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Image Source: NATO International Security Assistance Force
General Security Situation
Summary
Causalities among the Afghan National Police (ANP) force continued to increase in June. This was exacerbated on June 17 by what was one of the worst bombing attacks since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Approximately 35 civilians and Afghan police academy instructors were killed when a bomb exploded on the bus on which the the instructors were. More than 200 ANP officers have been killed since March. Afghan security forces have also announced that they found an explosively formed penetrator (EFP), a bomb with the capability to pierce armor that is commonly seen with devastating results in Iraq, but not in Afghanistan.
Regional Command Capital
Kabul Province
June 1, 2007: Reporter Killed by Family Members
Shokiba Sanga Amaaj, a broadcaster for Shamshad TV, was shot and killed by two male relatives in her house, said Gen. Ali Shah Paktiawal, the Kabul police director of criminal investigations.
June 3, 2007: Afghan Security Forces find EFP in Kabul
Afghan security forces revealed that last month they found an explosively formed penetrator, a weapon used in Iraq but never before seen in Afghanistan. This advanced roadside bomb, which has the ability to pierce armor, was placed specifically to target international forces or a procession of high-ranking Afghan officials. The bomb was made of around 35 pounds of explosives and was to be detonated by remote control. The bomb was found near Kabul Polytechnic University.
June 14, 2007: American Soldier Released from Afghan Prison
Jack Idema, a former U.S. soldier convicted of running a private jail in Afghanistan where he tortured suspected terrorists, was released after spending three years in a Kabul prison. Idema had initially been given a 10-year sentence in 2004 and has denied that the prisoners were tortured or beaten.
June 16, 2007: Suicide Bomber Kills Four in Blast
Using a taxi, a suicide bomber set off his explosives next to a convoy of civilian contractors and accompanying soldiers, killing himself and four bystanders. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Later in the day, one Afghan was killed and one wounded when an ISAF soldier discharged his weapon. ISAF reported that the incident appears to have been an accident but has launched an investigation to determine what occurred.
June 17, 2007: Bus Bombing Kills Police Instructors
Approximately 35 people were killed when a bomb exploded inside a bus carrying police instructors in a heavily populated area of Kabul. This was one of the deadliest insurgent attacks since the Taliban fell in 2001. At least 35 people were wounded and approximately 35 were killed. The New York Times reported that 22 victims were police academy instructors. Kabul Police Chief Esmatullah Daulatzai said their investigation shows that the bomber may have jumped into the bus and detonated his device. Other news reports state that the bomb could have been placed inside the bus.
June 29, 2007: U.S Contractor Killed in Suicide Attack
An American security contractor was killed and three others wounded when a suicide bomber hit their vehicle in Kabul. Two other Afghan civilians were also hurt in the attack. According to an eyewitness, two vehicles with foreigners drove by his shop before another private vehicle hit them and exploded. The Taliban accepted responsibility for the attack.
Regional Command South
Helmand Province
June 1, 2007: ISAF Soldier Killed
A British soldier was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol with the ANA in Gereshk district.
June 2, 2007: Boat Sinks Killing Taliban on Board
Around sixty people were killed, including a number of Taliban militants, when a boat they were traveling on sank into the Helmand River. The ANA has launched an investigation to determine how many civilians and Taliban insurgents were on board.
Similarly, on June 5, the Afghan Defense Ministry reported that ISAF helicopters fired on a boat allegedly full of Taliban militants fleeing on the Helmand River, sinking it. There were an estimated 20 to 30 militants on board; all drowned. Gen. Zaher Azimi, a ministry spokesman, said that ISAF fired on the vessel after being fired upon by gunman on the boat.
June 14, 2007: Taliban Kidnaps Emirate Soldier
American military spokesman Maj. Chris Belcher said that a soldier from the United Arab Emirates, who is part of the 12-member coalition forces, is missing. Taliban militants say that they have kidnapped him.
June 22, 2007: ISAF Air Strike Kills Civilians
Afghan officials have claimed that an ISAF air strike has killed a number of civilians, including around nine woman and three children, said a mullah in the Gereshk district. ISAF stated that during an air strike they targeted Taliban militants but did not deny that civilians might have died as a result. The fighting began when Taliban militants attacked ISAF troops and then withdrew into a residential area. The firefight prompted ISAF to call in an air strike, which allegedly killed 25 to 36 civilians.
