Tuesday, September 18, 2012

3 ISAF soldiers injured in Kunar suicide bombing

ASADABAD (PAN): An Afghan civilian was killed and three foreign troops were wounded as a result of a suicide bombing in eastern Kunar province on Tuesday afternoon, a senior official said.

Governor Syed Fazlullah Wahidi told Pajhwok Afghan News the bombing took place near the Watapur district centre, where NATO-led soldiers were busy overseeing the construction of a bridge. 

Sultan Mohammad, a shopkeeper in the area, was killed and his son injured along with three International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops in the explosion, the governor said.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said nearly a dozen foreign soldiers were killed and eight others injured in the attack, which was carried out by an elderly man.

The ISAF media office in the eastern zone confirmed the assault and injuries to three of its soldiers.

from Pajhwok
by Khan Wali SalarzaionSep 18, 2012 - 18:35

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Kurd militants kill 7 Turkish soldiers in convoy attack

(Reuters) - Kurdish militants fired rockets at a military convoy in eastern Turkey on Tuesday, killing seven soldiers and wounding more than 60, security sources said, in a further sign that the conflict in the region is deepening.

The convoy was travelling between the provinces of Bingol and Mus when it was hit by a rocket launched by members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the sources said.

The PKK is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and European Union. It took up arms in 1984 with the aim of carving out a Kurdish state in the east of Turkey. The conflict has since killed more than 40,000 people.

Footage aired by Turkey's Dogan news agency on its website showed fire-fighters around the smouldering shell of a bus on a mountainous road.

Two F-16 fighter jets took off from an air base in the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir after the attack, a Reuters witness said. Their destination was unclear.

Recent months have seen some of the deadliest fighting in more than a decade. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday some 500 militants had been "rendered ineffective" - killed, wounded, or captured - in the last month alone.

Fighter jets and attack helicopters have bombarded PKK camps in the south-eastern border region with Iraq, and Turkey's chief of staff and other military commanders travelled to the region last week to oversee operations.

Eight police officers were killed on Sunday when a roadside mine exploded in the Karliova district of Bingol and on Saturday suspected PKK fighters killed four Turkish soldiers in an attack on a convoy near the border with Iran and Iraq.

As well as the human toll, the conflict has hampered economic development in one of Turkey's poorest corners and worsened instability in the region bordering Iran, Iraq and Syria.

More than 700 people have been killed since a parliamentary election in June last year, making this the deadliest period since the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1999, the International Crisis Group said in a report this month.

from REUTERS
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey | Tue Sep 18, 2012 2:21pm BST
(Reporting by Seyhmus Cakan; Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Nick Tattersall and Mark Heinrich)

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Somali Militants on the Defensive in Kismayo

NAIROBI — Somali civilians and military officials say al-Shabab militants have been exiting Kismayo in recent days, fearing an impending onslaught by Somali forces, African Union troops and allied militaries.

Some fighters said to be remaining behind may continue to pose a serious threat.

Kenyan military spokesman Colonel Cyrus Oguna says ground troops are about 50 kilometers from Kismayo, and advancing from the northwest and the south, backed by navy and air forces.

He says reports of al-Shabab fleeing the city are only “partly true,” adding that some elements may be planning to stay behind to snipe at allied forces when they enter the city.

But Oguna says he does not expect a tough fight against these remnants.

“We do not anticipate stiff resistance as we get into the city because the main commanders are leaving," said Oguna. "We do not expect the junior forces to fight without their commanders.  So we expect minimal resistance as we get to Kismayo.”

He also says the militants have dismantled a radio transmitter in Kismayo, a sign that they are no longer using the city as a base for operations.

"The radio that al-Shabab has been using to broadcast most of their statements is called Radio Andalus and the transmitter has been brought down," Oguna said. "So we reckon that they have removed it to take it to another location, possibly Jilib." 

Jilib is among the other small towns in central Somalia where al-Shabab commanders are believed to be heading to avoid the military assault.

Al-Shabab has denied its fighters are retreating from Kismayo and claim to be defending their positions in the city.

Kismayo is one of the largest remaining strongholds of the al-Qaida linked group, which has used the town's seaport to funnel in weapons and other supplies to support their insurgency.

