SAS capture two top Taliban commanders

A crack SAS team has captured two top Taliban commanders without a shot being fired in a secret dawn raid in Afghanistan.

The 12 elite troops seized Maulawi Rahman and Maulawi Mohammed at a high-walled compound north of the remote town of Babaji in Helmand province.

Both men, who surrendered without a fight, are said to have been close confidants of Osama Bin Laden, the terror mastermind killed by US Special Forces in Pakistan last month.

2 Australian soldiers wounded by bomb blast

Two Australian soldiers have been wounded after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (home-made bomb) while on patrol in southern Afghanistan.

The soldiers are in a satisfactory condition following the incident on Wednesday and are being treated as outpatients at their Tarin Kot base, the Defence Department said in a statement on Saturday.

They had been part of an Afghan National Police and Special Operations Task Group joint patrol.

Russia sells 21 helicopters to U.S. forces in Afghanistan

In a multi-million dollar deal that has taken over a year to seal, Russian arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, now has a contract to supply 21 Mi-17v5 multipurpose helicopters to the U.S Armed Forces Command for use in Afghanistan.

At 17.5 million dollars each, the first batch are due to arrive in Afghanistan in October this year. The deal includes service maintenance, ground support and spare parts - supplied by Russia.

The Mi-17 is an export version of the Mi-8 Hip helicopter, which can transport up to 37 passengers.

Source: Xinhua

Norwegian soldier fires grenade at Afghan police building

A soldier with the Norwegian army in northwest Afghanistan accidentally fired a 40mm grenade while preparing a launcher on a military patrol vehicle.

The grenade hit a building in the Afghan police compound in Almar, Faryab province, killing one civilian and wounding another. The incident happened on Wednesday 25th May 2011.

Norwegian military police are investigating the incident.

Polish soldiers on trial for Afghan war crimes

Poland's military Prosecutor General demanded 12-year sentences for seven Polish soldiers who shot civilians in Afghanistan in 2007 at a hearing on Tuesday 24th May.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers fired a heavy machine gun and a 60 mm mortar at the village of Nangar Khel in the Paktika province, killing six civilians, including a pregnant woman and three children. Three other women were left badly injured.

The troops say their commander ordered them to attack the village after their patrol was attacked by militants.

If found guilty, the soldiers face between five and 12 years in prison for violating international law.

The prosecution is demanding 12 year sentences for the accused commanders and from eight to ten years for the soldiers.

Source: IANS/RIA Novosti

Ottawa Marine survives Afghanistan explosion

Ottawa Marine survives Afghanistan explosion

French fighter jet crashes in Afghanistan

French fighter jet crashes in Afghanistan | The Asian Age

IRAQ: Two U.S soldiers killed

BAGHDAD: The U.S. military has reported that two American soldiers were killed on Sunday 22nd May while conducting operations in central Iraq. 

The military statement released Sunday gave no further details about the deaths. The soldiers were killed on a day marked by a wave of deadly explosions around Baghdad that killed at least 16 people most of them Iraqi security forces.

The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Taliban leader Mullah Omar killed

An Afghan local television network has quoted Afghan intelligence sources as saying that Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has been killed in Pakistan.

"Mullah Omar was killed on way from Quetta to North Waziristan," TOLO television said in its news bulletin, Xinhua news agency reported today, 23rd May.

The private television channel, however, did not provide any further details.

Meanwhile, a security official confirmed the killing, emphasizing that Mullah Omar was killed inside Pakistan.

“It is correct that Mullah Omar has been killed," the official said.

Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban, was Afghanistan's de facto head of state from 1996 to 2001.

The Taliban leader had survived US military manhunt since the US-led invasion of on Afghanistan in 2001.

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U.S marine critically injured in Afghanistan

A U.S. Marine from Edinburg is reportedly clinging to life after an improvised explosive device hit his patrol unit in Afghanistan.

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Suicide bomber kills 6 in Kabul hospital attack

KABUL: A Taliban suicide bomber targeting NATO medical trainers infiltrated Kabul’s main military hospital on Saturday and blew himself up in a tent full of Afghan medical students eating lunch, killing six and wounding 23.

No foreign medical doctors or nurses were among the dead or wounded, Afghan and NATO officials said.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was targeting foreign trainers and Afghan doctors who work with them. He claimed two bombers took part, but Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammed Zaher Azimi spokesman said only one attacker was involved and only one blast was heard at the Mohammad Daud Khan military hospital.

