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Regional Command Capital
Kabul
According to a NATO spokesman, NATO troops with air support launched a raid on Nov. 3. The target was a compound with eight to 10 suspected Taliban fighters inside, 40 miles northeast of Kabul.
On Nov. 8 it was reported that during the previous week four men were arrested in connection with bombings along the Old Russian Road north of Kabul. The operation was executed by Kabul City Police (KCP) with support from the International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF) new counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) cell.
Fifteen suspected militants were killed by NATO-led troops with air support in eastern Afghanistan on Nov. 9. One soldier was wounded when the insurgents attacked their patrol, initiating the clash.
An ISAF convoy spotted a suspicious civilian van on the Bagram road on Nov. 22. The convoy signaled the vehicle to stop by firing warning shots. The van crashed resulting in one death and four injuries.
Regional Command North
Badakhshan
No significant incidents were reported.
Baghlan
No significant incidents were reported.
Balkh
Wali Mohammad Ibrimiki, a drug trafficker and terrorist, was killed on Nov. 8 as he resisted arrest. The mission was led by ISAF forces with support from Afghan police.
Faryab
No significant incidents were reported.
Jowzjan
No significant incidents were reported.
Kondoz
No significant incidents were reported.
Samangan
No significant incidents were reported.
Sar-e Pol
No significant incidents were reported.
Takhar
No significant incidents were reported.
Regional Command West
Badghis
ISAF carried out a large scale relief mission on Nov. 20 to assist Afghans affected by severe flooding.
Farah
Relief supplies were delivered to those affected by recent flooding on Nov. 26.
Ghowr
A kindergarten was established by the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) section of the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) on Nov. 6. Additionally, four more police checkpoints were established on the main route into Chagcharan, the provincial capital.
A two-week midwife training course was completed by 40 Afghan women in Chagcharan on Nov 8. The course covered sexually transmitted diseases, nutrition, pregnancy and miscarriage.
Herat
It was reported on Nov. 16 that a recent attempt to disarm militias in five provinces, including Herat, has failed. UN officials claim that local officials and police refused to provide assistance. Additionally, according to a UN official, when asked for assistance the Karzai government replied, "We can't help you. Do it yourself."
On Nov. 20 the Herat PRT was completing construction of a school and pediatric hospital to serve the children of the province.
A suicide bomber killed a policeman in Herat on Nov. 29. The bomber drove his car into a police jeep.
Iran has been doing its share of reconstruction in Western Afghanistan, according to reports on Nov. 30. Recent projects include a 75-mile stretch of highway between the Iranian border and its main city, Herat, 10 schools and several clinics. Iran has pledged $560 million to help rebuild infrastructure and businesses and is investigating the possibility of building a rail line.
Regional Command South
Insurgent attacks and clashes with ISAF forces are a daily occurrence in Kandahar, Zabol and Oruzgan provinces. However, in the Musa Qala district of Helmand, NATO is trying a tribal approach.
Day Kundi
No significant incidents were reported.
Helmand
Nine militants were killed and 30 wounded by a NATO airstrike on Nov. 2.
Gabriele Torsello, an Italian photojournalist abducted three weeks prior, was released on Nov. 4. A phone call was made to aid workers signaling his freedom. After which, Torsello was found on a roadside in good health. Italy’s ambassador denies reports that a ransom was paid.
On Nov. 15 two civilians were killed and one injured when their civilian van approached an ISAF patrol at high speed, failing to stop when signaled. ISAF soldiers fired in self-defense. An investigation has been opened.
Women descended on the capital on Nov. 20 to report Taliban atrocities occurring in Helmand. They have requested better protection and seek the removal of weak regional officials.
According to reports on Nov. 21, Helmand remains a center of opium production, increasing 162 percent in the province, where Taliban ties are blatant. Production has risen 59 percent in 2006, overall.
One local national was killed on Nov. 26 when their vehicle was fired upon by ISAF troops after disregarding clear warning signals to stop.
A planned ISAF operation resulted in the seizure of a weapons cache including small arms, two suicide vests and rocket propelled grenades. The raid, executed on Nov. 30, was completed jointly by Afghan and ISAF forces.
Kandahar
An estimated 12 insurgents were killed by a NATO airstrike as they met on a rooftop in the Zhera district on Oct. 30.
An IED exploded Nov. 1 wounding three ISAF soldiers, whose convoy was caught in the blast. No civilian injuries were reported. Canadians normally patrol the area.
