About 40 militants were killed in separate incidents in troubled parts of Afghanistan in operations by Afghan forces with the support of international military air power, officials said Tuesday.
United States-led coalition forces bombed a Taliban gathering in Giro district in central Ghazni province early on Tuesday, killing 22 militants and wounding another eight, provincial spokesman Ismail Jahangir told AFP. The coalition confirmed the operation but only said "several militants" were killed. Two other rebels were slain in a firefight with Afghan soldiers elsewhere the same day, Jahangir said.
Separately, 10 Taliban, including a local commander, were killed Tuesday in another Ghazni district in an operation carried out by the Afghan army, police and coalition forces, district police chief Faiz Muhammad Tophan told AFP. Ghazni, which lies on the road between Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar, has experienced a surge in Taliban-linked unrest in the past year amid rising violence in other parts of the wartorn country.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Afghans must command: Foreign troops led by NATO and the US military in Afghanistan should come under the command of the Afghan government, otherwise the war will drag on, a government-owned newspaper said on Tuesday.
There's a winning strategy.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
07/30/2008 7:34 Comments ||
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#2
Cause it work so well before, and before that, and before before that....
Turkish police detained three teenagers in connection with two bomb blasts in a packed Istanbul square, a newspaper reported on Monday. The blasts killed 17 people and injured more than 150 in the deadliest attack in Turkey in almost five years. A newspaper reported on its web site that three teens, aged 16 and 17, were found late on Sunday in the basement of an apartment close to the explosions following a tip from residents. The paper reported the three claimed they hid in the basement because they were frightened from the explosions. It did not cite sources but Turkish police often leak information to newspapers. Authorities on Monday raised the death toll from the explosions to 17.
The city's governor called it a "terror attack" but officials did not blame any specific group and no one immediately claimed responsibility. A television channel,citing security sources, said police suspect Kurdish rebels may be behind it because intelligence reports had suggested the rebels were planning a bombing campaign in Turkish cities. "There is no doubt that this is a terror attack," Governor Muammer Guler told reporters.
The first bomb went off in the residential neighbourhood of Gungoren in a busy square closed to traffic where people congregate at night, witnesses said. A number of people rushed over to help the victims when a second, more powerful blast hit close by about 10 minutes after the first. Many of the casualties were from the second explosion, witnesses said. "The fact that there was a crowd in the area has increased the number of casualties," the governor said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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Pakistani forces on Wednesday lobbed heavy 82 mm mortar shells at Indian positions across the Line of Control in Northern Kashmir, marking a major esclation just a day after India conveyed its strong concerns over mounting ceasefire violations.
Six mortar shells were fired at BSF positions in two bursts in a span of one hour from 1130 on wednesday morning in Nowgam sector of Baramulla district, just miles away from the border post which had wittnessed heavy exchange of fire on Tuesday.
The mortar shells fell just short of the Nerian post being manned by BSF personnel.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: john frum ||
07/30/2008 10:13 ||
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#1
If the Paks manage to create a localized crisis at the LOC - artillery duels etc.. they will be able to play it up in their media.
That gets the jihadis enraged and diverts them from attacks in Pakistan proper and towards Indian Kashmir.
That also allows the Paks to point to the deteriorating situation on the Indian border as an excuse not to use their forces for counterinsurgency duties at the Afghan border.
Posted by: john frum ||
07/30/2008 10:31 Comments ||
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#2
That also allows the Paks to point to the deteriorating situation on the Indian border as an excuse not to use their forces for counterinsurgency duties at the Afghan border.
Posted by: john frum
John, your analysis, as always, is spot-on. The one thing I worry about is India getting tired of these constant pin-pricks and just clobbering the He$$ out of the Pak army. That would leave a monstrous power vacuum that the Taliban wouldn't hesitate to try to fill. Things could get pretty nasty over there, if that happens.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
07/30/2008 13:57 Comments ||
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#3
India isn't taking the bait. They are waiting for the US pressure to compel Pakistan to reorient its army to counterinsurgency duties. General Kayani doesn't want to oblige however.
An outcome where the Pak army is forced to become a police COIN force would be sweet revenge for the Indians.