The militants were driven out of the capital, Mogadishu, by African Union forces in August last year.  But the remnants that have remained behind in the capital continue to pose a serious threat by carrying out suicide bombings and other small scale, targeted attacks.

from VOA NEWS
by Gabe Joselow
September 18, 2012

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16 Taliban militants surrender in western Afghanistan

Taliban fighters attend a surrender ceremony in Kunduz province, north Afghanistan, Sept. 18, 2012. Eleven Taliban fighters laid down arms and joined the government-backed peace process on Monday in Kunduz province, 250 km north of Kabul. (Xinhua/Sardar)
HERAT, Afghanistan, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of 16 Taliban militants surrendered to the government in western Afghan province of Herat, authorities said Tuesday.

"Up to 16 Taliban militants, who were active in Ghoryan district of Herat, handed over their weapons to the government and joined the national peace and reconciliation process Tuesday morning," governor of Herat, Daud Shah Saba, told Xinhua.

more photos on XINHUA here

With the former insurgents' surrender, peace and stability would be further strengthened in several parts of the province with Herat city as its capital, 640 km west of Afghan capital Kabul.

A total of 11 Taliban militants laid down their arms in northern Kunduz province earlier Tuesday.

Taliban militants fighting Afghan and NATO-led troops have not made any comment yet.

The Afghan government set up a 70-member High Peace Council in the summer of 2010 to encourage Taliban to disarm and give up militancy against the government.

More than 3,500 anti-government insurgents have laid down their arms in Afghanistan over the past year, according to officials.

In an unrelated incident, four soldiers with the Afghan National Army were killed when their patrol was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) or roadside bomb in Kushk district in northern Herat city Monday evening, Saba confirmed.

Afghan Taliban has launched massive IED attacks against the NATO and Afghan security force in recent years.

from XINHUA
2012-09-18 19:04:34

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ISAF clarifies information on partnering with ANSF





KABUL, Afghanistan (Sept. 18, 2012) — Recent media coverage regarding a change in ISAF's model of Security Force Assistance (SFA) to the Afghan National Security Forces is not accurate. ISAF remains absolutely committed to partnering with, training, advising and assisting our ANSF counterparts. The ISAF SFA model is focused at the battalion level and above, with exceptions approved by senior commanders. Partnering occurs at all levels, from Platoon to Corps. This has not changed.

In response to elevated threat levels resulting from the "Innocence of Muslims" video, ISAF has taken some prudent, but temporary, measures to reduce our profile and vulnerability to civil disturbances or insider attacks. This means that in some local instances, operational tempo has been reduced, or force protection has been increased. These actions balance the tension of the recent video with force protection, while maintaining the momentum of the campaign.

We've done this before in other high tension periods, and it has worked well. Under this guidance, and as conditions change, we will continue to adapt the force posture and force protection. The SFA model is integral to the success of the ANSF, and ISAF will return to normal operations as soon as conditions warrant.


ISAF Joint Command
2012-09-CA-14
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Nigeria: JTF Kills Terrorist Kingpin in Kano, Arrest Two

The Joint Military Task force (JTF) in Kano on Monday killed a top extremist and arrested two top commanders of the Boko Haram sect in an early morning operation carried out in the Kano metropolis.

The Spokesman of the Joint task Force (JTF) in Kano, Lieutenant Ikedichi Iweha told reporters: "I can confirm to you the killing and the arrest of two sect members during an operation we carried out this (Monday).

Lieutenant Iweha, who could not confirm the identity of those arrested, stated that "I cannot confirm to you the identity of those arrested because I don't have the nominal roll of the sect, but the operation is still going on."

It was gathered that the person killed and the two who were arrested were among the top most wanted sect members by the security agencies.

There were speculations in Kano on Monday that the sect's spokesman was one of those arrested during the raid by the security personnel, while sources revealed that among the two arrested included a woman, who is believed to be close to the sect.