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Afghanistan school torched

Militants have destroyed yet another state-run school in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, local officials have said.

Unknown gunmen torched the school building in Chaparhar district, south of the provincial capital, Jalalabad, in the early hours of Saturday, local officials told Press TV.

Two Afghan security personnel guarding the school were injured in the incident after taking a beating from the assailants.

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British aid worker Linda Norgrove gets postumous award

AID worker Linda Norgrove, who died last year after being kidnapped in Afghanistan, has received a posthumous Green Star award from the UN and Green Cross International.

The 36-year-old was killed by a grenade thrown by a US soldier in a failed rescue attempt.

Award organisers said: "Her death was a great tragedy not only for her family and friends but also for Afghanistan."

Afghanistan: 4 Iowa soldiers injured by bomb

Four soldiers with the Iowa National Guard have been wounded when their patrol vehicle hit a roadside bomb in Afghanistan during a combat mission on Wednesday 18th May.

The injured soldiers were taken to a Military hospital at Bagram.

The four soldiers, serving with 34th Infantry Division are, Sergeant Chisum Frisch, Specialist Jacob Hutchinson both from Cedar Falls, Specialist Benjamin Ward from Rowley and Private 1st-class Tanner Williams from Tama.

The military has not given further details of the wounded soldiers conditions.

UK leaving Iraq on Sunday after 8 year presence

Britain's Defence secretary says the departure of 170 navy training personnel from Iraq on Sunday 22nd May will mark conclusion of Operation Telic.

Britain's eight years of military commitment in Iraq will finally and formally come to an end on Sunday 22nd May, when the remaining forces in the south of the country will withdraw.

The announcement to bring to an end one of the most controversial military campaigns in recent history was made on Wednesday in a statement by the defence secretary, Liam Fox.

In total, the UK still has about 170 mostly naval personnel in Iraq, helping to train the fledgling Iraqi navy from the port of Umm Qasr. The contingent includes a few Royal Marines.

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NATO: More than 1,700 Taliban give up their arms

NATO: More than 1,700 Taliban give up their arms

25 killed in Afghanistan protest, car bombing

25 killed in Afghanistan protest, car bombing

Soldier hangs himself after seeing 5 comrades die in Afghanistan

A traumatised young soldier who saw five of his comrades die in action killed himself after becoming unable to cope with the loss, his friends have claimed.

The body of Rifleman Allan Arnold was discovered by dog walkers on 2nd May  just hours after he had been out socialising with civilian friends while on leave.

The 20-year-old, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, was found hanged in a copse.

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Israel fires on Malaysian aid ship

KUALA LUMPUR, 16th May 16: Israeli forces fired shots at a Malaysian vessel ferrying aid for Palestine when it was approaching the Gazan shores this morning, forcing it to withdraw into Egyptian waters, a Malaysian activist group said.

A spokesperson of the Perdana Global Peace Foundation said in a statement that the Israeli naval force circled the humanitarian ship twice and fired shots.

Anti-war activists and journalists, including seven Malaysians, two Irish and two Indians were on board the "Spirit of Rache Corrie Mission" aid ship. No one was injured in the incident.

The ship was also carrying 7.5 kilometers of UPVC plastic sewage pipes which would be used to restore the devastated sewerage system in Gaza, the group said.

Iraq: 3 Norwegians injured in bomb blast

BAGHDAD, 16th May: Three Norwegian nationals and two Iraqis were wounded in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad today, an Interior Ministry source said.

The attack took place in the morning on a main road in New Baghdad district when a roadside bomb struck a convoy of vehicles carrying Norwegian contractors working on a project for Iraq's Water Resources Ministry, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The blast wounded three Norwegians and two policemen guarding their convoy.

Thailand: 2 monks killed by roadside bomb

BANGKOK, 16th May: Two Buddhist monks were killed and two soldiers seriously wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in southern Thailand early today, police said.

The attack occured around 6 am local time when six soldiers were taking two monks to collect alms in Yaha district, Yala province, the Thai News Agency (TNA) quoted police as saying.

The two monks died at the scene, and two injured soldiers were rushed to Somdej Phra Yupparaj hospital for treatment, TNA said.

Police said the bomb was a homemade explosive device built into a cooking gas cylinder hidden on the roadside.

The bomb was attached to an electric detonation wire over 100 metres long extending into the nearby roadside forest, and that it was triggered manually using a battery.