A suspect in the killing of Safia Amajan, the director of women’s affairs for Kandahar, has been arrested by Afghan police, it was announced on Nov. 1. The suspect is a former member of Hezb-e-Islami. Abdul Aziz confessed to the killing, saying he was promised $4,000 once the task was completed.
On Nov. 6 another ISAF convoy was struck by an IED while on patrol in Panjwayi district. One ISAF soldier was killed and two were wounded when the attack occurred.
During an attack on ISAF bases in Panjwayi on Nov. 20, a Taliban rocket struck and destroyed an Afghan home. ISAF forces mobilized to assist villagers affected by the attack.
The detonation of an anti-personnel mine injured two ISAF soldiers on a foot patrol in the Panjwayi district on Nov. 21.
On Nov. 25 in Panjwayi district, Afghan National Army (ANA) and ISAF forces endured several clashes with militants. Close air support killed approximately five insurgents. Three ISAF soldiers were wounded.
Sporadic attacks by insurgents remain constant in Panjwayi despite the successful slaying of 1,500 militants during Operation Medusa in September. On Nov. 27 several NATO bases came under fire from insurgents. No injuries were reported. NATO has now pledged $8 million to create a Taliban-proof zone in the Panjwayi and Zhari districts of Kandahar. Canadian troops continue to patrol the area heavily as NATO officers meet often with tribal elders.
Two Canadian soldiers and an Afghan civilian were killed by a suicide bomber who attacked a convoy on Nov. 27. Three NATO soldiers were wounded in another clash; after which, a NATO bombing killed 10 civilians, according to local residents.
Canadian troops patrolling Panjwayi noted on Nov. 27 that their Afghan counterparts have experience fighting but are still unable to handle more sophisticated weapons and lack experience in planning and logistics.
On Nov. 28 a joint ISAF and ANA patrol in Panjwayi fired upon a civilian vehicle which refused to stop despite warnings. One civilian was injured who later succumbed to the wounds.
A Canadian military convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber on a motorbike west of Kandahar on Nov. 29. Two civilians were wounded; no Canadian troops were injured.
Nimruz
No significant incidents were reported.
Oruzgan
A large number of militants attacked ISAF forces on Nov. 26 near Tarin Kwot. One ISAF soldier died and an estimated 50 insurgents were killed in the attack.
Zabol
A six-hour firefight ensued in the Daychopan district of Zabol on Oct. 30. Part of Operation Eagle, the NATO soldiers killed an estimated 55 insurgents. One NATO soldier was killed.
Regional Command East
On Nov. 20, Afghan troops were being readied for "extended patrols" in the combat zones of the east and south that border Pakistan as they prepared for active winter operations.
Bamian
No significant incidents were reported.
Ghazni
A suicide bombing wounded two NATO soldiers and killed one Afghan police officer on Oct. 31.
Construction of a well in the Center Bazaar of Gelan district was begun on Nov. 17. Local leaders have coordinated with ISAF on the project. It will be completed next month.
An ISAF security patrol drew fire from insurgents on Nov. 23. Troops responded with small arms fire and close air support. One ISAF soldier was killed and another wounded.
A single vehicle accident occurred on Nov. 30 as an ISAF unit was conducting a combat patrol. One ISAF soldier was killed when the vehicle rolled over.
Kapisa
No significant incidents were reported.
Khost
Taliban fighters attacked a supply convoy heading to a NATO base on Nov. 3. Two Pakistani drivers were killed and one Afghan was injured. The attack occurred on trucks in a mountainous area between Paktia and Khost provinces.
Konar
A roadside bomb wounded three NATO soldiers on Oct. 30.
Laghman
A new micro-hydro electrical power plant opened Nov. 2 which now supplies electricity to 300 homes.
Lowgar
A NATO patrol was struck by an IED on Nov. 29, killing two soldiers of undisclosed nationality. One soldier and one interpreter were wounded.
Nangarhar
No significant incidents were reported.
Nuristan
A NATO patrol in Weygal district on Oct. 31 struck a roadside bomb. Three NATO soldiers were killed and one wounded. Nationalities were not released; however, U.S. troops are the largest force in the area.
Two ISAF soldiers conducting a combat logistics patrol were injured on Nov. 26 after their truck rolled down an embankment. Both soldiers were wounded, one later died of his injuries.
Pakitika
A series of clashes occurred in Bermel district on Nov. 7. The ANA, with ISAF support, successfully overcame 25-30 militants. Three ANA, three ISAF soldiers and one interpreter were injured. Eighteen insurgents were reportedly killed.
