Monday, March 11, 2013

At least 5 killed, 120 wounded in suicide attack on police HQ in N. Iraq

KIRKUK, Iraq, March 11 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and 120 wounded in a suicide car bomb attack targeting a police headquarters in a town at Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk on Monday, a provincial police source said.

The attack occurred in the morning when a suicide bomber blew up his explosive-laden car near the police headquarters in the town of al-Debis, some 45 km northwest of Kirkuk city, the capital of Kirkuk province, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Three of the killed were policemen and some 65 of the wounded were students in a nearby secondary school building, the source said.

The huge blast caused severe damages to the police headquarters as well as to the nearby school and a government building, the source added.

The toll could rise as many of the victims were evacuated by ambulances and civilian cars to several hospitals and medical centers in the city, he said.

The ethnically mix province of Kirkuk and its capital Kirkuk City, some 250 km north of Baghdad, are part of the disputed areas between the Kurds and both Arabs and Turkomans.

from XINHUA
 2013-03-11 17:29:52

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Five Mine Planters Killed and Arrested in Helmand and Uruzgan Provinces

Publish Date: Mar 11, 2013
Five Mine Planters Killed and Arrested in Helmand and Uruzgan Provinces

Four mine planters were killed by their own explosives while they were placing a roadside mine in the Gaw Band region, Grashk district of Helmand province yesterday at 10:30 Am.

In the meantime, Afghan National Police arrested a mine planter with an anti-vehicle mine and one remote control while he was placing an anti-vehicle mine in the Trinkot City capital of Uruzgan province yesterday.

from Ministry of Interior Affairs - Afghanistan



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In Several Joint Clearance Operations, Six Armed Taliban Killed (Mar.11.2013.)



Publish Date: Mar 11, 2013
In Several Joint Clearance Operations, Six Armed Taliban Killed

Counterterrorism:
In past 24 hours, Afghan National Police conducted several joint clearance operations with the cooperation of Afghan National Army, NDS and Coalition Forces to clean some of the areas from terrorists and enemies of peace and stability of Afghanistan.

The operations were conducted in Laghman, Faryab, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Paktiya and Helmand provinces, as a result six armed Taliban were killed, seven wounded and 13 other armed Taliban were arrested by Afghan National Security Forces.

Also, during these operations, Afghan National Police discovered and confiscated some amount of light and heavy rounds ammunitions and 22 anti-vehicle mines.

During the same 24 hour period, Afghan National Police discovered and defused 32 kilos of explosives in Nangarhar and Herat provinces.
 
Counter Crimes:
The 101 Kabul Zone National Police detained seven suspects accused of murder and theft in the 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th Districts of Kabul-City.
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7 militants killed by own bombs in Afghanistan


KABUL (PAN): Six Taliban men were killed when the explosives they possessed for making bombs exploded accidently inside a house in southern Helmand province, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Monday.

A seventh rebel was killed in a similar incident in the Panjwai district of neighouring Kandahar province, the ministry said in a statement.

The six militants were killed on Sunday in the Nahr-i-Siraj district and some others were wounded in the blast, the statement said, gave no figures for those wounded.

from Pajhwok

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Mar. 11., 2013. - ISAF Joint Command Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and detained one other insurgent during an operation in Nawah-ye Barakzai district, Helmand province, today.

The leader is accused of coordinating ambushes against Afghan and coalition forces and is believed to have a history of directing subordinate fighters to engage in attacks utilizing improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades and various other types of weaponry.

The security force also seized a stockpile of IED-making materials as a result of the operation.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

South

During an operation today in Arghandab district, Kandahar province, an Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and detained one other insurgent. The leader is believed to be an IED specialist with a cell of fighters under his command. He also has a significant history of procuring IED-making components, constructing IEDs, and distributing them to his subordinates for emplacement and use against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also seized 20 pounds of heroin as a result of the operation.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force detained an insurgent during an operation in search of a Taliban leader in Baraki Barak district, Logar province, today. The leader is alleged to be responsible for directing insurgent activity in Baraki Barak. He is also an influential figure in the Taliban network there, ordering IED operations in addition to direct and indirect fire attacks.

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Mar. 11., 2013. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained one suspected insurgent, killed one insurgent, found and safely cleared one improvised explosive devices and found one weapons cache during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, March 10.

