General Security Situation

Summary

November has been a particularly tragic month for Afghanistan with over 50 school children killed during a suicide attack in Baghlan on Nov. 6. A number of suicide bombings also occurred in Kabul towards the end of the month, again killing civilians.  The Taliban also continue to attack soldiers directly, as occurred in Nuristan province when eight U.S. soldiers and 11 Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers killed. However, improvised explosive devices, suicide bombings, intimidation and assassinations greatly affect the security situation for civilians. Southern provinces continue to be the site of much insurgent activity, combat operations, and offensive International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations aimed at disrupting weapons facilitation and foreign fighters entering Afghanistan. The border with Pakistan continues to give reason for concern, as suicide bombings and attacks on Pakistani forces grow more common. 

Regional Command Capital

Kabul

Nov. 24, 2007: Suicide Attack Kills Seven

A Taliban suicide bombing in the town of Paghman killed nine people, including six children and an Italian soldier. Nine Afghans and three Italian soldiers were wounded in the blast. Some witnesses reported nearby soldiers opened fire after the attack and contributed to injuries. District police deny firing weapons, and report ball bearings were used in the bomb causing bullet-like injuries. 

Nov. 26, 2007: Bomb Blast Kills Four

An explosion in the Musayi district reportedly killed four civilians when the blast of a roadside bomb hit a car. 

Nov. 27, 2007: Suicide Bombing Kills Two Civilians

A suicide car bomb targeting a coalition convoy killed two civilians and injured four others. The bombing occurred in an area close to the British, Canadian and Pakistani embassies in the Wazir Akbar Khan suburb. The attack, for which the Taliban claimed responsibility, damaged three armored vehicles. No coalition troops were injured.

Regional Command North

Baghlan Province

Nov. 6, 2007: Suicide Bombing Kills Over 50 Children

A suicide bomber detonated explosives reportedly containing ball-bearings outside a sugar factory in Puli Khumri. Six Afghan parliamentarians, five teachers and scores of children were killed. Reports on the exact number of casualties have varied. An Afghan Education Ministry spokesman tallied 59 children killed, and 93 children wounded. A delegation of Afghan economic officials visiting the sugar factory attracted large crowds, including schoolchildren, who lined up to greet the visitors. As a result of the attack – the most deadly of its kind since 2001 – children have been banned from future public ceremonies for politicians or dignitaries. 

Although suicide attacks have dramatically increased in Afghanistan since 2001, Baghlan has not been a province noted for insurgent activity. "Baghlan's been one of the most consistently quiet provinces. There's been very little in the way of insurgent activity recently," according to Maj. Charles Anthony, spokesman for NATO-led forces in Afghanistan. The Taliban have denied involvement in the attack. So far, no claim of responsibility has been made public. Some reports and witnesses claim gunfire from security guards was responsible for a significant number of the casualties.     

Regional Command West

Herat Province

Nov. 11, 2007: Six Pro-Government Tribal Elders Shot

Provincial police reported six pro-government tribal elders traveling by vehicle were shot by unknown gunmen on motorbikes. A seventh man was injured in the incident. 

Regional Command South

Helmand Province

Nov. 7, 2007: ANSF and Coalition Repel Insurgents

A combined ANSF and coalition force conducting a reconnaissance patrol near the Nahr Surkh district when insurgents fired upon troops with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). The Afghan and coalition soldiers repelled the attack on the ground and with close air support, and killed “several Taliban fighters” before the remaining militants fled, according to a military statement.

Nov. 11, 2007: Several Militants, Three Civilians Killed

An operation to disrupt explosives and weapons facilitators in Garmser district resulted in the deaths of 15 militants and three civilians. Coalition forces searched areas suspected of harboring militants, and after being fired upon from several buildings, used a grenade to attack a number of militants in one building. Several militants were killed in the explosion, which caused the building to collapse. A woman and two children were found dead in the collapsed building after the hostilities ended. Another woman found injured in the immediate area was transported to a medical facility.

On Nov. 14, a firefight broke out between militants and coalition forces searching compounds in the same district. Airstrikes were called in to repel the attack. Coalition reports note killing “several militants” and detaining seven people with links to foreign fighter and weapons networks.

Nov. 14, 2007: Brits Push into Musa Qaleh

British forces have been conducting patrols throughout November in the area outside of Musa Qaleh, and are conducting operations to disrupt the Taliban and destabilize insurgent supply routes. The town was taken by ISAF in the fall of 2006 and was held for 143 days before a Taliban offensive regained control. 

Nov. 14, 2007: British Soldier Killed

A joint ANA and ISAF patrol was caught in an IED explosion during a routine patrol outside Sangin. A British soldier was killed with a local interpreter also injured in the blast.