Afghan National Police forces discovered an IED in a schoolhouse while conducting a security patrol on Nov. 13. The site was secured and bomb removal was coordinated with ISAF. No casualties were reported.
A suicide bombing at a restaurant killed 15 people and wounded 24, including an Afghan Special Forces commander and a district chief. The restaurant, attacked on Nov. 26, was destroyed and adjoining shops were damaged.
Paktia
Four schools are being refurbished by ISAF in Chamkani district, it was reported on
Nov. 7.
Panjshir
On Nov. 4, ISAF soldiers and a PRT traveled to Paryan district for the fourth time since June where they distributed humanitarian assistance supplies to the impoverished population.
Parvan
No significant incidents were reported.
Vardak
No significant incidents were reported.
Pakistan
More than 80 people were killed in an Oct. 30 attack on a madrassa near the Afghan border. That day a peace deal was to be made with tribal elders in the region but was put on hold indefinitely. Additionally, it was reported Nov. 8, that a plot to bomb targets in Islamabad was staged by the Islamic Jihad Group from North Waziristan. President Pervez Musharraf’s peacemaking strategy is under severe scrutiny as a result.
At least 35 soldiers were killed and numerous injured at a military training center in Northwest Frontier Province, it was reported on Nov. 8.
In a recent interview with a Western reporter, four Afghan Taliban fighters described the ease by which they pass through the porous Pakistani border. The interview, released Nov. 9 in The Christian Science Monitor, listed the cities of Chaman, Badini, and Torkham as frequent crossing points for the bands of 20 to 25 men, who would pair off and meet days later on the Afghan side.
Qaida-linked Uzbek militants are suspected by Pakistani intelligence for the bombing of a vehicle carrying tribal chief Malik Khajan. The attack occurred Nov. 11 in South Waziristan near the Afghan border. Khajan had recently led a campaign to evict foreign militants from the region.
Under the condition of anonymity, a Pakistani intelligence official confirmed that suicide bombers were being trained in Bajaur, a Pathan tribal area along the border. The report, released on Nov. 14, illuminated this fact as one reason for the airstrike on Oct. 30.
The need for political and economic measures along with military force was emphasized by Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Pervez Musharraf who met in the eastern city of Lahore on Nov. 19. They agreed to strengthen cooperation on counterterrorism as well.
Other News in Brief
Canadian officials expressed discontent over the release of body counts by ISAF on Nov. 4.
A senior American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stated on Nov. 5 that a recent C.I.A. assessment completed in September found the Karzai government to be weak beyond the boundaries of Kabul. The report also found that Karzai’s government is increasingly viewed by Afghans as corrupt, too weak to protect its citizens and failing in its reconstruction efforts.
A nationwide survey of Afghans was released Nov. 8. The survey was conducted by the Asia Foundation with financing from the United States Agency for International Development. More than 6,000 people in 32 provinces were interviewed to ascertain the feelings of Afghans on public policy, development progress and the political process. Forty-four percent stated that their country was headed in the right direction and 77 percent said they were satisfied with the way democracy was working in Afghanistan. However, 42 percent felt that corruption was a major problem in their daily lives. With regards to security forces, 87 percent expressed trust in the ANA and 86 percent said that they trust the national police. Overall, 60 percent said they rarely or never worried about their own safety.
Richard Boucher, the top State Department official on South and Central Asia, said Nov. 9 that this week's U.S. elections and the abrupt resignation of Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld would have "no impact" on U.S. military policy in Afghanistan
According to a report released Nov. 12, insurgents in Afghanistan are carrying out more than 600 attacks a month in a rising wave of violence that has resulted in at least 3,700 deaths in 2006. The report by the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board said the monthly number of insurgent attacks has more than doubled in six months.
Maj. Gen. Michael Diamond, deputy director for logistics at CENTCOM stated on Nov. 14 that the U.S. military is preparing for a longer commitment in Afghanistan. Although, he did not state that there is a political commitment to do so.
On Nov. 16, a project run by the UN Development Program designed to rid the country of warlords and illegal militias, reported that around 500 members of Karzai's government have direct linkages to illegal armed groups. The figure released does not include Cabinet ministers, governors or members of parliament.
At the NATO Riga summit on Nov. 29, European countries pledged to remove some of the restrictions on their troops in combat in Afghanistan. Twenty-six nations named peace and security in Afghanistan as a “key priority.” At least three nations offered to send more troops to bolster the ISAF forces.
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