War News for Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Army Colonel exposes 'truth and lies about Afghanistan' claiming military leaders 'have let us down'

Pakistan seizes fuel destined for NATO

Murdering Afghan civilians

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, Feb. 7


Reported security incidents
#1: An employee of a private security firm has reportedly killed three of his colleagues and two Afghan police officers in Afghanistan's southern city of Kandahar. Five other security guards were reported injured in the incident, which is reported to have occurred late on February 6. The Kandahar municipal government media office said one of the wounded was also a police officer. No motive or other details about the incident were available.

#2: NATO forces say one of their helicopters has crashed in eastern Afghanistan, and all aboard survived. The international military coalition says in a statement that the crew has been taken to a nearby base, and initial reports indicate no enemy activity in the area of Monday’s crash

War News for Monday, February 06, 2012

Iraq-Turkey oil exports resume after blast

In Afghan War, Officer Becomes a Whistle-Blower


Reported security incidents
#1: A bomb in southern Afghanistan has killed a child and injured three others, a government spokesman said Monday. The bomb was hidden in a motorbike parked near a market in Dehrawod district of Uruzgan province, Farid Ayel said. 'Bomb went off last night, killing a underage girl and injuring three other boys,' Ayel said, adding that the intended target was apparently foreign troops.

#2: The government in Islamabad says a military convoy struck a roadside bomb in northwestern Pakistan on February 5, killing one soldier. Another 12 Pakistani soldiers were injured when militants opened fire on the convoy after the explosion in the Kurram tribal area. Khan said the convoy had been dispatched to provide reinforcements to the Sheendand area of Kurram, where militants had set up a hideout. It was not immediately clear whether any miitants were killed or wounded in the clash.

#3: Afghan and foreign forces killed six insurgents and detained 19 in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Daikundi and Khost provinces over the past 24 hours, the interior ministry said in a statement.

#4: A homemade bomb exploded next to a Pakistani military vehicle in the Alizai area of the northwestern Kurram tribal region, near the Afghanistan border, killing a soldier and wounding ten others, security officials said.


DoD: Brig. Gen. Terence J. Hildner

News of the Day for Sunday, February 5, 2012

Five police and 2 civilians killed, 19 people injured by car bomb attack in Kandahar. No claim of responsibility as yet.

Oh yeah, remember that withdrawal of U.S. combat forces by 2013 and end of the NATO mission in 2014? Not exactly. US Special Forces to Stay in Afghanistan Beyond 2014. "As the United States is planning to wind down it's combat troops a year later than scheduled, senior Pentagon military officials have said that, US Special Operation Forces will remain in Afghanistan after the Nato led mission ends in 2014. . . . While some US forces are preparing to withdraw, thousands of the US Special Operation Forces will remain on the ground and the number may increase." It's okay, see. These forces are "special" so they don't count.

Heavy snow isolates regions of Samangan Province.

U.S. soldier kills an Afghan guard at a base in northern Afghanistan. "Provincial governor Sayed Anwar Rahmati said the U.S. soldier opened a door and saw the barrel of the guard’s gun. Feeling threatened, he shot. “It was a mistaken act and happened due to the threat the soldier had felt from the guard,” Rahmati said by phone."

Taliban commander said to be killed by Afghan forces in Kunduz.

Three Afghan soldiers injured by a roadside bomb in Kandahar province.

Note that as with Iraq, many security incidents are only reported by local media. Relying on the Reuters factbox or wire services in general will give you only a partial picture of the actual level of violence in the country. -- C

Iraq Update

Iraqi Interior Ministry official, described as a "security officer," is killed in a drive-by shooting in central Baghdad.

Syria and Iraq execute a trade agreement. (The way I read this, the effect is to make Iraq into a route for breaking any economic sanctions against Syria. Basically it sets up border portals and allows goods bound to and from one country to transit the other. -- C)

Turkey bombs three targets in Iraqi Kurdistan, saying they were PKK "shelters." No word on casualties or damage.

Three successive explosions in Ishaqi, Salah al-Din Province, injure 4 people, including a police officer.