Security sources disclosed that the non-disclosure of the details of the arrested sect members was part of the new method by the JTF to hide the identity of sect members who are killed or arrested.

from allAfrica/This Day
By Ibrahim Shuaibu, 17 September 2012

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US military suspends combat patrols with Afghan forces


The US military today suspended most of its combat patrols with Afghan forces as the green-on-blue, or insider attacks by Afghan security personnel on Coalition troops, continue to spike. The training of Afghan forces and their partnering with US troops has been the cornerstone of the Obama administration's strategy to hand over security to the Afghans as the US completes its withdrawal by 2014.

"The order effectively suspends 'until further notice' most of the operations which US and Afghan troops conduct side by side," CBS News reported today. "At higher headquarters, Afghans and Americans will still work together, but in the field small unit operations putting Afghan soldiers alongside Americans ... will be suspended unless an exception is granted by a commanding general."
It is unclear if the order applies to other militaries in the International Security Assistance Force, NATO's command in Afghanistan.

The suspension of combined US and Afghan combat operations takes place just over two weeks after the US Special Operations Command shut down the training of more than 1,000 new Afghan Local Police recruits due to the increase in murders of their personnel by their Afghan partners. The Afghan Local Police force is an initiative that provides support to Afghans so they can furnish security for their own villages. The ALP have been described as vital to ISAF's strategy. The ALP are to provide security in key districts as foreign troops continue withdrawing from Afghanistan.

Today's order to suspend cooperation between US and Afghan forces in the field was issued after three green-on-blue attacks over the past three days resulted in the deaths of four US soldiers and two British troops.

The latest insider attack took place on the evening of Sept. 16. An Afghan soldier opened fire on a vehicle being driven inside Camp Garmser, a shared base in Helmand province; a foreign civilian worker was wounded in the attack. The attacker thought the vehicle contained NATO troops. According to the Associated Press, another Afghan soldier took the attacker into custody after disarming him.

Another attack on Sept. 16, in Zabul province, resulted in the deaths of four USAF troops and the wounding of several more. The attacker, an Afghan policeman, was killed in return fire from another soldier; several other Afghan policemen were wounded.
And an attack on Sept. 15 in Helmand province resulted in the deaths of two British soldiers and the wounding of four more. The attacker was killed by return fire.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/09/us_military_suspends_1.php#ixzz26omJDbRH
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First reported female suicide car bomber kills 12 in Afghanistan

Afghan security personnel investigate at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul September 18, 2012. A suicide bomber blew up a mini-bus carrying foreign and local contract workers near Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Tuesday, with at least nine bodies lying near the wreckage, a Reuters witness at the scene said.
REUTERS/Omar Sobhani
Twelve people were killed and 10 injured in an attack by a 22-year-old female suicide car bomber attack close to Kabul International Airport.
At least 12 people were killed in an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, after a suicide bomber drove a car packed with explosives into a mini-bus.

The mini-bus was carrying foreign aviation workers to the airport and the attack was said to be revenge by a militant group for an anti-Islam film said to ridicule the Prophet Muhammad.

The interior ministry said that nine foreigners and three Afghans lost their lives but details of the nationalities of the foreign victims were not disclosed.

Some 10 Afghan bystanders were also wounded in the attack, the responsibility of which was claimed by the Islamist militant group Hisb-i-Islami in an email sent to The Associated Press.

Spokesperson for the Hisb-i-Islami Harron Zarghoon said that the suicide bomber was a 22-year-old woman named Fatima making this the first reported attack ever to have been carried out by a woman in Afghanistan.

The explosion occurred near an avenue northwest of the city centre near Kabul International Airport and the blast hurled the mini-bus at least 50 yards from in front of a gas station.

from MaltaToday
Tuesday 18 September 2012 - 09:00
---

from REUTERS:
By Hamid Shalizi and Mirwais Harooni
KABUL | Tue Sep 18, 2012 5:47am BST
(Writing by Rob Taylor; Editing by Robert Birsel)


An Afghan police officer keeps people away from the site of a suicide attack in Kabul September 18, 2012. A suicide bomber blew up a mini-bus carrying foreign and local contract workers near Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Tuesday, with at least nine bodies lying near the wreckage, a Reuters witness at the scene said.
REUTERS/Omar Sobhani
(Reuters) - A suicide attack on a minibus in the Afghan capital killed 12 people on Tuesday, including seven foreigners, and the Hezb-e-Islami insurgent group claimed responsibility, saying the blast was retaliation for a film mocking the Prophet Mohammad.
"A woman wearing a suicide vest blew herself up in response to the anti-Islam video," said Zubair Sediqqi, a spokesman for the militant faction, which does not usually carry out such attacks.