Police blamed separatist militants for the attack.

More than 4,000 have been killed by suspected separatists since January 2004 in three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and some parts of Songkla province.

4 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan chopper crash

4 Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan chopper crash - World - CBC News

Tunisia repels Libyan government troops

TUNIS (15th May): Tunisian forces have repelled a 200-strong force of Libyan government troops that had entered Tunisian territory earlier today.

Tensions have flared on the border in recent weeks as fighting in Libya has spilled over into Tunisia, which is struggling to restore stability after an uprising earlier this year that sparked revolts around the Arab world.

New Zealand troops deploy to Timor Leste

A 62-strong New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) contingent from the 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry left for a six-month deployment to Timor- Leste Saturday, to support the Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Timor-Leste.

The NZDF has supported various peacekeeping operations in Timor-Leste since 1999, when a referendum was held on independence from Indonesia, sparking violence.

The NZDF contribution includes a military observer with the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste, five advisors to the F-FDTL, and four personnel in the National Support Element based in Darwin, Australia.

Yemen: 6 policeman killed in al-Qaida attack

SANAA, 14th May: At least six Yemeni policemen were killed and another one wounded on Saturday in an al-Qaida attack in southern province of Al-Bayda, a local security official said.

The attack targeted the policemen security checkpoint in Lamsan district in Radaa town of Al-Bayda, the official told Xinhua News on condition of anonymity.

"Following the attack, the al-Qaida militants seized the policemen's weapons and two security vehicles then fled," the official added without elaborating further.

700kg opium haul seized in Afghanistan

More than 700 kilograms of dry opium has been seized by Afghan forces working alongside British troops in Helmand province.

The drugs were found hidden in the back of a flatbed truck that was stopped and searched at a vehicle checkpoint run by Afghan forces, who are being partnered by British troops, in the Garmsir district.

The find is the biggest made by British and Afghan forces in the area, and such a quantity of opium could have been used to produce heroin with a street value of more than £2m.

300kg explosives seized in Afghanistan

300 kilograms of explosives were seized by a joint Afghan Army and ISAF operation in the southern province of Ghazni, on Wednesday 11th May.

The explosives were found buried in an orchard in Asfandi village on the outskirts of Ghazni City, police chief, Col. Zarawar Zahid, said.

French military contractor killed in Libya

BENGHAZI, Libya — The head and founder of a French military contracting company was killed in an accidental discharge of a weapon in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi as he was arguing about his team getting arrested, a rebel commander said Friday 13th May.

In Paris, the private military company SECOPEX Conseil said Pierre Marziali died Thursday at a Benghazi hospital after being wounded at a checkpoint as he and colleagues were leaving a restaurant overnight.

Marziali, 48, died hours before a planned meeting with the transitional government of rebels fighting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces. He was in Libya to set up a security guard service and a "secure corridor" on the road to Cairo, the company said.

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Baptist physicians deploy to Afghanistan

SOUTHAVEN - Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto will be temporarily losing the services of two emergency medicine physicians when they deploy to Afghanistan in the coming weeks but CEO James Huffman said the hospital is proud of them for serving a higher calling.

"They will certainly be missed and our prayers are with them but we couldn't be prouder that two of our doctors are serving our U.S. military," Huffman said.

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Libya: Royal Navy destroy shore-based artillery battery

British Royal Navy warship HMS Liverpool destroyed a Libyan shore battery this week which had opened fire on the ship and its helicopter.

Whilst engaged on surveillance operations off the Libyan coast, the ship was tasked to intercept small, high-speed inflatable boats approaching the port of Misurata, suspected of attempting to mine the harbour.

A Libyan artillery battery on the coast fired rockets at HMS Liverpool whereupon she immediately returned fire with her 4.5-inch (11.5cm) gun, silencing the shore-based aggressors. As a result of the prompt action by HMS Liverpool and her fellow NATO vessels, Colonel Gaddafi's boats were forced to abandon their operation.

Yemen: 7 soldiers, 3 police killed

SANAA, 13th May: Suspected al-Qaida militants killed seven soldiers in two separated attacks on Friday in Yemen's troubled provinces of Marib and Shabwa, local security officials said.

In Marib, militants killed four soldiers and injured several others in an ambush on a military convoy in Sarwah district, a local official said.

Elsewhere in the southern province of Shabwa, another group of suspected al-Qaida militants attacked a security checkpoint in Baihan district on Friday, killing three policemen and injuring another one, a local police official said.