War News for Saturday, February 04, 2012

Record civilian death toll in Afghan war last year: UN

Mullah Omar sent letter to Obama to end war

Turkey bombs three PKK targets in northern Iraq

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, Feb. 4

American brigadier general dies in Afghanistan


Reported security incidents
#1: At least four people were killed when a suicide bomber targeted the office of a property dealer in Peshawar, the capital city of northwest Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Friday night. Federal Minister Bashir Bilaur told media that a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the office of a property dealer, Astana Gul, at Ring Road area of Peshawar. There were four people inside the building when the blast took place. Following the explosion, the office building was razed to the ground. Later talking to media, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Information Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told media that the target of the blast -- Astana Gul is the leader of a banned outfit of militants, however he was not present inside the building at the time of blast.

#2: The first incident took place in Cholan area 5 kilo meters east of Khost city on Friday night when a land mine hit an Afghan National Army soldiers while they were patrolling in the area. ANA press office in the 1st ANA brigade 203rd corp says one ANA soldier was killed and two other were wounded when a remote control bomb detonated on their soldier’s foot patrol.

War News for Friday, February 03, 2012

The DoD is reporting a new death previously unreported by the military. Lance Cpl. Edward J. Dycus died during combat operations somewhere in Helmand province, Afghanistan on Wednesday, February 1st.


French forces leave Afghan base where soldiers were killed

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, Feb. 3


Reported security incidents
#1: Seven security personnel and 18 militants were killed and five soldiers were kidnapped by Taliban militants, on Friday, during an attack on a check post in the restive Kurram tribal region of northwest Pakistan, which has witnessed fierce fighting in recent days. The militants attacked the check post in Shidano Dand area near the border with Afghanistan overnight, officials were quoted as saying by TV news channels. The attack triggered fierce clashes in which seven soldiers and 18 militants were killed, the officials said. The rebels took away five soldiers. There was no official word on the incident.

#2: Finnish soldiers exchanged fire with insurgents in northern Afghanistan on Thursday. None of the peacekeepers were wounded in the action in which they returned fire in self-defence. The joint Finnish-Swedish patrol was travelling from Darzab to Sheberghan when they were attacked. The skirmish lasted ten minutes.

#3: An Italian base in southwestern Afghanistan came under fire Thursday afternoon but "no damage was done," military sources said Friday. Italian troops have been fighting the Taliban for control of roads in the region and there have been "almost daily" firefights, they said. An Italian soldier was killed at the 'Snow' outpost in the Gulistan district in December 2010.

#4: A homemade bomb exploded outside a house in the Bazaar Zakhakhel area of the northwestern Khyber tribal region, killing one person and wounding two others, local government officials said.

#5: Militants attacked a paramilitary checkpost in the Bara area of the northwestern Khyber tribal region near the Afghanistan border, killing a soldier and wounding another two, security officials said. Two militants were killed when Pakistani forces at the post returned fire, officials added.


DoD: Lance Cpl. Edward J. Dycus

War News for Thursday, February 02, 2012

Final tally says 2,000 Canadians wounded in Afghanistan

Breakdown of troops in Afghanistan

Pakistan to limit unilateral US actions: Khar

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, February 2

NASA orbiter gives glimpse of moon's far side

Panetta Says U.S. to End Afghan Combat Role as Soon as 2013

Taliban Captives Dispute U.S. View on Afghanistan War


Reported security incidents
#1: Taliban militants armed with guns and grenades ambushed a police patrol in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing three officers and wounding another, police said. The attack took place in Lakki Marwat district, part of the troubled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. Police said eight to 10 Taliban fighters ambushed a police vehicle, first by hurling a grenade and then opening fire with Kalashnikovs after policemen tried to retaliate. "Three policemen were killed and one was injured. Taliban later escaped," Mohammad Gulzar, the district police chief, told AFP.

#2: Suspected militants killed five policemen in a shootout in the volatile southwestern Baluchistan province early on Wednesday, police said. Some 20 militants attacked the policemen travelling in a car who were heading towards the provincial capital, Quetta.

#3: The suspected militants kidnapped a senior government official in another district of the province. (Baluchistan province)

#4: Two people were killed and several wounded in a bombing in a market on the outskirts of the northwestern city of Peshawar, government officials said.