The attack near Kabul airport underscored growing anger in Afghanistan over the film, which has enraged much of the Muslim world and led to the killing last week of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.

Thousands of protesters clashed with police in the Afghan capital on Monday, burning cars and hurling rocks at security forces in the worst outbreak of violence since February rioting over the inadvertent burning of Korans by U.S. soldiers.

The suicide attack was the first in Kabul involving a woman and the foreigners killed were mostly Russian and South African pilots working for an international courier company, senior police sources said.

The toll was the highest on foreigners in the city since last April when an Afghan air force pilot gunned down eight U.S. military flight instructors and an American civilian adviser after an argument at Kabul International Airport.
An Afghan security officer investigates at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul September 18, 2012. A suicide bomber blew up a mini-bus carrying foreign and local contract workers near Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Tuesday, with at least nine bodies lying near the wreckage, a Reuters witness at the scene said.
REUTERS/Omar Sobhani

Hezb-e-Islami, which means Islamic Party, is a radical militant group which shares some of the Taliban's anti-foreigner, anti-government aims.

But the political wing of the group, founded by warlord and anti-Soviet fighter Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has recently been in nascent talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on a peace deal to end the 11-year war.

The attack on the van took place as it stopped to refuel near the airport. Body parts were scattered over an area at the western end of the heavily fortified airport, outside a wedding hall.

Police said several civilians were caught up in the blast, which again underscored the ability of militants to bypass police checkpoints in the city, which had been manned by extra security forces after Monday's rioting.

"The target was a minivan carrying employees of a foreign company who had a contract with Americans. The seven foreigners killed were Russians and South Africans," said General Mohammmad Dawod Amin, a deputy for Kabul's police chief.

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Kenya: Suicide Bomber Targeted Parliament

The two suicide bombers arrested on Thursday night by Special Crime Prevention Unit and Anti Terrorism Police Unit are part of a larger Al Shabaab sponsored terror gang targeting to blow up Parliament and assassinate a high profile Kenyan politician. The suspects found with a cache of bombs and an assortment of weapons have confessed that one of their targets was parliament.

"They wanted to find their way into Parliament and blow themselves while others targeted a senior politician," said an investigator privy to the probe. Police on Friday morning seized a cache of explosive-laden vests, grenades and automatic rifles in a midnight raid in a an apartment in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

Kenya has been on a heightened state of security since Nairobi sent troops into Somalia to crush al Qaeda-linked insurgents who carried out a double suicide bombing in Uganda in July 2010. Police displayed the six suicide bomber vests, 12 grenades and four AK-47s with more than a dozen loaded magazines.They also seized mobile phones that were to trigger the bombs.

Police said the successful seizure of the weapons was a result of intensive intelligence gathering that also resulted in the arrest of four foreigners with links to the Al Shabaab. It emerged yesterday that the two suspects reached Nairobi on August 10 from Garissa by bus. They bribed their way at the Garissa bridge which is normally manned by police officers who check every passenger and luggage before letting buses and private cars proceed to Nairobi.

They walked on foot after getting off the bus Eastleigh to their hideout. One of the two is a Kenyan whose mother lives in Nairobi and is described by detectives as well versed with the geography of Nairobi and Mombasa. His accomplice, who is of Somali origin, had already acquired a Kenya identity card.

As part of their vile plan, they bought an old maroon Peugeot saloon car for Sh180,000. The car was sold to them by a dealer near the Holy Family Basillica. They did not ask for a logbook. Their leader had informed that Thursday was the day for the evil mission. But their vehicle broke down when loaded with the explosives and they were advised to abort the mission.

They were intent on carrying out bombings similar to the August 1998 bombings in Nairobi that brought down the US Embassy off Moi Avenue. Only this time they would carry out similar bombings in Kampala, Nairobi and Mombasa. In Mombasa they were to explode their bombs at Pirates Club. Investigators said yesterday the bombs had been put together by an expert.

