War News for Thursday, May 13, 2010

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier in a small arms fire attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, May 12th.

NATO is reporting the death of an ISAF soldier in an IED attack in an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, May 12th.


Distrust of Afghan Leaders Threatens U.S. War Strategy:

Mysterious Blight Destroys Afghan Poppy Harvest:

Pentagon rethinking value of major counterinsurgencies:


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: A late night car bomb that tore through a cafe in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood appears to have detonated prematurely, killing three suspected militants riding inside, police said Thursday. The death toll from the blast, excluding the three suspected militants, rose to nine, according to police and medical officials. Police had initially said it was a parked car bomb, but subsequent reports revealed the minibus was moving when it exploded and three bodies were found inside, suggesting they were headed to another target inside the densely populated district of at least 2 million.

#2: Also Thursday, a roadside bomb exploded near a police patrol in Baghdad's downtown al-Nahda square, killing a bystander and wounding eight others, including five policemen, according to security and medical officials.

#3: Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and seven more were injured in an improvised explosive device blast in southern Baghdad on Thursday, a police source said. “The bomb went off on Thursday afternoon (May 13) while army personnel were attempting to defuse it on the road near al-Mahmoudiya region, southern Baghdad, killing two soldiers and injuring seven,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Diyala Prv:
#1: Unknown gunmen kidnapped two brothers on Wednesday north of Baaquba city.

#2: Chief of the Diala police survived an attempt on his life on Thursday in central Baaquba, according to a police source. “An improvised explosive device went off on Thursday morning targeting the chief of the Diala police, Colonel Salam al-Zuheiri, while on duty in central Baaquba, damaging his vehicle,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#3: Five persons from the same family were wounded on Thursday in a bomb explosion to the east of Baaquba, a police source said. “An explosive charge was detonated on Thursday (May 13) near a civilian car on the al-Saadiya-Mendli road in east of Baaquba, injuring five family members,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, pointing out that the father is a cop.


Kut:
#1: Unknown gunmen kidnapped a student in front of Wassit university in central Kut on Wednesday, according to a security source. “Gunmen kidnapped the student while leaving the university in central Kut on Wednesday (May 12),” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Mosul:
#1: Al-Mosuliya satellite channel’s employee was killed on Wednesday by gunmen in eastern Mosul, according to a security source. “Unknown gunmen killed on Wednesday evening (May 12) Maher Mohammad Saeed, al-Mosuliya channel’s employee, near his house in al-Zahraa neighborhood in eastern Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “They killed him while leaving the mosque,” he noted.


Al Anbar Prv:
#1: A sticky bomb went off on Thursday in central Falluja, without leaving casualties, a police source said. “A bomb, stuck to a policeman’s car, went off in al-Joulan neighborhood in central Falluja, without casualties,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: In one of the overnight strikes, special forces in three helicopters swarmed in on insurgents who had attacked a volunteer security force near the northern town of Kunduz, two regional police officials said. The troops killed 31 insurgents, said provincial police Chief Gen. Abdul Razaq Yaqoubi.

#2: Separately, in the southeastern Ghazni province, NATO and Afghan forces stormed three villages in Qarabagh district, killing 14 militants, said provincial police chief Khial Baz Sherzai.

#3: In southern Afghanistan, Afghan forces partnered with international troops arrested at least 14 insurgents Wednesday in the Now Zad district of Helmand province, said Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for the provincial governor. He said the Taliban were captured and their weapons were seized after troops received a tip that they were holed up in a small house.


DoD: Cpl. Jeffery W. Johnson

DoD: Sgt. Kenneth B. May, Jr.