Algeria: 7 soldiers killed

ALGIERS, 13th May: Seven soldiers were killed and two others injured on Friday by a terrorist attack in Algeria's northern province of Jijel, local French speaking El Watan daily reported on its website.

The joint security forces then launched a counterattack operation in the region and eliminated three armed Islamists, according to the report.

An eighth soldier was still missing, while two other soldiers suffered injuries.

Source: Xinhua

Sudan: gunmen shoot four UNMIS peacekeepers

KHARTOUM, 11th May: Unidentified gunmen shot and wounded four Zambian peacekeepers belonging to the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), who were on patrol in Sudan's Abyei area, UNMIS said in a statement today (Wednesday).

The shooting took place on Tuesday afternoon in Goli, some 25 km north of Abyei town, the statement said, adding the four peacekeepers, one of whom is in a serious condition, have been taken to Abyei town for treatment.

"UNMIS strongly condemns this unprovoked attack and has commenced an investigation into the incident," the statement said.

The attack came after an agreement reached between north and south Sudan governments to withdraw all their forces unauthorized to be deployed at the disputed Abyei area and to implement a security agreement inked earlier under the support of the African Union.

Afghanistan: helicopter emergency landing injures four

ASSADABAD, Afghanistan, 11th May: A helicopter made an emergency landing in Nuristan province today (Wednesday) wounding four people, provincial police chief Shams Rahman Zahid said.

"The incident happened at 11:00 am local time in nearby provincial capital Parun and four people aboard sustained injuries," Zahid said.

All those injured are Afghans, he said. However, he did not provide further details.

The mountainous province of Nuristan, 180 km east of Kabul, was the scene of conflict on Tuesday as over 400 Taliban insurgents raided Wama district, but police had repelled the attack, Zahid said.

Source: Xinhua

Army dog handler awarded Elizabeth Cross

The family of an army dog handler who was killed in Afghanistan has been presented with the Elizabeth Cross by the Princess Royal.

Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, aged 26, from Kirkcaldy, Scotland, was killed on 1st March 2011 when he was on patrol in Helmand province with springer spaniel Theo.

The sniffer dog, described as a "true friend" to the soldier, died hours later after suffering a seizure.

The Princess presented the medal to the soldier's family at a private ceremony.

Four hundred Taliban launch attack

Hundreds of insurgents have attacked Afghan police checkpoints in a remote eastern province with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades, but failed to overrun the government positions, officials say.

The assault in Nuristan province, a rugged and mountainous area bordering Pakistan, is the second significant Taliban attack on Afghan government forces in less than four days and is part of the insurgents' long-awaited spring offensive.

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U.S to withdraw 70,000 troops from Afghanistan

America would withdraw 70,000 troops from Afghanistan over the next three years and rely increasingly on special forces to lead operations in plans being discussed by the White House.

Commandos would continue missions to kill or capture insurgents and to train Afghan forces while conventional troops begin leaving in July according to reports.

The plan is being debated as commanders are said to be proposing Barack Obama begin the withdrawal by pulling out up to 10,000 troops by the end of this year.

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Afghanistan: Taliban kill ex-commander

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan: Taliban militants have targeted and killed a former commander along with four others in Kunduz province, 250 km north of capital city Kabul, a local official said Monday.

"Taliban rebels raided the house of Mullah Mohammad Nabi a former Taliban commander in Imam Sahib district and killed him along with four others Sunday night," Governor of Imam Sahib district Mohammad Ayub Hakmal told Xinhua.

Mullah Nabi had switched sides and joined the government a couple of months ago, the official further said.

Meantime, Zabihullah Mujahid who claims to speak for the Taliban outfit in talks with media via telephone from an unknown location claimed responsibility, saying the Taliban fighters have punished Mullah Nabi for quitting the Taliban ranks.

Xinhua

Prince Harry targeted by extremist group

A MUSLIM extremist group has placed Prince Harry at the centre of a hate campaign against the Royal Family, it emerged last night.

Muslims Against Crusades have said the Prince’s Afghanistan duty makes him a prime target for their fury.

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Iran: 3 Americans to go on trial

TEHRAN, 9th May: Iran will put three Americans facing espionage charges on trial on Wednesday 11th May, the state IRIB TV website has reported.

"If there is no problem, and if there is no request from the lawyer of detainees (to postpone), the trial session will be held on time," said Iranian Judiciary spokesman Gholm-Hossein Mohseni- Ejei.