One of the two bombers had been hit by a mortar while in Somalia in the past and was later brought to Nairobi and treated at three top Nairobi hospitals including the KNH. His right hand is partially paralyzed. The operations in Nairobi was complicated and the marks stretch from his shoulder to the elbow.

After recovering he went back to Somalia. Detectives will interview the doctors who treated him in Nairobi. The Kenyan youth was brainwashed by his recruiters and convinced that the United States was bent on destroying Muslims and that he needed to join a special group of Muslims who would defend the faith.

Because of the onslaught by Kenya Defence Forces in Operation Linda Mpaka that turned into Operation Linda Nchi and later culiminated into KDF joining AMISOM, the Al Qaeda linked insurgents have been dislodged from most of their strategic defensive positions. The group now believes that striking Parliament or assassinating a high profile Kenyan politician will help slow down AMISON specifically Kenya Defense forces who have made so much gains as they seek to take over Al-Shababa stronghold of Kismayu.

" Al Shabaab have been defeated in Somalia and have now resolved to bring the war back to Kenya. Their people are planning a major attack in Kenya in the next few weeks. We have obtained information from some of them arrested while crossing into Kenya that they are planning to detonate explosives in Parliament or assassinate a high profile politician and cause upheaval in the country.This people are not good. We are lucky to have arrested the suspects. Things would be different now," a senior intelligence official privy to the arrests a weeks ago said.

Parliament has since stepped up its security and legislators are now only allowed two visitors at a time. Several senior politicians have also had their security improved and have acquired armored vehicles. The suspects who were arrested last Friday, Abdul Majid Yassin, 26 and 24-year-old Suleiman Abdi will appear in court while police and intelligence operatives hunt down eight other suspects on the run.

The suspects have been interrogated and will appear in court today. The suspects were arrested in a room within an apartment with in which they found food, clothes, jerricans and three mattresses with no furniture. Some of the bombs recovered were mounted on the suicide vests with connections to mobile phone batteries.

Police said the connections to mobile phones, which were also recovered, showed that the attackers would have ignited the explosions from far in case the suicide bombers failed to detonate them. Al Shabaab have threatened to detonate bombs and grenades in Nairobi and other major towns since last October when the Kenya Defence Forces entered Somalia in pursuit Al-Shabaab militia group who had repeatedly kidnapped tourist and foreign aid workers from Kenya.

from allAfrica/The Star (Nairobi)
By Dominic Wabala, 17 September 2012

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Taliban leader behind Camp Bastion attack arrested in Helmand

scrennshot form a video of Camp Bastion attack aftermath
Afghan and coalition security forces arrested a Taliban leader who was behind the deadly attack on Camp Bastion in southern helmand province.

NATO-led International Security Assistance Force following a statement announced, ‘In Nad ‘Ali district, Helmand province, today, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested one of the Taliban leaders behind Friday’s Camp Bastion attack.”

The source further added, “The Taliban leader was successfully taken into custody by the security force following joint efforts by Afghan and coalition forces to track down the Taliban insurgents responsible for the Camp Bastion attack. No civilians were harmed during the operation.

The Taliban leader is suspected to have provided support to the insurgents whose attack killed two ISAF service members and caused damage to multiple aircraft. ISAF forces killed all but one of the attacking insurgents, who was wounded and currently in ISAF custody.

The security force also detained two suspected insurgents as a result of this operation.”

In a separate operation, Afghan and coalition security force arrested the leader of a Taliban attack cell in Nahr-e Shahi district, Balkh province, ISAF said following the statement adding that the arrested leader was known as an improvised explosive device expert and is believed to deploy IEDs in frequent attacks, in addition to providing them to other insurgents operating in the region. The security force also seized dozens of IED components, including pressure plates, blasting caps and detonation cord as a result of this operation.

