Thread: Afghanistan news reel

Al Jazeera report about Taliban increased power around Kunduz.


------

In other news, the taliban claimed to have killed 8 German soldiers in the fighting mentioned in this thread and having destroyed several tanks. Which would be a remarkable archivement, considering that Germany has no tanks in Afghanistan.

----

Thanks for renaming the thread @mods.

France has increased its Helicopter-stremgth in Afghanistan. While at the time of the ambush in 2008 that left 10 French killed in action there were only two, they now number ten, including three Tigers.

Secret Défense: Bientôt dix hélicoptères français en Afghanistan (French source)

ANA and Italian forces claim major victory against the Taliben om Bala Murghab

Kabul, Afghanistan - Afghan National Army (ANA) and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops conducted a successful operation in Baghdis province, including a major battle with insurgents on 10 June.

In a three-hour action, ANA forces supported by ISAF killed and wounded a significant number of insurgents near Bala Murghab valley.

ISAF troops included Italian soldiers from the Folgore Parachute Brigade. This was also the first combined operation involving the 1st and 10th Kandaks, 1st Brigade, 207 ANA Corps.

Afghan security forces and ISAF now have strategical control vital for the security and stability of the entire province.

The complex operation was conducted with ANA and ISAF troops using a combination of small arms, Italian A 129 “Mangusta” Attack Helicopter support, and mortar fire.

During the operation, security forces requested the support of additional helicopters.

Two helicopters received minor damage from insurgent small arms fire, however were still able to continue supporting the operation.

No ANA or ISAF troops were killed during the fighting.

Insurgent casualties included two senior militants known to Afghan security forces in Badghis Province.

ISAF service member killed in a hostile incident in southern Afghanistan

-- ISAF News Release #2009-413 One ISAF service member killed in a hostile incident in southern Afghanistan

No report about where the soldier was from, but since it was in the South it is likely that he was British, Canadian or Dutch. If I find more I'll post it.

Detailed PDF about troop placemat in Afghanistan, ISAF and ANA, 3MB:

http://www.nato.int/isaf/docu/epub/pdf/placemat.pdf

--------

Currently I am posting whatever news I can find about the war in Afghanistan, if it is too much and turns into spam just give me a hint and I slow down.

It will never be too much.

This is a (incomplete) Afghanistan link list I use to gather news from Afghanistan. So far I have only included English based ones, but naturally many of my sources are also German based. There are also an increasingly number of Twitter accoutns with interesting informations, which might force me to overcome my disdain for such sides and register there. If there is interest I try to increase and update this list:

Helmlandblog (by British Forces)

Helmand Blog - Afghanistan

Canada-Afghanistan Blog

The Canada-Afghanistan Blog


Isaf-Homepage

ISAF - International Security Assistance Force - Official Homepage

General Afghan newsside

Afghan News Network {Latest News about Afghanistan} First in Afghan News Worldwide!

Originally Posted by Officer of Engineers

It will never be too much.

Thanks, I'll post as much as I can find, and as my time and health allows.




Canadian soldier killed by a mine on June the 8th (this seems to be a different incident then the one mentioned earlier)

A Canadian soldier was killed by an explosive device while on foot patrol Monday in southern Afghanistan, the military says.

Brig.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, commander of Task Force Afghanistan, told reporters at Kandahar Airfield that the soldier has been identified as Pte. Alexandre Péloquin, 20. He is survived by his mother Monique.

Péloquin was serving with the 3rd Battalion of the Royal 22nd Regiment — known as the Van Doos — based at Canadian Forces Base Valcartier near Quebec City. He is the 12th Valcartier soldier to die in the mission.

Péloquin — who joined the Forces on Oct. 26, 2007 — was from the Laurentides region north of Montreal but was living in Val Belair before he left in mid-April on his first mission to Afghanistan, said CFB Valcartier spokesman Alex Maille.

The incident occurred in the village of Nakhoney in the volatile Panjwaii district, about 15 kilometres southwest of the city of Kandahar.

"Pélo, as named by his friends, was a strong man, remarkably fit and very courageous," Vance told reporters.

"His family and friends should be very proud of him, and so should all Canadians, for he represented the very best of Canada."

