in the Multani locality of Charikar District killed civilian Noor Aga, Provincial Crime Branch Chief Col. Mohammad Naram said. Aga stepped on the mine en route to a mosque.

#2: The hujra (guest house) of Awami National Party (ANP) Khyber Agency chapter was attacked by some militants in the wee hours of Friday. Unknown miscreants threw a hand grenade on the Hujra of Shah Hussain Shinwari, that caused a slight damage to the two cars parked in the area. “The grenade attack caused no human loss to, but damaged slightly two cars parked in the yard of the hujra,” Shah Hussain Shinwari told, adding so far no FIR has been lodged.

#3: Three Afghan soldiers lost their lives and four others sustained injuries while they were defusing a bomb and the device exploded accidentally in Badghis province 555 km northwest of Kabul on Thursday, a local official said Friday.

#4: At least seven members from a single family were killed following an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan. The incident took place in Maiwand district late Thursday evening after an IED planted by Taliban militants went off, killing at least seven people including two women. Provincial governor spokesman Jawid Faisal confirming the report said at least three others were also injured in the explosion.

War News for Thursday, August 01, 2013

Investigation underway after Afghan boy is killed on firing range -- sounds like the range monitor needs to answer some questions -- whisker

Pilot error blamed for chopper crash that killed two Australians

12 soldiers hurt in Colorado lightning strike


Reported security incidents
#1: Afghan officials say a NATO helicopter mistakenly killed four Afghan troops in the east. Spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai says a NATO helicopter called in as air support following an attack on an Afghan checkpoint in eastern Nangarhar province's Bati Kot district accidentally killed four Afghan troops Wednesday night.

#2: In southern Uruzgan province, spokesman Farid Ayel says the Taliban ambushed local education official Hadi Khan, killing him, his two sons and a bodyguard on Wednesday afternoon.

#3: In northwestern Faryab province, Governor Ahmadullha Batash says a roadside mine exploded on Thursday, killing two policemen and a prosecutor, and wounding seven people in Bilchiragh district.

Two Afghan policemen were killed and eight others wounded on Thursday morning when a roadside bombing struck their vehicle in northern Faryab Province, said the deputy provincial governor. "Afghan National Police (ANP) personnel were travelling in an area in Bilchiragh District at around 9:00 a.m. local time. Their vehicle touched off an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). As a result, the district anti-criminal police chief Zahir Khan and an ANP cop were killed and eight policemen were wounded," Abdul Satar Bariz told Xinhua.

#4: On Wednesday evening, one Afghan Local Police (ALP) commander named Mujahid Khan along with his bodyguard was killed when an IED went off in Panjwahi District of southern Kandahar Province.

#5: Two oil tankers of a private firm were destroyed in an attack by gunmen near Balochistan’s Mastung area here on Thursday, Local TV reported.

#6: Police conducted a raid in Badaber area of Peshawar Thursday during which one suspected militant was killed and two others were arrested. On receiving a tip-off, police conducted a raid at a house in Peshawar’s Badaber area. As soon as the raiding party reached the locality, they were fired upon by militants. During the exchange of gunfire between police and militants, one suspect was killed whereas two others were arrested.:
 
#7: Mine planter had lost both his legs while planning to place a mine on the highway at the northern part of Khakriz district, where the explosives went off prior to target the security forces convoy, a statement said Thursday.

#8: One policeman and three militants were killed early Thursday morning when Taliban militants launched an attack on a police checkpoint in western Afghan province of Badghis, police said. "Several militants raided a police checkpoint along Badghis- Herat highway, triggering a gun battle lasting for hours at early Thursday morning. As a result one policeman and three militants were killed," the provincial police chief Sharafuddin Sharaf told Xinhua. He said two militants and two policemen were also wounded in the attack in the province 555 km northwest of national capital Kabul.

US/DoD: Spc. Nicholas B. Burley