Daily Security Brief: November 21, 2011

FARAH(PAN): Three civilians were wounded when a remote-controlled bomb, attached to a motorcycle, went up in the western province of Farah on Monday, officials said.

The incident took place at around 8:15am when a convoy of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and police was passing the Shaheed Chowk (Martyrs Square) in Farah City, deputy police chief, Col. Mohammad Ghaus Malyar, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

He had no information about casualties, but a doctor in the surgical ward of the Farah Civil Hospital, Abdul Manan Rashidi, said that three injured people, including a child, had been brought to the hospital.

The child was seriously wounded by shrapnel that near his heart, he said.

As the convoy of ANA soldiers reached the square, the motorcycle was detonated, said a witness. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

–Mohammad Humayoon Zaheen

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KABUL, the alliance said on Monday.

The servicemember was killed late on Sunday following an improvised explosive device (IED) strike, the NATO-led force said in a brief statement.

In line with its policy, ISAF neither disclosed the nationality of the fallen soldier nor the exact location of the incident.

The UK Ministry of Defence said a British soldier was killed on Sunday by an explosion in southern Helmand province. The soldier was on patrol with Afghan security personnel when he was killed by an explosive device. His family has been informed.

Lt. Col. Gordon Mackenzie, the spokesman for Task Force in Helmand, said: “It is with a heavy heart that I must confirm the death of a soldier from the 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment after an explosion in the Jamal Kowi area of Nahr-i- Siraj in southern Helmand.”

Since 2001, at least 2,812 foreign soldiers, including 389 British troops, have been killed in the country.

–Javed Hamim Kakar

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KUNAR: Twelve Taliban militants, including a commander, were killed in an airstrike by international troops in the Manogai district of eastern Kunar province, the army and residents said on Monday.

The air raid was conducted by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in a mountainous area of Nanglam late on Monday, resident Zia Rahman told Pajhwok Afghan News.

He identified the dead rebel commander as Mullah Qadir Mohammad. Amir Wazir, a brother of the commander, was also killed in an ISAF bombardment six months ago.

Col. Mohammad Nawab, a commander of the Afghan National Army (ANA) battalion in the district, confirmed the attack. He quoted residents as saying that nine insurgents were killed in the bombing. There was no immediate word from Taliban and ISAF.

–Painda Hikmat & Abdul Mueed Hashimi

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KUNDUZ: Aliabad, Chardara and Archi districts of northern Kunduz province were cleared of militants during the first phase of an operation that concluded on Monday, security officials said.

The five-day offensive was jointly conducted by Afghan and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops in Lala Maidan, Sarak-i-Bala, Waziri and Mullah Qala villages, the provincial police chief told Pajhwok Afghan News. 

Brig. Gen. Samiullah Qatra said check-posts had been established in the areas, where nine landmines were defused.The troops suffered no casualties, said the Afghan National Army (ANA) commander in the northeastern zone, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Zaman Waziri. He added the vulnerable areas had been purged of militants, who were no longer in a position to attack security forces.

The second phase of the operation would soon get under way, Qatra said, adding that residents of the areas would be consulted on boosting security.

Welcoming the operation, residents asked officials to launch infrastructure development projects and provide work opportunities for them.

A resident of the Lala Maidan village, Mohammad Ali, said: “We have no access to potable water, electricity and health facilities. The government should resolve our problems, if it really needs our cooperation.”

Basic projects would be launched shortly with donors’ support, Governor Mohammad Anwar Jagdalak promised, saying: “It is the right of people to have basic civic amenities.”

—Wahidullah

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NURISTAN: Officials in eastern Nuristan province on Monday said six Taliban fighters were killed and as many detained during a five-hour joint operation by Afghan and foreign soldiers.

The six militants killed in Kama area of Kamdesh district included top insurgent Commander Shaheen, Governor Tamim Nuristani told Pajhwok Afghan News. The detainees were taken to a base of foreign troops.

But the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Media office said that the soldiers had killed seven guerrillas in the offensive.

No civilian was killed or wounded in the operation, which cleared Kamo and Kokia areas of rebels, said Idris Momand, a spokesman for the Afghan National Army (ANA) border brigade.

In northeastern Badakhshan province, two civilians were killed during a clash between supporters of two former commanders in the Keran Wa Manjan district. The clash occurred in the Anjuman area late on Sunday night, governor’s spokesman said.  One civilian was wounded in the clash, Abdul Maroof Rasikh added.

The gunbattle erupted between supporters of Abdul Malik and Ghulam Nasir, both former jihadi commanders, an intelligent official said on condition of anonymity.

In southwestern Farah, one insurgent was killed and another arrested as a result of a firefight with police. The incident took place when rebels attacked a police checkpoint in Khak-i-Safid district, said the deputy police chief, Col. Mohammad Ghaus Malyar.

–Tanha & Ramin

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ZABUL: Four civilians were injured when militants fired mortar shells into Arghandab district of southern Zabul province, an official said on Monday.

The insurgents hit the district centre with several shells late on Sunday, Deputy Governor Mohammad Jan Rasulyar told Pajhwok Afghan News.

He said the shells fell in a garden adjacent to the district centre, wounding four civilians. The injured, some of them in critical condition, were taken to a nearby hospital.

Separately, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops detained two people with alleged links to the Taliban during an operation in Qalat.

The ISAF media office said the detainees provided explosives and other materials to the fighters. The deputy governor confirmed the operation, but had no information about the detainees. 

–Nasim Hotak

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