#5: According to local authorities in eastern Afghanistan, at least 7 people were killed and injured following an explosion in eastern Kapisa province. The officials further added, the incident took place after a car packed with explosives went off in Nejrab district of eastern Kapisa province. District police chief for Nejrab Ata Mohammad Nazari confirming the report said, at least 1 Afghan civilian was killed and 6 others were injured following the explosion which took place in a busy market in Nejrab district. Mr. Nazari further added, the explosion took place on Wednesday evening at Chowkandaz area. He also added, the main target of the explosion was the convoy of the coalition security forces.

#6: According to local government officials in western Afghanistan, at least four Taliban militants were killed following armed clashes with the Afghan border protection police forces in western Herat province. Gen. Toryalai Halimyar deputy commander of the border protection forces in the 4th western zone said, the clashes took place last night in Keshk-Robat Sangi district after a number of the Taliban militants attacked a security check post. Gen. Halimyar further added, at least four Taliban militants were killed during the clashes which lasted at least two hours. He all added, Afghan security forces did not suffer any casualties during the clashes and armed Taliban militants fled the area.

#7: In the meantime at least 2 Afghan police service members were killed and three others were injured in a separate incident at Shindand district of western Herat province. Local security officials said, the security forces were killed following a roadside bomb explosion in Azizabad area at Shindand district. Gen. Syed Aqa Saqib provincial security chief said, the incident took place after Afghan security forces were tracing a group of the thieves in Shindand district. Gen. Saqib further added, at least two police forces were killed and 1 of them was injured during the incident.

#8: He also said, at least two other Afghan police forces were injured after an Afghan police Ranger vehicle struck with a roadside bomb in Azizabad area (Herat province) while they were on their way to assist the local residents who had suffered from natural disasters. According to Gen. Saqib, the roadside bombs were planted by Taliban militants.


DoD: Sgt. William C. Stacey

War News for Wednesday, February 01, 2012

The Georgian Paradox

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, February 1

Another Afghan soldier kills NATO service member - Afghan National Army commander Sayed Malluk confirmed the shooting, which he said happened during a night patrol in Helmand province's Marjah district. But he said the Afghan soldier, who has been in the army for more than two years, told investigators the shooting was an accident.


Reported security incidents
#1: Gunmen attacked a paramilitary checkpoint in southwestern Pakistan, killing 11 soldiers and increasing tension in an area where a separatist insurgency has raged for decades, the military said Wednesday. Twelve soldiers were also wounded in the attack Tuesday night in the Marwarh area of Baluchistan province, said the paramilitary Frontier Corps. The troops returned fire, but officials did not indicate whether the attackers suffered any casualties. A local government official, Fateh Bangalzai, said soldiers discovered the bodies of seven unarmed men near the checkpoint Wednesday morning. Authorities were investigating whether the men were part of the attacking group or civilians caught in the crossfire, said Bangalzai.

#2: Pakistani fighter jets bombed the hideouts of two militant commanders along the Afghan border Wednesday, killing up to 31 insurgents, government and security officials said. One of those killed was reported to be a Pakistani Taliban leader in Orakzai region named Moin ud Din, said one security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. It was not possible to independently confirm the information because the border region is effectively off-limits to reporters. Militants have in the past disputed army accounts of casualties, and human rights groups say civilians often die in military actions. There were air strikes in the bordering regions of Kurram and Orakzai, said government officials Wajid Khan and Ameer Gul. The attacks followed clashes between soldiers and militants over a strategic mountaintop in Kurram that killed over 60 people in the last week.

#3: Joint Afghan and coalition security forces killed three armed insurgents during operations in several provinces in the past 24 hours, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

#4: At least 13 people were killed when a U.S. drone launched three missile strikes in Orakzai region of Pakistan's northwest tribal belt on Wednesday, local media reported. According to the report by local TV channel Geo, the attack was launched in wee hours in the morning when a U.S. drone fired three missiles at a militants'hideout in Darand Shekhan area of upper Orakzai agency, a militancy-hit tribal area where Pakistan army has been battling local and foreign Taliban militants for the past four months. The report said that six foreigners were also among the killed militants and the dead bodies have been shifted to other areas of Orakzai after the drone attack