War News for Thursday, February 14, 2013
Reported security incidents
#1: A roadside bomb hit a vehicle carrying members of an anti-Taliban militia in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing seven militiamen, a police spokesman said, according to The Associated Press. Nine members of the militia were also wounded in the attack in Stanzai village in the Orakzai tribal region bordering Afghanistan, said Fazal Naeem. The militiamen were on their way to a meeting to discuss strategy against the Pakistani Taliban at the time of the attack, he said.
At least nine people were killed Thursday in two explosions in the northwestern tribal region of Orakzai. The blasts also wounded 23 others Lower Orakzai tribal region. The first explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) and targeted a passenger van traveling from Hangu towards Kohat. The second explosion took place at a location near the area of the first blast incident. Separately, fighter jets attacked militant hideouts in Upper Orakzai, killing six militants.
At least four people were killed and 13 others injured on Thursday afternoon when a bomb ripped through a busy market in Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of Orakzai Agency, local media reported. According to the reports, the explosion took place in the Hassan Dara bazaar area when people were busy shopping or doing their jobs, killing four on the spot and leaving 13 others injured.
#2: The latest attack came hours after five suicide bombers attacked a police station in the country's northwestern city of Bannu, wounding one police officer. The city's police chief Nisar Tanoli said three of the bombers detonated their explosives vests while the police shot dead the other two.
#3: Up to 23 Taliban militants have been killed and 13 others detained in operations in different Afghan provinces within the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said on Thursday. "Afghan National Police (ANP) supporting by army and the NATO- led coalition forces conducted nine cleanup operations in Kunar, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Kunduz, Uruzgan, Wardak, Helmand and Khost provinces, killing 23 armed Taliban insurgents and detaining 13 others over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.
#4: According to reports unknown gunmen attacked a staff member of the Iranian consulate in northern Mazar-e-Sharif city of Afghanistan on Wednesday night. The incident took place around 8 pm local time after gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on Mohammad Ewaz Khalili in Khurasan area in Mazar-e-Sharif city while he was on his way from University to his home. A close source to Mr. Khalili, Mohammad Nasir Ahmadi said his health condition is satisfactory and is currently under the treatment in Mazar-e-Sharif civilian hospital. According to Mr. Ahmadi, Mohammad Ewaz Khalili was injured from his chest and stomach after four bullets fired by unknown gunmen hit him.
