Image Source: NATO International Security Assistance Force 

General Security Situation

Summary

The security situation in Afghanistan was punctuated with more suicide attacks and kidnappings. On July 11, 13 children were killed in Uruzgan province by a suicide bomber. Canadian forces also endured one of the worst suicide attacks on their forces on July 4 in Kandahar, with six of their servicemen killed. Meanwhile, the Taliban kidnapped 23 South Koreans in Ghazni province on July 19, two of whom were later killed. Also, an alarming escalation of violence was observed in North Waziristan when the Taliban renounced its truce with the Pakistani government on July 16.

Regional Command South

Helmand Province

July 1, 2007: Afghan Civilians Die in Air Strikes

Afghan officials in the Grishk district reported that dozens of civilians were killed in U.S.-led coalition air strikes last week. The strikes were an answer to insurgent attacks on coalition troops, which began on June 29 and lasted through June 30. Casualty figures range from about 35-120 and have not been confirmed. Allied forces say that they and Afghan civilians came under heavy fire from small arms, mortar shells and grenades. Reports released on July 2 say that a local investigation indicates that approximately 62 insurgents and 45 civilians were killed.

July 7, 2007: Two Children and Two ANP Officers Die in IED Explosion

Two children and two Afghan National Police (ANP) officers were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded at an ANP patrol base in Sangin district. The device was concealed in a wooden cart. Another child and ANP officer were injured in the explosion and taken to an ISAF hospital. The officer later died of his injuries.

July 12, 2007: Taliban Hit by ‘Little Storm’

Operation Leg Tufaan or “Little Storm” has weakened Taliban resistance since it commenced on July 7, said Lt. Col. Mike Smith, a Regional Command South spokesman. The operation is taking place in Gereshk Valley within Helmand province. The heaviest fighting was reported on July 2 when Taliban militants found themselves trapped between the Afghan National Army (ANA) and International Security Force (ISAF) troops in Rahim Kalay.

July 25, 2007: Coalition Kills 75 Taliban Fighters

U.S.-led coalition troops were ambushed by militants in Helmand province and called for air support. Coalition officials said that at least 36 Taliban militants were killed in the attack and no Afghan or coalition troops were hurt. 

July 26, 2007: Around 60 Militants Killed in Two Gun Battles

In two separate battles in Musa Kala, U.S.-led coalition forces killed more than 60 suspected Taliban insurgents. The battles began when U.S.-led coalition forces and Afghan troops attacked a number of buildings from which the Taliban were launching attacks. Coalition forces dropped two bombs on compounds with the highest concentration of insurgents in them. Secondary explosions resulting from the original blast suggested that there was explosive material present at the site.

Nimroz Province

July 29, 2007: Taliban May Have Fired First SAM

The London Daily Telegraph reported that Taliban militants have used heat-seeking surface to air missiles for the first time since the war in Afghanistan. Sources said that the first attack was launched against an American Hercules airplane that was flying over Nimoz province on July 22. The pilots were forced to make a series of evasive maneuvers and launch flares that confused the heat sensors in the missile. The aircraft and those onboard were not hurt. Allegedly, the SAM was smuggled across the border from Iran. ISAF officials have thus far refused to confirm or deny the incident.

Kandahar Province

July 3, 2007: Seven Afghan Policemen Killed by Roadside Bomb

Several Afghan policemen were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle.

July 4, 2007: Six Canadians and Afghan Interpreter Killed in Blast

Six Canadian soldiers and their Afghan interpreter were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb 12 miles from Kandahar. This was the worst attack on Canadian forces since April 8 when six soldiers died in another roadside bomb blast. The deaths prompted some Canadian politicians to renew calls to pull their troops out of Afghanistan.

July 6, 2007: Suicide Bomber Kills 10 Afghan Police Officers

Ten Afghan police officers were killed by a suicide bomber while eating lunch at a security checkpoint in Spin Boldak.

July 19, 2007: Six Afghan Policemen Killed

Taliban gunmen killed six Afghan policemen when they ambushed their vehicle on a main highway that leads from Kandahar to Kabul. The Taliban attacked the police vehicle with machine guns and rockets.

Uruzgan Province

July 11, 2007: Suicide Attack Kills 13 Children

Thirteen school children were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his device in a marketplace in Uruzgan province. The targets were Dutch ISAF soldiers, eight of whom were wounded. More than 35 Afghans were also wounded in the attack. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, which was one the deadliest suicide bombing attacks in 2007. Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attacks as “cowardly work.”