That may be worth taking some casualties from LOC firing and Hospital bombings.
It will take far greater Pak atrocities to compel the Indian leadership to act. Mass civilian deaths (in the hundreds or thousands) would do it.
Or a Pak capture of Indian positions on the LOC.
Posted by: john frum ||
07/30/2008 14:05 Comments ||
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#4
It will take far greater Pak atrocities to compel the Indian leadership to act.
Since the Pakis feel they've USA by the balls over Afghan logistics, what won't take too long.
Islamic terrorists operating in Indian Kashmir got sloppy with their cell phone use, and destroyed a valuable support network that included some local Moslem politicians. Counter-terrorism forces monitored cell phone traffic, and some conversations in Kashmir revealed a terrorist network that included some local Moslem politicians. The terrorists had developed security procedures for using their cell phones, but Indian intelligence eventually identified who was using the phones and for what. Improved Indian cell phone monitoring methods were suspected by the terrorists, but they became obvious when some local politicians were implicated in providing cell phones, and other assistance, to the terrorists.
Posted by: ed ||
07/30/2008 09:53 ||
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#1
There's your Moderate Muslims in action. Working & funding the dumbasses who explode from behind the curtain.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
07/30/2008 11:26 Comments ||
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#4
Counter-terrorism forces monitored cell phone traffic, and some conversations in Kashmir revealed a terrorist network that included some local Moslem politicians
Absolute RUBBISH! This never happens, it's against all Geneva accords, international law and very discriminatory and un-Islamic. On top of all of that, it't technologically impossible! So there, no worries whatsoever.
#5
The headline reminded me of all the times I've felt like beating inconsiderate cell phone users to death with their own phones, or at least jamming them where the sun doesn't shine.
Pakistani soldiers violated the cease-fire in Kashmir on Wednesday, shooting across the heavily fortified frontier in the Himalayan region for the second time in three days, the Indian army said.
The Pakistanis opened fired just before noon but Indian forces did not shoot back, said Lt. Col. Anil Kumar Mathur, the Indian army spokesman in Kashmir. No casualties were reported, he said.
Indian and Pakistani soldiers traded gunfire for more than 12 hours between Monday night and Tuesday morning, the worst violation of a 2003 cease-fire agreement between the nuclear-armed neighbors. One Indian soldier and four Pakistanis were killed in that incident.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: john frum ||
07/30/2008 08:18 ||
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The local Taliban in the restive valley in the North West Frontier Province has killed three Pakistani intelligence personnel in an attack. Gunmen opened fire at the pick-up truck in which the personnel were travelling in Matta sub-district late on Monday evening. Two other intelligence personnel were injured in the attack.
Claiming responsibility for the attack, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Muslim Khan said that the action was carried out in "retaliation" for the arrest of several Taliban fighters.
Security forces had subjected the arrested persons to torture and one of them was being treated in a local hospital, Khan alleged. He also claimed that the Taliban wanted to capture the intelligence personnel alive but that they were killed "while offering resistance".
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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Two men, stated to be operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba, were arrested from Raghunathganj in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Tuesday. Gelatin sticks and incriminating documents were seized from them.
One of the men, who was a cloth merchant, was suspected to be a long time operative of the militant outfit and liaised between its activists in Bangladesh and India, an official of the Criminal Investigation Department said here. The other person arrested was a teacher in a local school.
The men were arrested following a tip-off by the CID who got to learn of their activities from an activist of the outfit who was recently arrested in Kashmir. They were in touch with militants in Nepal and Bangladesh. A laptop was also seized from them.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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Security forces late on Tuesday re-launched an operation in Swat after Taliban militants kidnapped 30 security forces personnel from a checkpost in Swat Valley, a day after killing three intelligence officials, sources said.
The decision to launch operation 'Rah-e-Haq phase-II' in Swat was taken in a meeting between the NWFP governor and chief minister at the Governor's House, Geo News reported.