Ghazni province
Afghan and coalition forces killed one insurgent during operations in the Dehyak district

Afghan National Security Forces found and safely cleared an IED during operations in the Ghazni district.

Afghan National Security Forces discovered a weapons cache during operations in the Ghazni district. The cache consisted of 22 rocket-propelled grenades, 13 82mm mortars, four radios, three pistols and two radio chargers.

Parwan province
Afghan and coalition forces detained a suspected insurgent during operations in the Bagram district. The suspected insurgent was taken to a base for questioning.

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Insider attack leaves 2 US troops, 3 Afghan police dead

Districts of Wardak.
Districts of Wardak. Jalrez in blue (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
According to local authorities in central-eastern Wardak province of Afgahnistan, at least two US troops and three Afghan security forces were killed after an Afghan police officer opened fire inside a police station.

Monday’s incident in Wardak province appears to be the latest in a series of insider attacks against coalition and Afghan forces.

This comes as the deadline for the withdrawal of US special forces from Wardak province has already ended on Sunday.

Abdul Razaq Quraishi deputy provincial police chief confirming the report said at least three Afghan police officers were killed following the
incident.

Coalition officials following a statement announced, ” A member of Afghan National Security Forces opened fire on ANSF and U.S. Special Forces in Jalrez District, Wardak Province, March 11.”

The sorce further added, “Members of the ANSF and USSF were wounded and the assailant, who committed this betrayal, was killed during the attack.

Members of ANSF and USSF secured the site and tended to the casualties following the attack. The wounded were evacuated by helicopter to multiple medical facilities to receive treatment and their conditions are currently unknown.

The names of the injured are being withheld pending notification of the next of kin. No civilian casualties or structure damage was reported during the attack. The reason for the attack is currently under investigation.”

Last year more than 60 Nato troops were killed by rogue members of the Afghan security forces.

from KHAAMABy Mirwais Adeel - 11 Mar 2013, 3:35 pm
---

ISAF Joint Command

US forces-Afghanistan casualties


KABUL, Afghanistan – Two U.S. forces-Afghanistan service members died in eastern Afghanistan today when an individual wearing an Afghan National Security Forces uniform turned a weapon on U.S. and Afghan forces.

It is USFOR-A policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the U.S. Department of Defense, who will release the names once next of kin have been notified.
---

from Pajhwok
By Hakim Basharat Mar 11, 2013 - 14:48

2 US troops, 3 local police killed in Jalrez clash


KABUL ( PAN ): Two US troops and three Afghan local policemen were killed during a clash apparently sparked by a suspected insider attack in the Jalrez district of central Maidan Wardak province, officials said on Monday.

An Afghan security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US special forces and the local policemen were conducting a joint operation in the district when a policeman turned his gun on the Americans, killing two of them and injuring four others.

Three local police members were killed when the troops returned fire, he said, adding the Jalrez district police chief, Col. Alauddin, was also wounded in the incident.

ISAF media office in Kabul confirmed an individual wearing an Afghan National Security Forces uniform turned his weapon on a group of Afghan and coalition service members, killing several ANSF and coalition servicemembers and wounding several others.

An ISAF statement said Afghan and coalition officials were looking into the circumstances of the incident. The force could not confirm if the Jalrez district police chief was in the vicinity at the time of the attack.

A uniformed man opened fire at Afghan and US Special Forces in Jalrez, wounding members of both Afghan and US forces, a separate ISAF statement said, adding the assailant was killed during the attack.

The joint forces secured the site and tended to the casualties following the attack and the wounded were evacuated by helicopter to multiple medical facilities to receive treatment and their conditions were currently unknown, it said.

The names of the injured were being withheld pending notification of the next of kin, the statement said. No civilian casualties or structure damage was reported. The reason for the attack is currently under investigation.

The Associated Press reported an Afghan police officer stood up in the back of a police pickup truck, grabbed hold of a machine gun and started firing at US special operations forces and Afghan police in the police compound.

The latest apparent insider attack comes as a deadline imposed by President Hamid Karzai for the US troops to leave the central province passed on Monday. It also comes when Karzai accused the US and the Taliban of plotting to prolong the war in Afghanistan.
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3 rebels killed in Faryab offensive

Districts of Faryab.
Districts of Faryab. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MAIMANA (PAN): Three militants were killed during a security operation by Afghan security forces in northern Faryab province on Sunday, an official said.