ISAF also said, Afghan Special Operations Unit, supported by coalition troops, arrested a Haqqani leader in Nadir Shah Kot district, Khost province, today. The arrested leader is suspected of planning and directing multiple attacks throughout the region, often collaborating with Haqqani senior leaders in Pakistan. Prior to his arrest, the Haqqani leader is believed to have orchestrated an improvised explosive device attack that injured two Afghan National Army soldiers. The Afghan Special Operations Unit also detained two suspected insurgents and seized several firearms as a result of this operation.

Anti-government armed militant groups yet to comment regarding the reports.

from KHAAMA
By Sadaf Shinwari - Tue Sep 18, 11:54 am

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from The Pentagon Channel video:

Marine Jets Destroyed, Damaged in Insurgent Attack 

Package about an insurgent attack in Afghanistan destroying six Marine Corps Harrier jet fighter planes on the ground.

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Sep. 18., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – In Nad ‘Ali district, Helmand province, today, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested one of the Taliban leaders behind Friday’s Camp Bastion attack.

The Taliban leader was successfully taken into custody by the security force following joint efforts by Afghan and coalition forces to track down the Taliban insurgents responsible for the Camp Bastion attack. No civilians were harmed during the operation.

The Taliban leader is suspected to have provided support to the insurgents whose attack killed two ISAF service members and caused damage to multiple aircraft. ISAF forces killed all but one of the attacking insurgents, who was wounded and currently in ISAF custody.

The security force also detained two suspected insurgents as a result of this operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested the leader of a Taliban attack cell in Nahr-e Shahi district, Balkh province, today. The arrested leader was known as an improvised explosive device expert and is believed to deploy IEDs in frequent attacks, in addition to providing them to other insurgents operating in the region. The security force also seized dozens of IED components, including pressure plates, blasting caps and detonation cord as a result of this operation.

East

The Afghan Special Operations Unit, supported by coalition troops, arrested a Haqqani leader in Nadir Shah Kot district, Khost province, today. The arrested leader is suspected of planning and directing multiple attacks throughout the region, often collaborating with Haqqani senior leaders in Pakistan. Prior to his arrest, the Haqqani leader is believed to have orchestrated an improvised explosive device attack that injured two Afghan National Army soldiers. The Afghan Special Operations Unit also detained two suspected insurgents and seized several firearms as a result of this operation.

An Afghan and coalition security force killed one armed insurgent during an operation to arrest a Haqqani leader in Pul-e ‘Alam district, Logar province, today. As the security force approached the leader’s suspected location, an armed insurgent maneuvered from the compound and opened fire on the Afghan and coalition troops. The security force returned fire, killing the armed insurgent. No civilians were harmed in the exchange. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent, seized multiple firearms, and safely destroyed several kilograms of explosives as a result of this operation.

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Sep. 18., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed six insurgents, detained three and cleared eight improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Sept. 17.

Ghazni province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared two improvised explosive devices, one in Muqer district and one in Qarah Bagh district.

Kapisa province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces killed three insurgents during an engagement in Tagab district.

Khowst province
Afghan Uniformed Police and coalition forces found and safely cleared an improvised explosive device in Gurbuz district.

Afghan Border Police and coalition forces detained an insurgent during an engagement in Gurbuz district. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Laghman province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared an improvised explosive device in Alingar district.

Logar province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared three improvised explosive devices in Muhammad Aghah district.

Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces detained two insurgents during an engagement in Muhammad Aghah district. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Nangarhar province
Afghan Uniformed Police and coalition forces found and safely cleared an improvised explosive device in Behsud district.

Nuristan province
A coalition airstrike killed three insurgents in Kamdesh district in response to Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces receiving small arms and indirect fire.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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52 insurgents killed in fresh security operations

KABUL (PAN): Fifty-two armed insurgents were killed, 22 arrested and a dozen others injured during security operations in different provinces of the country over the past 24 hours, the interior ministry said on Monday.

The operations were conducted by Afghan and foreign forces in Kunar, Nangarhar, Kunduz, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Paktia and Helmand provinces, a statement from the ministry said.  

One Kalashnikov, 18 different weapons, a rocket launcher, a radio handset, 70 rounds, five landmines, 350 kilograms of explosives and two motorbikes were seized during the offensives.