Earlier a security official told AFP on condition of anonymity that Taliban attacked a police station in the Kabal area of Swat and kidnapped 11 police and 19 Frontier Corps troops on Tuesday morning.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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Security forces on Tuesday pounded Taliban positions after militants seized a Pakistan Television booster in Bajaur Agency, authorities said. Bajaur Scouts troops used artillery to bomb a hilltop in the Koi Sar area where armed Taliban had taken control of the booster, a local journalist said by telephone from Khar. The Taliban withdrew after the artillery shelling, the authorities said. Armed Taliban had taken control of the booster in Bajaur on Monday. Tribal elders held a series of talks with the Taliban on Monday and Tuesday in a jirga formed to try to win back control of the device but the militants had refused to renounce their hold of the device.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
Does anyone know what channel on DirectTV that Taliban network is on?
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
07/30/2008 7:37 Comments ||
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#2
666?
Posted by: Bin thinking again ||
07/30/2008 9:06 Comments ||
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Security forces on Tuesday arrested 10 militants after an exchange of fire from parts of Dera Bugti.
Local police sources told APP that the militants were taken into custody during a search operation in Dera Bugti.
Meanwhile, unidentified militants opened fire with automatic weapons at a checkpost in Ghori Sangsila in Dera Bugti district. Also on Tuesday, police seized a huge cache of explosives from a house in Dera Murad Jamali.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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Security forces on Tuesday conducted a search of madrassa of a top Taliban commander, Jalaluddin Haqqani, in the North Waziristan Agency but no arrests were made, a security official said.
I'da been surprised if there had been.
Hundreds of Frontier Corps and Levies personnel raided Mumba-e-Uloom and carried out the search for two hours from 2pm to 4pm, but found it to be abandoned.
They got this phone call, y'see, and everybody left. Then the cops showed up.
The seminary is located in Danday Darpa Khel, half a kilometre north of Miranshah, the agency headquarters.
It should be, but isn't, nailed by Predators on a near-daily basis.
The search, the first of its kind in a year after a peace agreement was signed with militants in the area, was carried out after reports that militants had taken shelter in the building.
#1
I know that they still have a way to go but something like this has got to make some neighbors really nervous. I would think surrounding countries would pay us to stay.
The operation now under way to clear enemies from Iraq's Diyala province is Iraqi-conceived, Iraqi-planned and Iraqi-led, a senior coalition officer said today.
U.S. Army Brig. Gen. David Perkins, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, along with Iraqi army spokesman Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, spoke with reporters at a Baghdad news conference.
Perkins said coalition forces will provide capabilities such as air support, helicopter support, some logistical support and engineer support for the operation in Diyala.
#1
Importantly, this is a Corps level operation, a final exam of Iraqi forces capabilities. You can bet your bottom dollar that US officers and senior NCOs are at Iraqi Corps HQ, writing furiously.
BAGHDAD - Nearly 50,000 Iraqi police and soldiers were involved in a U.S.-backed operation against al-Qaida in Iraq in one of its last major strongholds near the capital, a senior provincial official said Wednesday. The house-to-house search operations now focused on the Diyala provincial capital of Baquoba will be extended to rugged areas near the Iranian border, said Ibrahim Bajilan, the head of the regional council. The crackdown will take about two weeks "and then law will be imposed in all Diyala," Bajilan said by telephone, providing new details about the operation that began Tuesday. The Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, said that 35 "wanted insurgents" have been apprehended so far and a number of weapons seized.
Diyala has been one of the hardest provinces to control despite numerous military operations. Baquoba has enjoyed security improvements recently but continues to see attacks, such as twin suicide bombings that killed at least 28 people on July 15 and a number of suicide attacks carried out by female bombers. "We are not fighting an organized army but we are fighting terrorist groups hiding either in palm tree orchards or among civilians," al-Askari said, adding that the rugged nature of the big province further complicates the anti-insurgent effort.
The operations were primarily carried out by Iraqi security forces in the latest display of Iraq's readiness to take over its own security and enable American troops to eventually withdraw. The U.S. military was providing intelligence, fire support and logistics as Iraqi forces gradually assumed front-line roles, a factor that contributed to sharp decrease in the number of U.S. troop deaths this year.
Continued on Page 49
#1
This operation resembles some of the US operations in defeated Nazi Germany after VE day, where tens of thousands of US troops went house-to-house looking for weapons. This type of operation had to happen eventually, am glad the Iraqis are doing it.