Another three rebels were injured in the early morning operation in the Quram Qul district, police spokesman Syed Masoud Yaqubi told Pajhwok Afghan News.

Two motorcycles, a rocket launcher and two pressure cookers filled with explosives were also seized during the offensive in Yousuf Mirzai and Alti Bolak areas, the district chief, Sultan Sanjar, said.

from Pajhwok
 
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Italy and Greece confirm hostages killed in Nigeria

(Reuters) - Seven foreign hostages kidnapped last month by a Nigerian Islamist group from a construction company compound have been killed, the Italian and Greek foreign ministries said on Sunday.

The al Qaeda-affiliated group Ansaru announced on Saturday that it had killed the hostages seized on February 7 in the northern state of Bauchi because of attempts by Nigerian and British forces to free them.

It published grainy photos purporting to show the bodies of a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers snatched from the Lebanese firm Setraco's premises.

Foreign governments had not been able to confirm the killings until Sunday. Italy and Greece denied that any attempt to rescue them had been made by any of the governments involved. Nigeria had no confirmation of the killings.

"Our checks conducted in coordination with the other countries concerned lead us to believe that the news of the killing of the hostages seized last month is true," an Italian Foreign Ministry statement said.

"There was never any military attempt to rescue the hostages by any of the governments concerned," it said, adding that the president had sent his condolences to the Italian's family.

William Hague names British hostage killed in Nigeria - Channel4News

The British foreign office named the British hostage as Brendan Vaughan. An intelligence source in Abuja named the Italian as Silvano Trevisan, adding that he had been suffering from hypertension and heart problems.

Security has become a top concern for oil and infrastructure companies across the region since gunmen loyal to al Qaeda's North African franchise stormed an Algerian natural gas plant in January. Up to 37 foreigners died during an attempted rescue mission by the Algerian armed forces.

The risk posed by Islamists across west and north Africa has soared since France sent troops to Mail to wrest control of its northern territory from al Qaeda-affiliated rebels.

Islamist groups have also spread across the north and centre of Nigeria, Africa's top oil producer, where they have become the main security threat after an amnesty ended an uprising by armed groups in the oil-producing southeastern Niger Delta.

Britain said it was "likely" the Briton was killed along with the six others, with Foreign Secretary William Hague saying: "This was an act of cold-blooded murder, which I condemn in the strongest terms."

Greece confirmed its citizen was dead, adding the Foreign Ministry had informed his family. Lebanon declined to comment.

Nigerian authorities continued to say they had no evidence, after doubting the veracity of the Ansaru statement on Saturday.

"We have launched a full investigation to find out what has really happened, but for now we really cannot way whether this report is true or not," Bauchi state police spokesman Hassan Mohammed Auyo said by telephone.

Continue & Read more from REUTERS
(Additional reporting by Inusa Jaba in Bauchi and Tim Cocks in Lagos; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
By Gavin Jones and Renee Maltezou
ROME/ATHENS | Sun Mar 10, 2013 8:21pm GMT


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10 al-Qaida members captured in southern Yemen

ADEN, Yemen, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's pro-government militiamen raided a terrorist cell and captured 10 al-Qaida members on Sunday in Yemen's southern province of Abyan, a tribal chief told Xinhua.

The militiamen destroyed an al-Qaida terrorist cell that was operating in Abyan's Jaar town and planning armed attacks against army posts in the region, the local tribal chief said on condition of anonymity.

"Our tribal fighters stormed an al-Qaida-held site in Jaar town and seized 10 terrorists along with three improvised explosive devices," the tribal source said.

Two of the al-Qaida members were behind an armed attack that targeted a post run by pro-government militiamen last week, according to the tribal chief.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida branch, known locally as Ansar al- Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), took advantage of a political upheaval in 2011 in Yemen to take over several towns of the southern restive regions.

The militants were targeted by Yemeni security authorities after a U.S.-backed offensive launched in Abyan province months ago routed the militants out of their strongholds they had controlled for nearly one year.

The Yemeni government has beefed up anti-terror operation since Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February 2012.

from XINHUA2013-03-11 06:41:52
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