Kandahar Province
June 5, 2007: Health Worker Beheaded
An Afghan health worker who was kidnapped in March with four other colleagues has been beheaded because Afghan officials did not hand over former Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah’s body before the deadline passed. Asadullah Khaled, the provincial governor of Kandahar, said that Dadullah, who was killed last month, was buried in a secret location.
However, on June 8, the Taliban released the four remaining members of the medical team after the government exchanged them for Dadullah’s body.
June 5, 2007: Two Roadside Bombs Explode in Kandahar
Two roadside bombs exploded on the outskirts of Kandahar. One bomb targeted a National Security Directorate vehicle, the other, a vehicle from the Iranian Consulate in Kandahar. The bombs missed their targets and no casualties were reported.
June 11, 2007: Canadian Soldier Killed
A Canadian soldier died when a roadside bomb exploded near him in northern Kandahar. Similarly, on June 21, three Canadian soldiers were killed when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb in Panjwayi district. The soldiers were on a supply mission between two checkpoints. Sixty Canadian troops have been killed in Afghanistan since their deployment in 2002. Meanwhile, in the same province, ISAF and Afghan troops fought with militants. Twenty-one insurgents were killed after air support arrived.
June 20, 2007: Taliban Seizes District
After days of fighting with U.S and Afghan forces, Taliban militants won control over Miya Nishin district. The Taliban have also tried establishing control over Chora district in Uruzgan province, said Maj. John Thomas an ISAF spokesman.
Uruzgan Province
June 15, 2007: Suicide Bomber Kills 10 Afghans
A suicide bomber, who intended to hit armored ISAF vehicles as they drove through Tirin Kot district, killed five children, a Dutch soldier and four Afghan men. Three other Dutch soldiers and two Afghan women were wounded in the blast. This marks the seventh Dutch casualty in Afghanistan since their reconstruction mission in southern Afghanistan began in August.
June 28, 2007: IED Factory Cleared
During an operation, ISAF and Afghan National Security Forces found a suspected improvised explosive device-making factory. “The clearance of this compound hinders the ability of the Taliban extremists to make IEDs and bombs used for suicide bombings that have caused death and injury to Afghan civilians,” said ISAF spokesman, Maj. John Thomas.
Zabol Province
June 1, 2007: Afghan Police Officers Killed in Ambush
Sixteen ANA officers were killed in an ambush as they drove from Zabol Province toward Kabul. They came under fire as they were passing through the Shah Joy district. Ten militants were also killed in the fighting.
June 10, 2007: Soldiers Clash with Taliban Militants
Several Taliban and al-Qaida fighters were killed in Zabol province after a two-hour gun battle with Afghan forces and U.S.-led coalition soldiers. The troops came under gunfire and rocket-propelled grenade attack as they approached a Taliban compound. According to Maj. Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman, “their entire fighting force on that hill was wiped out.” The number of militants killed is unknown, but five were detained and a weapons cache destroyed.
June 29, 2007: Militants Behead Boy
Afghan official announced that Taliban militants beheaded a 15-year old boy in Zabol province for allegedly spying for the Afghan government. Zarif Khan, chief of New Bahar district, said that the boy’s body was found on June 27, a day after he was kidnapped.
Regional Command East
Ghazni Province
June 2, 2007: Suspected Taliban Militants Attack Police Commander’s Home
A number of suspected Taliban militants attacked a local police commander’s home in Ghazni province, killing his wife, two sons and two nephews. Ten insurgents were killed in the ensuing gun battle with police forces.
June 10, 2007: Karzai Targeted by Taliban Rocket Attacks
Taliban militants fired four to six rockets close to where President Karzai was addressing village elders and residents of Andar district. The rockets missed their targets and no one was injured in the attack. Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, said that the Taliban was responsible for the attacks. The militants withdrew from their positions once the police were dispatched to the area.
June 21, 2007: Mine Blast Kills ISAF Soldier
An American ISAF soldier died in Andar district when his vehicle struck a pressure-plated landmine. Four others were wounded in the blast.
June 25, 2007: Taliban take Afghan Mine Specialists Hostage
The Taliban threatened to kill eighteen Afghan mine-clearing specialists whom they took hostage if evidence was found to support the fact that they worked for U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan. "Our investigation is ongoing, and after the investigation we will decide what to do," said Taliban commander Mullah Safiullah. Four mine-sniffing dogs were also seized with the specialists in the Andar district.
June 26, 2007: Boy Thwarts Taliban Suicide Plan
Juma Gul, a six-year-old Afghan boy, recounted a story to tribal elders at a joint U.S.-Afghan base in Ghazni of how Taliban militants tried to trick him into being a suicide bomber. According to Gul, Taliban members approached him in May and forced him to wear a vest and told him to throw his body on U.S. forces when he saw them. The boy felt the bomb in the vest and went to Afghan soldiers for help. The story could not be verified.