#2
The U.S. military was providing intelligence, fire support and logistics
And these are the hardest part of modern military operational art to master. They are what seperates third world armies from western ones.
Once the Iraqis place the emphasis on this that we do, and train these branches up (as well as general staff officers), they will be well on the way to being the best and most professional military in the region.
#3
OS, as you know, probably better than me, the fire support is primarily a need for manpower, training and equipment. The intelligence and especially the logistics is affected by tribalism and corruption and will be the greatest challenge.
#4
Who in the Middle East sees a strong Iraqi military and police as a destabilizing force? Iran, the various gangs and militias in Iraq do for starters. But how threatened do the Saudis, Syrians, Jordanians,Turks, and even the Israelis feel? A powerful and rich(12mil barrels of oil per day and rising) group of Shiites and Kurds changes the lanscape considerably. Oh, democratic ones at that. There will be consequences. Any thoughts from OldSpook and some of the other experts?
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
07/30/2008 16:45 Comments ||
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#5
A strong Iraqi military and efficient police force is very destabalizing for Iran and to a lesser extent Syria. I doubt the Gulf Arabs will have much of a problem with Iraq as their protector. As will Jordan, a much stable place than many assume. Saudi Arabia will be less happy, but I don't see Iraq meddling in SA internal affairs any time soon.
(VOI) -- Iraqi security forces arrested 20 wanted men, seized weapons and defused 10 bombs in Diala within large security campaign waged in the province on Tuesday, the media adviser of the defense ministry said. "Iraq army and police forces arrested 20 wanted men, in accordance to arrest warrants, during crackdown operations launched in Diala within the large-scale campaign," General Mohammed al-Askari told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI). "The forces also found a house bomb, defused 10 explosive charges, and seized large amounts of weapons and ammunitions," he added.
A media official in the province's ground forces command had earlier said that local authorities in Diala on Tuesday imposed an indefinite curfew within preparations for a large-scale military operation to track down gunmen of al-Qaeda network. The curfew was imposed in the early hours of Tuesday for the operation to be launched by joint Iraqi-U.S. troops," the source, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity, told the VOI.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
I've noticed over the past few months that large numbers of bad guys have been arrested while few have been getting killed. Does this mean they are not resisting? Are there fewer crazies left?
(VOI) -- Iraqi police forces arrested three members of the self-styled Ansar al-Sunnah group during a security operation in downtown Kirkuk city, a local police chief said on Tuesday.
"Last night, a police force conducted a raid-and-search campaign in Gharnata neighborhood, downtown Kirkuk, and arrested three members of the so-called Ansar al-Sunnah, including one wanted by the security apparatus," Brigadier Sarhad Qadir told Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).
The Ansar al-Sunnah, or Supporters of Sunnah (the Prophet Muhammad's tradition), is an armed group working under the banner of al-Qaeda's Islamic state of Iraq. It is active in the northern regions of Iraq, particularly in Ninewa and Kirkuk.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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(VOI) -- Policemen in Ninewa province killed a suicide bomber before ramming his explosive vehicle into his targeted police checkpoint west of Mosul city on Tuesday, a security source said. "A suicide bomber driving his explosives-rigged vehicle in the direction of a checkpoint in Zammar district, (70 km) west of Mosul, was killed when policemen opened fire at it," the source, who requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq -- Voices of Iraq -- (VOI).
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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(Xinhua) -- Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebels holed up in Mount Qandil region of northern Iraq Tuesday, said the Turkish military.
Turkish General Staff said in a statement posted on its website that a group of 30-40 militants of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) were spotted in and outside a cave used as a hide-out in Qandil region in northern Iraq. The safe house was destroyed in the air strike, said the army, adding that the number of PKK rebels killed in the operation could not be confirmed till now.
The statement also said another target was hit by Turkish fighter jets in Zap region.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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Prep for another "holy mission"?
Gaza - Ma'an - Six Hamas activists were injured on Tuesday night in an explosion that hit Al-Qadissiyyeh, a Hamas military training camp in Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Training camp? "Okay, men. This is how ya blow up."