According to the statement, 144 kg of heroin were seized by counternarcotics police in southern Zabul province. Two kidnappers were held in eastern Nangarhar province, bordering Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber tribal region.

In central Maidan Wardak, four militants were killed in the Baghak area of Syedabad district on Sunday night, said Shahidullah Shahid, the governor's spokesman. He told Pajhwok Afghan News another rebel was injured in the raid.

He said security forces opened fire on armed robbers in Kaj Qala area on Kabul-Kandahar highway, injuring six of them. He said two stolen vehicles were also captured from them.

In western Farah province, three rebels were killed and five others injured in the Nangabad village of Khak-i-Safid district on Sunday night, said Abdul Khaliq Noorzai, the town's administrative head. The clash took place after the fighters attacked a police check-post.

A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, said several policemen were killed in the Nangabad assault. He would not go into details.

Another guerrilla was killed in Bala Baluk district, said Abdul Rahman Zhwandai, the governor's spokesman.

Elsewhere, a Pakistani citizen was detained on the charge of plotting an attack on the Pul-i-Charkhi prison on the eastern outskirts of Kabul, the interior ministry said. The detainee was identified as Tarifullah, son of Wali Gul, a resident of Swabi district.

A member of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam party for the past seven years, Gul confessed to receiving militant training in Mardan district. He was allegedly involved in roadside bomb attacks on Afghan and international troops in eastern Nangarhar province.

from Pajhwok
by Pajhwok ReportonSep 17, 2012 - 16:25   

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R.I.P. - Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible, Sgt. Bradley W. Atwell

DOD Identifies Marine Casualties
            The Department of Defense announced today the death of two Marines who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

            They died Sept. 15, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

            Killed were:

            Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible, 40, of Huntingdon, Pa., assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 211, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); and

            Sgt. Bradley W. Atwell, 27, of Kokomo, Ind., assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

            This incident is under investigation.

            For additional information on these Marines, news media representatives may contact 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing public affairs at 928-269-3609.

---
from yumasun:

Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible
The two Yuma-based Marines killed over the weekend in Afghanistan have been identified as Lt. Col. Christopher K. Raible and Sgt. Bradley W. Atwell.

Raible, 40, of Huntingdon, Pa., was the commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 211, while Atwell, 27, of Kokomo, Ind., was assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13. Both were part of Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

“The deaths of Lt. Col. Chris “Otis” Raible and Sgt. Bradley Atwell are a stark reminder of the selfless service and extraordinary sacrifices made by our Marines and Sailors and their families each and every day,” said Brig. Gen. Steven W. Busby, commanding general, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends and loved ones of those brave Marines. We will honor their memories and continue to support our Marines and Sailors still in the fight and their loved ones here at home.”

Raible commissioned in the Marine Corps May 21, 1995 and served as an AV-8B Harrier pilot. He deployed previously in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Air Medal-Strike/Flight (numeral 10), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (second award), Air Medal-Individual Action, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal (second award), and NATO Service Medal-International Security Assistance Force.

Sgt. Bradley W. Atwell
Atwell enlisted in the Marine Corps October 17, 2005, and served as an electrical systems technician.

His personal awards include the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (second award), Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and NATO Service Medal-International Security Assistance Force.

According to a report from NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the attack was well-coordinated. Six AV-8B Harrier jets were destroyed and two were badly damaged, according to the ISAF.  In addition, three refueling stations were destroyed and six soft-skin aircraft hangars were damaged.

Eight military members and one civilian contractor were wounded. Their injuries were reported as non-life-threatening.

“The insurgents appeared to be well equipped, trained and rehearsed,” ISAF Public Affairs said in a release.

Fifteen insurgents breached the perimeter of Camp Bastion in Helmand Province at about 10 p.m. (Afghanistan time) Friday and attacked the flight line with automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and suicide bomb vests, according to ISAF. They organized into three teams and penetrated at one point in the perimeter fence.

Coalition personnel returned fire and killed all but one of the known insurgents. The surviving insurgent was taken into custody and is receiving medical care.

Read more: http://www.yumasun.com/articles/marine-81810-aircraft-yuma.html#ixzz26lq0dypK

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