Nov. 16, 2007: British Soldiers Narrowly Escape Suicide Bombing

British soldiers in a military convoy driving back to camp encountered a car that was swerving erratically on the road. Suspecting a suicide bomb, the soldiers shouted repeated warnings to pull over. As the car sped towards the convoy, the soldiers opened fire on the driver causing the car to veer farther away before exploding. The blast damaged the vehicles slightly, and the soldiers suffered minor injuries. An Afghan civilian on motorcycle who was passing the car as it detonated died at the scene.

Nov. 17, 2007: Coalition Disrupts Weapons Transfer, Kills 23 Insurgents

A coalition operation to disrupt a weapons transfer resulted in the death of 23 Taliban insurgents. A truck full of Taliban weapons reportedly exploded during the operation, though the cause of the explosion is unknown. Coalition troops detained 11 people suspected of running weapons.

Nov. 29, 2007: Two Danish Soldiers Killed

Two Danish solders that were part of a reconnaissance team in the Gereshk Valley were killed in a firefight with insurgents. A total of nine Danish troops have now been killed in the Afghanistan mission.

Kandahar Province

Nov. 1, 2007: NATO Fights for Arghandab

Operations to dislodge Taliban fighters from the Arghandab district continued with Afghan and NATO forces fighting hundreds of Taliban fighters outside of Kandahar.  Insurgents attempted to take the city following the death of Mullah Naqib, a tribal leader who was opposed to the Taliban. Local officials reported several hundred Taliban retreated from the area after days of fighting, and many residents who fled their homes returned.   

Nov. 17, 2007: Canadians Suffer Casualties in Zhari District

Canadian and ANA troops fought insurgents in the Zhari district, calling in airstrikes for support. At least 20 suspected militants were reported killed, along with an Afghan soldier. In the same battle, a roadside bomb hit a vehicle killing two Canadian soldiers and their Afghan translator. Three additional Canadian troops were wounded.

Nov. 23, 2007: Seven Police Killed, Six Missing

Taliban militants attacked police checkpoints in the Arghandab district killing seven Afghan police. Six police officers were missing after the attack.

Nimruz Province

Nov. 19, 2007: Suicide Bomber Kills Seven

A suicide bomber targeting provincial governor Ghulam Dastageer killed six police officers and the governor’s son. The attack occurred outside of the government headquarters in Zaranj.

Oruzgan Province

Nov. 2, 2007: Taliban Attack on Coalition Base Thwarted

Insurgents attacked the coalition forces’ base with small arms, machine guns and mortars. Coalition and ANSF fought the enemy, and air support repelled the attack.

Nov. 3, 2007: Three Soldiers Killed

A U.S. soldier and an Afghan soldier were killed in a clash with insurgents. The US military reports that the deaths are currently under investigation. In a separate incident, a Dutch soldier was killed when his armored vehicle ran over a roadside bomb.

Nov. 13, 2007: Woman Shot by Taliban

After a tribal camp in the Shaheed Hasas district denied food and supplies to Taliban insurgents, a woman suffered a severe gunshot wound to her hand in retaliation from the militants. She received initial treatment at a coalition facility and was medically evacuated for further care. 

Nov. 17, 2007: Taliban Torture, Kill Five Police

Five policemen who were abducted by the Taliban two months ago from a checkpoint in southern Oruzgan were found dead. Their bodies were mutilated and hung from trees in the district of Derawud. 

Nov. 19, 2007: “Dozens” of Insurgents Killed in Airstrikes

A combined ANSF and coalition force conducting a reconnaissance patrol in the Deh Rawood district was attacked by a number of insurgents. After the insurgents moved into a nearby compound, ground forces determined their locations and four separate airstrikes killed “dozens” of insurgents according to a coalition statement.

Nov. 23, 2007: Australian Soldier Killed

An Australian soldier was killed by small-arms fire during an operation against a Taliban bomb-making facility in Tarin Kowt. A “significant number” of insurgents were killed in the operation according to an ISAF statement, as well as two women and one child.  

Zabul Province

Nov. 11, 2007: Two Afghan Police Killed

Two Afghan police were killed and one officer is missing after a late-night attack on a police checkpoint.

Nov. 17, 2007: Four ANA Wounded

The Taliban ambushed an ANA patrol. The fight that followed left 11 suspected insurgents dead and four soldiers wounded according to a provincial police official.

Regional Command East

Ghazni Province

Nov. 3, 2007: Police Find Beheaded Bodies

Police reportedly found the bodies of two civilians, a man and woman, who were beheaded in the Rashidan district. According to police they were kidnapped from the district three days earlier. So far this year, 15 bodies of beheaded persons have been found in Ghazni province.   

Nov. 23, 2007: Coalition Disrupts Foreign Fighter Network

An operation to disrupt foreign-fighter facilitation resulted in the death of several militants, as well as the detention of two individuals suspected of having links to networks facilitating foreigners joining the insurgency.  