Residents told Ma'an that they believed the explosion to be the result of an accident in the camp rather than a hostile attack. Hamas has not accused any political faction for the incident. Nope. Just another day at Hamas Training Camp. Nuthin to see here... Continued on Page 49
Two terrorists militants linked to al-Qaeda were killed in a clash with government troops in a southern Philippine town, a navy spokesman said Wednesday. Marines Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo said fighting erupted late Tuesday when patrolling marines encountered Abu Sayyaf rebels in Tipo-Tipo town in Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila. Arevalo said more troops, backed up by helicopter gunships, were dispatched to the area to pursue the jihadis rebels.
Posted by: ryuge ||
07/30/2008 06:05 ||
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(Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan military said two government soldiers were injured Tuesday morning in the northern Jaffna peninsula as Tamil Tiger rebels violated their self-declared ceasefire and launched artillery attacks against government positions.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fired about 10 rounds of heavy artillery at the troops' Muhamalai Forward Defense Line between 6 a.m. (1230 GMT) and 6:30 a.m. (0100 GMT) local time.
"Two soldiers have sustained injuries due to the attack," said the statement.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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A Fatah military commander was seriously wounded in an explosion on Tuesday in a Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon, a medic said after a Palestinain official had earlier said he had been killed. Talal al-Asmar "had surgery to the feet legs and is in stable condition," doctor Yehiya Shehab of the Labib Medical Centre in the southern port city of Sidon, outside Ain el-Helweh camp, told AFP.
Asmar was still scheduled to have eye surgery, the doctor added.
I'll ante up for the eye patch ...
Earlier a Palestinian official had said that Asmar, who belongs to the Fatah faction loyal to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, had been killed in a bomb attack in the sprawling camp. That report was later contradicted by another Palestinian official who said that Asmar was "seriously wounded in the head and the body" and "in critical condition" after undergoing surgery.
Rats.
According to Palestinian officials the bomb that targeted Asmar was activated by remote control and exploded outside a Fatah office in Ain el-Helweh.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
07/30/2008 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
About 40 militants were killed in separate incidents in troubled parts of Afghanistan in operations by Afghan forces with the support of international military air power, officials said Tuesday.
Turkish police detained three teenagers in connection with two bomb blasts in a packed Istanbul square, a newspaper reported on Monday. The blasts killed 17 people and injured more than 150 in the deadliest attack in Turkey in almost five years. A newspaper reported on its web site that three teens, aged 16 and 17, were found late on Sunday in the basement of an apartment close to the explosions following a tip from residents. The paper reported the three claimed they hid in the basement because they were frightened from the explosions. It did not cite sources but Turkish police often leak information to newspapers. Authorities on Monday raised the death toll from the explosions to 17.
The local Taliban in the restive valley in the North West Frontier Province has killed three Pakistani intelligence personnel in an attack. Gunmen opened fire at the pick-up truck in which the personnel were travelling in Matta sub-district late on Monday evening. Two other intelligence personnel were injured in the attack. 
Security forces late on Tuesday re-launched an operation in Swat after Taliban militants kidnapped 30 security forces personnel from a checkpost in Swat Valley, a day after killing three intelligence officials, sources said. 
Security forces on Tuesday pounded Taliban positions after militants seized a Pakistan Television booster in Bajaur Agency, authorities said. Bajaur Scouts troops used artillery to bomb a hilltop in the Koi Sar area where armed Taliban had taken control of the booster, a local journalist said by telephone from Khar. The Taliban withdrew after the artillery shelling, the authorities said. Armed Taliban had taken control of the booster in Bajaur on Monday. Tribal elders held a series of talks with the Taliban on Monday and Tuesday in a jirga formed to try to win back control of the device but the militants had refused to renounce their hold of the device.
Security forces on Tuesday conducted a search of madrassa of a top Taliban commander, 
The operation now under way to clear enemies from Iraq's Diyala province is Iraqi-conceived, Iraqi-planned and Iraqi-led, a senior coalition officer said today. 
(Xinhua) -- Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebels holed up in Mount Qandil region of northern Iraq Tuesday, said the Turkish military. 
A Fatah military commander was seriously wounded in an explosion on Tuesday in a Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon, a medic said after a Palestinain official had earlier said he had been killed. Talal al-Asmar "had surgery to the 