In February, an Iranian court held a close-door trial of three detained Americans, Josh Fattal, Sarah Shourd and Shane Bauer, who were arrested in Iran on 31st July 2009 for illegally entering Iran 's western border and were later charged with espionage. The U.S. government considered the charges totally unfounded.

Syria: 13 soldiers killed

Thirteen soldiers were killed in the central Syrian city of Homs today (9th May) in what authorities said was an ambush set by an "armed terrorist group."

Al-Jazeera TV reported they were killed in Homs, the third largest Syrian city, after troops backed by tanks were deployed there to quell anti-government protests.

Ten Syrian workers, on their way back from Lebanon to Damascus, were killed and three others wounded in an ambush by armed groups.

The assailants opened fire on them from a close distance on the Damascus-Homs highway.

Protests and ensuing violence in Syria have left more than 100 soldiers and security agents dead across the country, while protesters say hundreds of civilians have been killed.

Libyan refugees rescued after boat sinks

Hundreds of refugees were rescued by Italian coast guards after their boat hit rocks off the island of Lampedusa forcing many, including women and children, to jump into the sea.

Italian coast guards and local fisherman saved all 500 refugees on a boat from Libya early Sunday after their vessel hit rocks off the island of Lampedusa, an operation one rescuer described as a "miracle".

Refugees threw themselves into the water in the night, with some clinging to ropes strung between the rusty fishing boat and the shoreline by rescuers, as officers and local residents dived in to help along the rocky coast.

"There were about 500 people on board. It was a difficult situation. Our patrol boats couldn't come close because of the shallow water and the undertow was very strong," said Antonio Morana, a coast guard spokesman.

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Journalist shot dead in Algeria

A journalist for several French-language newspapers was shot dead in a region where the north African branch of al-Qaeda is known to be active, but there has been no confirmation that militants linked to it were responsible.

The journalist, Ahmed Nezar, was shot dead on Friday afternoon in his hometown of Baghlia, about 100 km (60 miles) east of the capital, the security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

Nezar was a local freelance correspondent for several French-language newspapers in Algeria, an energy exporter which won its independence from France in 1962.

“The journalist lived in this dangerous area where several local officials have been killed in the past few years,” the security official said.

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Tunisian protesters tear-gassed

Tunisian police used teargas to disperse anti-government protesters in the capital Tunis on Sunday 8th May, one day after authorities imposed an overnight curfew amid growing unrest in the country.

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Iraqi al-Qaeda leader killed in jail fight

Abu Huzaifa Al Batawi and up to 15 others shot dead after prisoners try to overpower their guards in Baghdad prison.

The most senior member of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been shot dead during clashes between officers and prisoners inside a jail in Baghdad, officials say.

Abu Huzaifa Al Batawi, the leader of the Islamic state of Iraq - the most powerful al-Qaeda faction in the country - was killed along with up to 15 others after detainees tried to overpower their guards on Sunday.

Among the policemen killed was Brigadier General Moayed al-Saleh, the head of counter-terrorism for Baghdad's central Karrada district; a lieutenant colonel and two first lieutenants, the capital's security spokesman Major General Qassim Atta said.

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Dagestan: Russian troops kill 8 militants

MOSCOW, 8th May: Russian troops killed eight militants in a special anti-terrorism operation in Russia's North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan, according to local media reports.

Citing a spokesman for the National Anti-terrorism Committee, Itar-Tass news agency said the special operation was conducted in a forest in Dagestan's Kizlyar region.

"The killed gunmen are being identified," the spokesman was quoted as saying.

One soldier was also killed in the exchange of fire.

Violence is common in the North Caucasus republics of Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia with militants frequently mounting attacks targeting police officers and authorities.

Moscow has vowed to bring stability to the region via improving social services and raising pensions and salaries as measures to tackle corruption and terror infiltration. 

Source: Xinhua

23 suicide bombers killed in Afghanistan

Afghan security forces had killed 23 suicide attackers and detained four others in fighting against Taliban insurgents in southern Kandahar province on Saturday 7th May, Interior Ministry spokesman Zamarai Bashari said Sunday.

"Twenty three suicide bombers had been killed and four others made captive by security forces after militants' attacks in Kandahar on Saturday," Bashari told newsmen at a press conference.

He also added that 15 civilians, 12 policemen, two Afghan soldiers and 11 insurgents were injured in the gun battle which lasted for a few hours, he further added.