Kapisa Province

Nov. 10, 2007: Combat near Tagab Valley Kills Coalition Soldier

Three coalition forces were wounded during combat near Tagab Valley. One soldier succumbed to fatal wounds from direct fire, while two were treated at a nearby medical facility.

Nangarhar Province

Nov. 1, 2007: Nighttime Raid Kills Militant and Two Children

Afghan forces, with support from coalition forces, conducted a nighttime raid on a compound in Bati Kot suspected of harboring a suicide bombing network. The raid sparked a firefight in which a suspected militant was killed, along with two children. A woman and child were also wounded in the hostilities. Three men were reportedly detained.

Khost Province

Nov. 28, 2007: School Principal Shot

Unknown gunmen on motorbikes reportedly shot and killed a school principal, according to provincial police. 

Nuristan Province

Nov. 10, 2007: Insurgent Ambush Kills 9, Injures 19

An insurgent ambush killed six U.S. soldiers and three Afghan soldiers who were on foot patrol with Afghan soldiers in the Waygal district. The insurgents attacked using small arms and rocket propelled grenades.  The joint U.S.-ANA patrol repelled the attack both on the ground and with close air support. Eight American soldiers and 11 ANA soldiers were injured.

Nov. 26, 2007: Airstrikes Target Taliban

An airstrike targeting Taliban insurgents has been reported as killing a number of construction workers from the Amerifa Company, though the exact claim of civilian deaths by the incident has varied. NATO has officially denied the civilian deaths and is still conducting an investigation into the incident. An ISAF spokesman stated, “It is our belief that once all the evidence is in, the conclusion will be a successful strike against a known Taliban leader with no civilian casualties.”     

Paktika Province

Nov. 12, 2007: Two Soldiers Killed by Roadside Bomb

Two U.S. soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the district of Bermel.  

Nov. 28, 2007: Militants Disrupt Supply Trucks

Militants in Paktia province reportedly attacked trucks carrying supplies for foreign troops, killing one driver.

Paktia Province

Nov. 15, 2007: Taliban Killed Teen for Teaching English

Taliban insurgents killed a teenager for teaching English to classmates in eastern Afghanistan. Police arrived at the school, sparking a clash that left two suspected Islamist fighters and two policemen dead, an official said Thursday. 

Nov. 26, 2007: Four Afghan Soldiers Killed

Four Afghan National Army soldiers were killed and three wounded when their vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb. 

Parvan Province

Nov. 10, 2007: US Soldier Killed

A U.S. soldier died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his vehicle with small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades in Bagram.

Regional News

Pakistan

The security situation in Pakistan continued to deteriorate through November and was accompanied by the declaration of emergency rule on Nov. 4. The military undertook offensive operations in the Swat Valley of the Northwest Frontier Provinces, causing many civilians to flee the area. Analysts have widely characterized the frontier provinces and Baluchistan as sanctuary areas for insurgents to train and regroup.     

Nov. 1, 2007: Suicide Attacker Targets Air Force Bus

A suicide bomber on a motor-bike rammed into a Pakistani air force bus near Sargodha air force base, reportedly killing eight people and wounding 27 others.

Nov. 4, 2007: Emergency Rule Declared

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency and suspended the country’s constitution. 

Nov. 9, 2007: Suicide Bomber Kills Three

A suspected suicide blast in Peshawar at the home of the minister of political affairs, Amir Muqam, killed three people. The minister was unharmed.

Other News

Nov. 22, 2007: Taliban Contact Karzai

Afghan President Hamid Karzai continues to be contacted by Taliban insurgent leaders to try to find ways of brokering a peace deal. Officials note there is not a unified insurgent force, but that talks may be useful in bringing more moderate factions to peace. He stated, “We are willing to talk to those Taliban who are not part of al Qaeda or the terrorist network.” 

Nov. 22, 2007: Private Security Companies Must Close

Authorities in President Karzai’s office have expressed the desire to close down all private security companies operating within Afghanistan. Siamak Hirawi, the president’s spokesman, stated, "Only the Afghan government has the right of having and handling weapons, so private companies are against the constitution." The government has noted in the short term, a “handful” of companies should be allowed to operate under government supervision, but in the long term the Afghan police and army should be the main guarantors of security.

Nov. 29, 2007: Bin Laden – Europe Must Quit

A new audiotape released by Osama bin Laden called on Europe to end its military support of the United States in Afghanistan. The bin Laden video comes amidst threats to Germany and Austria from the Global Islamic Media Front which demand the two countries withdraw from Afghanistan. 

Nov. 30, 2007: ANA and ISAF Work on Security in North

The ANA and ISAF have signed an agreement aimed at restoring security in the Northern provinces and building closer coordination into their efforts.