July 25, 2007: Afghan Police Clash with Militants

Afghan police forces clashed with Taliban militants for three days in Uruzgan province when militants blocked the road leading to Kandahar. Twenty-six militants and two police officers were killed and13 more suspected militants were killed in Kandahar, said the Afghan Defense Ministry.

Regional Command East

Kapisa Province

July 17, 2007: Provincial Governor Fired for Criticizing Karzai

The Karzai government fired Abdul Satter Murad, the provincial governor of Kapisa province, after he said that distance was growing between the Afghan people and President Karzai. He also said that there was a “vacuum of authority” which allowed the Taliban and insurgent fighters, like al-Qaida, to flourish in Afghanistan and gain power. In a statement, the Interior Ministry said that Murad was fired because he “sowed discord” and gave faulty information to U.S.-led coalitions forces.

Ghazni Province

July 25, 2007: Koreans Still Held Hostage by Taliban

Two Taliban deadlines have passed as negotiators try to secure the release of 23 South Korean hostages that were part of a church group kidnapped in Ghazni province on July 19. The Taliban said that they will kill the hostages unless their demands for the release of Taliban prisoners and the withdrawal of South Korean soldiers from Afghanistan are met. Other reports state that the Taliban is demanding money for their release.

On July 22, Afghan security forces surrounded the location where Taliban are holding the hostages and were prepared to launch an operation if the negotiations broke down. On July 25, the Taliban announced that it had killed one of the hostages who was ill and could not walk.  A second hostage was killed on July 31. Negotiations for the release of the hostages are difficult because the Taliban split them up into small groups.

Nuristan Province

July 28, 2007: Two U.S. Soldiers Killed

Two American ISAF soldiers and an Afghan soldier were killed and 13 wounded in fighting with Taliban forces in Kamdesh district. Thirteen ISAF troops, a civilian and an Afghan army solider, were also wounded in the attack.

Paktika Province

July 15, 2007:  Roadside Bomb Kills Six Afghans

Six Afghans working for an undisclosed Western security firm were killed by a blast from a roadside bomb in Paktika province.

Wardek Province

July 18, 2007: Two German Construction Workers Kidnapped

Two German construction workers were kidnapped in Wardek province, along with five Afghan colleagues. The Taliban killed one of the men, Ruediger Diedrich, who was suffering from circulatory failure. His body was found on July 22. His German colleague, only known as “Rudolf B,” is still being held captive.

Regional Command West

Farah Province

July 2, 2007: Three Afghan Police Officers Wounded in Attack

Three police officers were wounded when insurgents surrounded a village in Por Chaman district and fired upon the ANA and civilians. ISAF air support was called in, which resulted in the insurgents fleeing into the mountains.

July 6, 2007: German Hostage Released

Kidnappers released a German man and his translator after their ransom demands were met. The kidnappers had initially demanded $40,000 ransom. Whether money was involved in the exchange is unknown. The two men were freed a week after being kidnapped in Farah province while en route to Kabul.

July 7, 2007: Tribal Chief Reports that ISAF Killed 108 Civilians

According to Hajji Khudai Rahm, the tribal chief of Farah province, 108 noncombatants were killed on June 6 by an ISAF air strike. The report could not be independently verified and ISAF officials deny the claim. Rahm says that ISAF, the ANP and Afghan soldiers came to search some of the houses. A firefight ensued between insurgents and pro-government forces. Approximately 20 houses were destroyed when the bombing began.

Herat

July 9, 2007: Afghan Soldier Opens Fire on Military Base

An Afghan solider reportedly killed three or four Afghan troops and a civilian while wounding 12 others when he opened fire inside a military base in Herat. Lt. Col. David Johnson, a U.S. spokesman, said that one of the injured, an American solider acting in an advisory capacity and training the Afghan military, was the target of the attack.

Regional News

Pakistan

July 14, 2007: 24 Pakistani Troops Killed by Militants in Border Region

Pakistani military vehicles were struck by a car bomb that killed 24 troops and injured approximately 30 additional troops. Ten more were killed in clashes on July 15 along the border region of Swat after a number of military vehicles were hit by an IED or a suicide bomb attack. Radical groups said that they were avenging the government’s storming of the Red Mosque and the deaths of the two brothers who ran it.

July 16, 2007: Pakistan Tries to Hold Peace Deal Together

The peace deal that the Pakistani government brokered with North Waziristan 10 months ago is showing its fragility. Taliban fighters have renounced the deal and declared war on the Pakistani army. They are accusing the army of not honoring the terms of the agreement by setting up checkpoints and launching offensives against suspected insurgents. The Pakistani government said that they would continue to uphold the terms of the agreement, despite the Taliban’s declaration of war.  However, fighting broke out on Wednesday, July 19, following an attack by insurgents that killed 17 Pakistani troops.

