Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Mali: UN Blacklists MUJAO

Nouakchott — Security Council sanctions aim to put pressure on the Mali-based terror group.

The UN Security Council last Wednesday (December 5th) sanctioned al-Qaeda splinter group Movement for Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO).


Under the resolution, "UN member states have to freeze the assets of groups and individuals on this black list, impose a ban on arms sales and a travel ban on all of its members," according to AFP.

The UN said that the MUJAO had seized heavy machine guns, rocket propelled grenades, explosives and other military equipment from Mali military arsenals since moving into the country.

"The MUJAO's leaders are known to be drug traffickers, involved in the drug trade in the Sahel," the UN statement added.

Following the passage of the UN resolution, MUJAO leaders Hamada Ould Mohamed Kheirou of Mauritania and Ahmed al-Talmasi of Algeria were put on international lists of known terrorists.

A source close to Kheirou's family spoke to Magharebia on December 9th.

"He belongs to the Tagounanet tribe in Lebeiratt, Trazra province, in southeast Mauritania. He joined al-Qaeda in 2003 when he left to fight against international forces in Iraq. He climbed the ladder in al-Qaeda until he became the head of the Sharia committee, and was later appointed as head of the judiciary council in Gao after MUJAO controlled the city," the source said under condition of anonymity.

According to analyst al-Mokhtar al-Salem, "the area of Lebeiratt - from where Ould Mohamed Kheirou hails - is also the home of the great Mauritanian scholar Lemjidry Ould Hob Allah, who brought Wahhabism to the East in the 19th century".

"The people around here don't think the resolution changed anything," journalist Osman Mohamed Osman said.

"The MUJAO hasn't denied its relations with al-Qaeda and its leaders realise that they have been a target for the hostility of all Western and regional forces since the formation of the group," journalist Osman Mohamed Osman said.

"Anyway, this resolution can be seen as important as far as the procedural and moral aspects only are concerned, as it's already known that regional countries weren't selling arms to MUJAO and weren't dealing amicably with their elements," Osman said.

The MUJAO first appeared after the kidnapping of three humanitarian workers at a Western Sahara refugee camp in October, 2011. AQIM and MUJAO are currently holding at least 13 foreign hostages, including the Algerian diplomats kidnapped in Gao.

from allAfrica/Magharebia
By Jemal Oumar, 10 December 2012

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In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 20 Taliban Killed, 2 mine planters arrested (11.Dec.2012.)



Publish Date: Dec 11, 2012
In Several Joint Clearance Operations, 20 Armed Taliban Killed

Counterterrorism:
During the past 24 hours, Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces launched eight joint clearance operations in Sar-e-Pul, Balkh, Kandahar, Maidan Wardak, Logar, Khost, Paktiya and Helmand provinces.

As a result of these operations, 20 armed Taliban were killed, one wounded and 31 others were arrested by Afghan National Security Forces.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated 60 kilos of opium, one rocket launcher, one PKM machine gun, six different types of weapons, four radio handsets, 2000 light rounds, four different types of mines, two hand grenades, seven motorcycles and one vehicle.

Additionally, Afghan National Police discovered and defused two anti-vehicle mines as a result of security operations in Kunar and Jowzjan provinces yesterday.
 
Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained nine suspects accused of trafficking and theft in the Qara Bagh, 4th, 9th and 17th Districts of Kabul-City.
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Publish Date: Dec 11, 2012
Afghan National Police Arrests Two Armed Taliban Mine Planters

Afghan National Police arrested two armed Taliban mine planters with an anti-vehicle mine while they were placing an anti-vehicle mine in the Garma region, Trinkot City capital of Uruzgan province yesterday.

IEDs inflict the heaviest casualties to the innocent civilians every day.

Ministry of Interior Affairs praises the good work of ANP in securing the people of Afghanistan and appreciated people’s cooperation in sharing information with Afghan National Security forces.


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Dec. 11., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan and coalition forces killed the Taliban leader Allah Nur and detained three suspected insurgents during a security operation in Baghlan-e-Jadid district, Baghlan province, yesterday.

Allah Nur controlled more than a dozen insurgents and was responsible for improvised explosive device attacks in Baghlan-e-Jadid. He also oversaw the transportation and distribution of weapons and ammunition for insurgents in the district.

During the operation, the security force seized homemade explosives and other IED-making materials and several rocket propelled grenades.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator and detained two suspected insurgents during an operation in Nad ‘Ali district, Helmand province, today. The facilitator oversaw the shipment and transfer of weapons and ammunition, and procured and distributed improvised explosive devices to insurgents in the district.

East

During a security operation in Qarghahi district, Laghman province, Sunday, Afghan and coalition forces killed the Taliban leader, Amin Jan, and three other insurgents. Amin Jan was directly involved in the kidnapping of a US aid worker in Kabul Dec. 5.

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Dec. 11., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces killed seven insurgents, detained eight, and cleared one improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Dec. 10.

Ghazni province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained seven insurgents during an engagement in Gelan district. The detained suspects were transferred to a base for questioning.

Khowst province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared one IED in Paktya district.

Logar province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces detained one insurgent during an engagement in Pul-e-alam district. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Nuristan province
Afgahan Border Police killed seven insurgents during an engagement in Barge-E Matal district.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Gunmen kill Yemeni intelligence official

Map of the modern state of Yemen. Map of Yemen...
Map of Yemen.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Unknown gunmen on motorbikes killed a high-ranking Yemeni intelligence official in the southeastern province of Hadramout early Tuesday, a police officer told Xinhua.
Colonel Ahmed Baramda, assistant director of Intelligence Bureau, was killed by the masked gunmen riding motorbikes when he was standing near his home in Mukalla city, capital of Hadramout province, the local police officer said on condition of anonymity.

"Colonel Ahmed Baramda was shot in the head by unknown assailants in Mukalla city," the police source said.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the drive-by shooting. A government official told Xinhua anonymously that "we don't know who is exactly involved in this armed attack but we have ordered the inquiry to find out the culprits."

Just a few hours after the incident, security forces were swiftly deployed across several neighborhoods in Hadramout province, witnesses said.

In January 2009, al-Qaida affiliates in Saudi Arabia and Yemen officially merged and formed Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula ( AQAP).

The group, mainly entrenching itself in Yemen's southern provinces of Abyan and Shabwa, is on the terrorist list of the United States, which considers it as an increasing threat to national security.

The AQAP underscores the challenges faced by Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi who won support from major Yemeni political forces, the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Hadi is tasked with restoring security and stability to Yemen and putting an end to growing influence of al-Qaida that threatens daily oil shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

from XINHUA
2012-12-11 15:47:09

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