Vance said the battle group was involved in six days of "magnificent work" in the area removing material used for improvised explosive devices, which have been the scourge of NATO forces in Afghanistan.

"Pte. Péloquin was part of a successful operation, and he contributed to that success today," he said.

The Canada-Afghanistan Blog

When it comes to casulties report my gut tells me to open a seperate thread for each one since they would deserve more attention then being "hidin" in a general news threat. What do the others say? Keep such reports here with the other news, or open own threads for those sad events?

Lot of different nations down south to include America and Australia beyond the Canadians, Brits, and Dutch.

Latest ORDBAT for ISAF as of May 11-

ISAF ORDBAT

Originally Posted by S-2

Lot of different nations down south to include America and Australia beyond the Canadians, Brits, and Dutch.

Latest ORDBAT for ISAF as of May 11-

ISAF ORDBAT

I do know that, but after if my memory serves me right, the nations I mentioned are the ones which were most likely to lose men in the south in the past. Still could not find out where the service man was from.

---------------------------

Nato agrees to send AWACS to Afghanistan.

The planes were requested to deal with the increased air-traffic above Afghanisten while any form of ground control is missing completly. The decision comes at a uncomfortable time for the German government since
large parts of the AWACS-crews are German and their deployment requires a new mandate by the Bundestag due the rules laid out by the German constitution concering the use of the Armed Forces, which is expected before the parlament goes into the summer break.

In the past month the government tried to keep the unpopolar mission out of the public spotlight due concerns for the upcoming general elections due in a few month. It is likely that the young socalist party "Die Linke", the only party to openly oppose the ISAF-mission, will try to use the occasion for further critizing the deployment of the Bundeswehr into a warzone.

Offical Nato Report for Afghanistan 2009 released:

http://www.centcom.mil/images/afghan...eport_2009.pdf

PDF: ca 3mb (english)

with over 40 pages it is a bit of a read. If I find anything interesting I'll post a summary after I am done.

Economy & Reconstruction:

Still one of the poorest countries, but GDP continues to rise fast with 7,5% in 2008 and the trade with the neighbors is rising steadily.

Over 21 Billion $ in aid pledged by over 81 Nations in 2008
agriculture makes up 1/3 of the GDP, down from ½ in 2001.

big increase in private investment

Pakistan by large the biggest trade partner (70%)

19 universities operational

85% of Afghans have access to basic health care

3500 schools have been built, 7 million children enrolled, 2 million of them girls

Power grid and production still largely lacking. Kabul residents usually receive 4 hours of energy every two days, but situation is improving due international efforts and an agreement with Uzbekistan.


General Security:

Rise in violence in the South, South-East & South West.

Militants and criminals try to subdue the power of the central government.

Increased casualties for security forces and civilians mostly by IED.

Remote police stations have become popular targets.

Chaos in Pakistan caused an increased flow of militants into Afghanistan over its eastern border.

As contrast, the North, West and central parts of Afghanistan are considered to be mostly stable.

ANA, ANP, ANSF and ISAF forces and numbers grew considerably in 08, allowing to intrude in areas formerly completely in the hand of militants.

Isaf number rose from 5581 in 2003 men to over 56420 men in early 09.

Summary missing for the following parts, will be added later

Status of the ANA

Central Government


Drugs

general note: The Report contains several maps and graphics which can't be summed up in a few words, so if one want to take only a short look at the file he might find those pretty interesting.

Economy and Reconstruction part updated and I am taking a break for now. I hope somebody does actually read this and the whole work is not for void.

4th est. soldier dies in Afgh.

Master Sergeant Allain Tikko of the Estcoy-8 infantry company was reported killed in action earlier in the day in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province.

Three more soldiers were wounded in the grenade blast that killed Tikko, but none of their injuries are life-threatening.

30-year-old Tikko had previously served in both Kosovo and Iraq after joining the army in 1998.

Estonian government pays tribute to soldier killed in Afghanistan : Europe World

RPG hit at 400m.
R.I.P. Estcoy-8 has had quite rough time , 2 weeks ago IED - 2 wounded, then 1 in convoy duty, now this.

P.S. - est. sends second inf. coy for 5 month tour in Helmand , for additional security in nat. elections.And they will be embedded with USMC
This would make Est. the top troop provider in soldiers/per population after USA?

r.i.p.