War News for Friday, August 20, 2010

The AP is reporting the deaths of three ISAF soldiers in two separate IED attacks in undisclosed areas of southern Afghanistan on Thursday, August 19th and Friday, August 20th.


Mission assassination in Afghanistan


Reported security incidents

Baghdad:
#1: Two civilians were killed and another one was wounded in a bomb explosion in southern Baghdad, a security source said on Friday. “An explosive charge went off on Friday morning (Aug. 20) in al-Mikanik neighborhood in al-Doura region, southern Baghdad, killing two civilians and injuring another one and damaging a number of nearby stores,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Kirkuk:
#1: “Gunmen in a vehicle attacked a checkpoint of the Kurdish security forces in the area of al-Wasiti, southern Kirkuk,m leaving an asayesh soldier wounded,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The checkpoint guards fired back, killing one gunman and wounding another,” he added.

#2: A soldier was shot dead by gunmen fire in southern Kirkuk city on Thursday, according to a source from the Joint Coordination Center (JCC). “Unidentified gunmen in a BMW vehicle with unknown number plates attacked an Iraqi army soldier from the 12th Division off a shopping mall in southern Kirkuk, killing him instantly,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.


Mosul:
#1: Three improvised explosive devices went off successively targeting Iraqi judges and forces, leaving four soldiers wounded in central Mosul city on Thursday, a security source said. “Two IEDs went off in unison near a motorcade of judges in al-Tayaran neighborhood, central Mosul, but left no casualties,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “A third IED went off minutes later in the same spot as Iraqi forces cordoned off the site, wounding two officers and two soldiers,” the source added. He said that the first two blats targeted a motorcade of three vehicles boarding judges of the Ninewa Criminal Court from the capital Baghdad while they were heading home in the fortified area near the Ninewa Operations Command (NOC) headquarters.

#2: A policeman was shot down by gunmen inside the Ibn al-Atheer fuel station in western Mosul,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The policeman, who belonged to a federal police checkpoint, came under gunmen fire inside the station,” he added.

#3: The same source said that the body of a peasant was found in the village of al-Humeira, al-Nimrod district, (40 km) southeastern Mosul. “The body, found on the banks of the River Tigris in the area, showed signs of having been shot in the head and chest,” he said.



Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: The force said it killed a woman during an operation late on Thursday aimed at capturing a Taliban commander in the eastern province of Khost. Chasing the suspect through walled compounds, the troops opened fire after seeing a gun pointing towards them from a room. The troops later found they had killed a woman, ISAF said in a statement. "Inside the room, they found one woman dead and another with a minor wound as a result of the gunfire. An AK-47 was next to the killed female," it said.

#2: In the south, authorities said the bodies of at least 12 people, possibly private security guards, were recovered following a fierce battle with the Taliban in Helmand province. Heavy gunbattles broke out between insurgents and guards working for a road construction company in volatile Sangin district on Thursday, provincial spokesman Daud Ahmadi told AFP. A dozen bodies were evacuated Friday to a hospital in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, he said. "We know that they were killed during yesterday's fighting with the Taliban. We don't know whether they are guards or workers," he said.


DoD: Lance Cpl. Kevin E. Oratowski

DoD: Sgt. 1st Class Edgar N. Roberts