Konar Province
June 30, 2007: Taliban Rocket Kills Three Afghans
A Taliban rocket, intended to hit an ISAF patrol base, fell short and killed three civilians and wounded seven when it crashed into Chawki district. The injured were evacuated to ISAF medical facilities. Two of the injured were children.
Parwan Province
June 6, 2007: Female Radio Station Owner Killed
Three gunmen shot and killed Zakia Zaki, the owner and manager of Peace Radio, in her house, said provincial Gov. Abdul Jabar Takwa. Zaki’s radio station was founded after the fall of the Taliban. She had previously received threats to take her show off the air.
Patika Province
June 18, 2007: U.S. Air Strike Kills Seven Children
Coalition air strikes led by the U.S. killed seven children in Patika province. The attack also killed seven militants, said the coalition.
Nangarhar Province
June 12, 2007: Friendly Fire Kills Seven Afghan Police
At least seven Afghan police officers were killed and around four were wounded in a friendly fire incident in Khogyani district. Both parties allegedly mistook each other for insurgent fighters. Reports differ on the events leading up to the incident. The LA Times reported that the police were manning a checkpoint when they saw an American convoy supported by helicopters approach. The forces opened fire despite the officers’ calls to stop. The New York Times reported that American forces were ambushed and attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire as they were en route to an operation in Shirzad district. Afterwards, they called in air support, said the spokesman, Maj. Chris Belcher.
Regional News
Iran
June 7, 2007: Afghanistan Buckles as Iran Deports Afghan Refugees
Over the past month almost 100,000 Afghan migrants and refugees have been repatriated from Iran, who says that it is trying to protect Iranian jobs. Officials in Tehran say that the number of those repatriated could reach 1 million by next spring. This initiative has strained Afghan and international aid resources, which are not equipped to deal with the speed of the unfolding humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies have set up tent communities and food-distribution points in Farah and Nimroz provinces to try to accommodate the returnees.
June 12, 2007: Iran Accused of Arming Taliban
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns accused Iran of “transferring arms to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.” He also said that they were funding insurrections in Middle East. According to Burns “[Iran] is a country that’s trying to flex its muscles, but in a way that’s injurious to the interests of just about everyone else in the world. I think that it’s a major miscalculation.” On June 17 Afghan Defense Minister Rahim Wardak dismissed the claims saying, “we have good relations with Iran, and we believe the security and stability are also in the interests of the Iranian people.” Afghan President Hamid Karzia expressed similar sentiments on June 3 when he said that relations between Iran and Afghanistan had “never been as friendly as they are today.”
Pakistan
June 23, 2007: ISAF Fires Rockets into Pakistan
The Washington Post reported that Pakistan has accused ISAF of killing 10 civilians, including children, when they fired rockets into Pakistan. Fourteen people were injured in the attack. ISAF spokesman, Maj. John Thomas, said that the number killed could be higher. Although troops are not supposed to fire into Pakistan, Thomas said that ISAF and U.S. forces were fighting around 50 Talibs along the Afghan-Pakistani border. On June 24 a statement in the New York Times said that the forces had “unintentionally chased them across the border into Pakistan”.
Other News
June 3, 2007: Gates Cautious about Progress in Afghanistan
On a visit to Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed optimism and caution about the military campaign against the Taliban. The main focus of his trip was to ensure that there is a synthesis between the many reconstruction and development programs launched by different actors and combat operations in Afghanistan.
June 19, 2007: Al-Qaida Graduates Sent Abroad
ABC News reported that approximately 300 al-Qaida trained suicide bombers have recently been sent to the United States and Europe. The recruits, some as young as 12, have been given Britain, Canada, Germany and the United States as targets. On videotape, Taliban commander Mansoor Dadullah said, “These Americans, Canadians, British and German come here in Afghanistan from far away places. Why shouldn’t we go after them?” U.S. Intelligence officials said the graduation ceremony was nothing more than “aggressive and sophisticated propaganda.”
June 25, 2007: More Arabs Among Taliban
The Associate Press has reported that foreign Arab fighters have been slowly streaming back into Afghanistan to help support suicide attacks in the country. According to counter-insurgency expert Seth Jones at RAND Corporation, who spoke with the AP, the increase is currently in the dozens or low hundreds, although the number is expected to rise.
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