Sunday, April 15, 2012

Taliban attack prison in Pakistan, free 400 prisoners

According to Pakistan police officials, more than 300 prisoners escaped from a jail in northwest Pakistan early on Sunday after it was attacked by Islamist militants armed with guns and rocket propelled grenades.

The officials further added, some of those who escaped from the jail in the town of Bannu were militants.

The attack started at around 1:00 am (2000 GMT) and continued for two hours, with militants in cars and pick-up trucks shooting and lobbing grenades to force their way into the prison, a senior security official told Agence France Presse.

“Some 384 prisoners, including some hardcore militants, have escaped during the attack,” the official adding that the preliminary information suggests that there were some 944 prisoners in the jail according to the tally late Saturday.

In the meantime a local Police officer Shafique Khan says the militants attacked the prison in the city of Bannu in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa before dawn Sunday. They freed 380 prisoners. It’s unclear how many of them were suspected militants.

A Taliban spokesman, Asimullah Mehsud, claimed their fighters freed 1,200 member of the group. The group is know to make exaggerated claims.

The Pakistani Taliban have waged a bloody war against the government over the past several years that has killed thousands of Pakistani officials and average citizens.

Major suicide bombings have eased in recent months, suggesting either security crackdowns have weakened the group, or it has changed tactics.

from KHAAMA
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US drones kill 21 AQAP fighters in separate strikes in southern Yemen


Unmanned US strike aircraft killed 21 al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters in two separate strikes in southern Yemen over the past several days. One of the strikes took place in an area where Yemeni troops have been battling the terror group for nearly a week.

The Predators or the more heavily armed Reapers killed seven AQAP fighters as they traveled in a vehicle in the province of Baydah, according to The Associated Press. Yemeni officials claimed the AQAP fighters were traveling to the neighboring province of Abyan, where Yemeni troops have been fighting AQAP in the city of Lawdar for the past week.

In a separate strike on April 11, US drones killed 14 AQAP fighters in an attack on a convoy in Lawdar, according to Xinhua. "Foreign nationals," or AQAP fighters from outside of Yemen, were reported to have been killed in the strike.

Yemeni officials did not give the nationalities of those killed in today's strike, but Saudis, Somalis, and Pakistanis were reported to have been among those killed during fighting in Lawdar on April 11. Two "senior members" of AQAP, Dardish Ahmed Mohammed Taher and Imad al Manshaby, who was described as a "field leader," were among those killed, according to Saba Net.

Lawdar has been the scene of the latest major fighting in the widening AQAP insurgency in southern Yemen. The fighting in Lawdar began five days ago, when AQAP overran a military base and seized a "large quantity of heavy and medium weapons," according to the Yemen Post. Several tanks were said to have been seized, and at least one was destroyed in subsequent airstrikes.

The Yemeni military claims that more than 200 AQAP fighters have been killed in and around Lawdar over the past week. Dozens of Yemeni soldiers and tribesmen who back the government are also reported to have been killed.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/04/us_drones_kill_21_aq.php#ixzz1s6qlLPnU
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Apr.14., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Evening Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan (Apr. 14) — Afghan and coalition troops conducted an operation in search of an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in Rustaq district, Takhar province, today.The leader directed attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces.During the operation, the combined security force moved into position to conduct a callout for his surrender at the suspected location when the combined force came under fire. Assessing the immediate threat, the security force returned fire killing the leader and one other insurgent.The security force detained several additional suspected insurgents and seized multiple weapons and grenades as a result of the operation. 

In other ISAF news throughout Afghanistan: 

South 

Today, in Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, an Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation. The leader directed roadside bombing and other attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces in Nahr-e Saraj and Sangin districts. He is also suspected in the assassination plot of an Afghan National Security Force commander. The security force detained two additional insurgents as a result of this operation. 

East  

An Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation in search of a Taliban leader, in Muhammad Aghah district, Logar province, today. The leader planned and conducted several roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces throughout the district. As the security force conducted a callout for the surrender of the suspect, they came under fire from multiple insurgents within the compound. Assessing the immediate threat, the security force returned fire and called for an airstrike, which killed the Taliban leader and four additional insurgents. The security force detained several additional insurgents and seized two AK-47s as a result of this operation. 

An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani facilitator during an operation in Bak district, Khost province, today. The facilitator coordinated suicide attacks and improvised explosive device operations against Afghan and coalition forces in the area. He is also suspected of transporting suicide bombers for attacks across the country, including a suicide attack in spring 2011. The security force detained two additional suspected insurgents as a result of this operation. 
In Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, an Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader during an operation today. The leader supervised the construction and emplacement of roadside bombs used to attack Afghan and coalition security forces throughout the district. He also facilitated the movement of Taliban fighters from Pakistan into Afghanistan. The security force detained one other insurgent and seized an AK-47 and a grenade as a result of this operation. 

Finally, an Afghan and coalition security force conducted an operation to capture a Taliban leader in Zurmat district, Paktiya province, today. The leader coordinates roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces throughout the district. He also attempts to enforce Taliban law on Afghan civilians in the area. The security force detained two suspected insurgents as a result of this operation.
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