July 20, 2007: Al-Qaida said to Operate across Pakistan

Al-Qaida’s presence is not limited to the tribal areas of Pakistan, say U.S. intelligence officials and counterterrorism experts. According to them, the Bush administration is focusing too much on the deal that Pakistan struck with the tribal areas and not placing enough of a spotlight on places like Quetta and Karachi where al-Qaida recruit, move resources and men, and provide training.

Other News

July 3, 2007: Friendly-Fire Resulted in Soldiers Death

An investigation into the death of a U.S. National Guardsman found that he was accidentally killed by machine gun fire from U.S. Special Forces in 2006. The soldier was hit as he crouched behind a wall on top of a building where he and other soldiers were fighting off an insurgent attack. Other American and allied soldiers were also wounded in the incident and a Canadian soldier was killed.

July 9, 2007: Afghan Counter-Narcotics Chief Resigns

Habibullah Qaden, Afghanistan’s counter-narcotics chief, has resigned his post after some predicted that opium cultivation could yield a crop that might exceed last year’s record. The $3.1 billion drug trade is said to fund Taliban’s campaign against the Karzai government. Last year alone, 90 percent of the world’s heroin supply came from Afghanistan.

July 14, 2007: Afghanistan Road Work Projects Stalled

The Washington Times reports that, despite being six years into the war in Afghanistan and the fall of the Taliban, road-building efforts are still painfully slow. Coalition forces, aid workers and the United Nations still use air transport to move around Afghanistan. The poor security situation and corruption have contributed to stalling the project, which could boost the economy.

July 15, 2007: Karzai Pardons 14-year-old Potential Suicide Bomber

Afghan President Karzai pardoned a 14-year-old boy from Pakistan who was caught last month wearing a suicide vest in an attempt to blow up Khost Provincial Gov. Arsala Jamal. According to New York Times, the boy and two others were taught how to drive a car and shown videos of suicide bombers carrying out attacks. When the boy, Rafiqullah, arrived in Khost, his handler, Abdul Aziz, gave him a vest filled with explosives. Rafiqullah admitted to being afraid, at which time Aziz pointed a gun at him and threatened to shoot him if he did not go through with the attack.

June 18, 2007: Taliban are Stronger

A report by the British House of Commons Defence Committee states that British-led ISAF does not have enough troops to carry out its mission while the Taliban grows stronger and spreads its influence outside their southern strongholds.

July 18, 2007: Poppy Crop Hits Record High

Intense eradication efforts have failed to curb Afghanistan’s poppy trade which is slated to set another record this season, said U.S. Amb. William Wood. According to some preliminary data, Afghan farmers have harvested 457,135 acres of opium poppies this year, which is up from 405,715 acres last year.

July 21, 2007: Al-Qaida Tries to Appear Merciful

Al-Qaida posted a propaganda video on an Islamist website stating their Afghanistan branch had called off an attack on U.S. military vehicles in order to prevent Muslim deaths. The video started off with the title, “keening for the bloods of Muslims, the Mujahideen call off several operations.” The video portrays two U.S. army vehicles driving by two Afghans without incident from an al-Qaida attack.

July 21, 2007: South Korea will Leave Afghanistan

South Korea said that it intends to pull its troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2007, as previously scheduled.  The announcement was made not long after Taliban militants kidnapped 23 South Koreans. Approximately 200 South Korean soldiers are part of the U.S.-led coalition forces. 

July 24, 2007: Germany to Intensify Presence in Afghanistan

Despite public pressure to pull Germany out of Afghanistan and the recent killing of a German hostage by the Taliban, Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Berlin would “intensify its engagement in Afghanistan.” Most of Germany’s involvement has been with reconstruction work but Berlin is considering requests to send more troops to train Afghan police and soldiers.

July 29, 2007: ISAF will use Smaller Bombs

ISAF has announced that they will be using smaller bombs in their campaign against insurgent forces. This announcement comes in response to the high numbers of civilian casualties that ISAF bombing campaigns have incurred, which forced them to rethink their strategy. Civilian casualties play into the hands of the Taliban’s propaganda campaign and increases support for the insurgent group. A NATO official said, “If you put a 250 kg bomb rather than a 500 kg bomb on that plane that could make a huge amount of difference.” Confrontation with the local population will also be ameliorated by a new policy to have the Afghan army be increasingly responsible for house-to-house searches.