Source:Xinhua

Canadian journalist abducted in Pakistan believed dead

B.C. woman abducted in Pakistan believed dead - World - CBC News

Armenia to send more troops to Afghanistan

Armenia to send more peacekeepers to Afghanistan - PanARMENIAN.Net

South Korean base in Afghanistan hit by artillery

Seoul, May 5 (Yonhap) A base for South Korea's aid workers and troops in Afghanistan has been shelled, but no injuries were reported, a military official said today.

Four artillery shells dropped in and around the base compound in Charika, a city in the northern Afghan province of Parwan on Wednesday, according to the South Korean military official.

"Two of the shells appear to have dropped inside the base, with one of them landing outside and the other detonating in midair. We have yet to confirm who was responsible for the attack," he said, adding that there were no injuries or damages to properties.

South Korea has about 90 aid workers and police officers in Afghanistan as its provincial reconstruction team, or PRT.

Some 340 troops are stationed there as members of the "Ashena" unit to protect the team.

British soldier dies in Cyprus

A British soldier from 73 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers), attached to the 3 Royal Anglian Group, died in Cyprus on Tuesday 3rd May 2011.

The soldier was deployed on operations as part of Operation TOSCA, the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNFICYP) based in Nicosia, Cyprus. 

The soldier was taken ill and flown to a hospital in Nicosia where he died.

British Gurkhas back in Afghanistan

A search operation in an area thought to be a Taliban safe haven has been carried out by soldiers from 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles (2 RGR) in their first major operation since recently arriving in Helmand province.

Operation TORA GORGA was carried out by soldiers from 2 RGR's B Company along with members of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Police.

They searched a series of compounds near the village of Shin Kalay in Nad 'Ali district which had been identified as insurgent 'bed-downs' and used by insurgents to launch ambushes from.

The operation began with the ISAF and Afghan forces first searching people on a nearby bridge used as a key crossing point by locals, before moving on to the compounds.

Australian SAS in Afghan hit squads

AUSTRALIAN special forces soldiers have been serving in highly secretive American and British hit squads in Afghanistan, and some have served with the US unit whose troops killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan this week.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that since 2001, Australians from the SAS and Commando regiments have served on ''third country deployments'' and in turn have fought alongside some of the most highly classified and best-trained combat groups in Afghanistan. Crucially, the Australian troops have been refused permission to participate in cross-border raids into Pakistan.

The so-called ''capture or kill'' squads ramped up their pursuit of senior insurgent leaders under the Obama administration, especially after US General David Petraeus took command in Afghanistan last year. They do not operate under NATO's protocols and rules of engagement, rather they fight under the banner of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom, which gives them ''greater freedom of action'', according to an Australian source.

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Illinois vet wounded in Afghanistan returns home

Illinois vet wounded in Afghanistan returns home | abc7chicago.com

Tinley Park soldier gets “coined” in Afghanistan by Petraeus

Tinley Park soldier gets “coined” in Afghanistan by Petraeus - The SouthtownStar

$5 million offered for capture of JI leader

MANILA, May 3: The Philippine military is seeking the assistance of the public to neutralize the top Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader, who is believed to be hiding in the country.

The person who can give the military information on the whereabouts of JI leader Zulkifli Abdhir will be given 5 million U. S. dollars as reward, Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang said.

"The U.S. Rewards For Justice Program is offering a payment of up to 5 million U.S. dollars for information leading to the capture of Abdhir. A priority of the U.S. Rewards For Justice Program is maintaining the anonymity of the source," Cabangbang said.

Adhir is facing a terrorism-related charge before a US federal court and is in the US State Department's list of most wanted terrorists.

At least 30 JI members have been earlier said to be have been operating in the country, including Omar Patek who was arrested last January in Pakistan.

Source: Xinhua

Bomb disposal experts checked for mental stress

UK: Military doctors have found evidence suggesting that Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel are at greater risk of mental health problems than other service personnel because of their extremely dangerous work.

The standard six-month tours that EOD personnel serve in Afghanistan could also be cut to relieve the strains on them.

Last month, Captain Lisa Jade Head of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, became the latest “high threat” operator to be killed clearing explosives in Afghanistan.

In February, an inquest into the death of Staff Sgt Olaf Schmid, from the same regiment, heard that he had appeared “under pressure” and “rushed” on the day he died in an explosion in 2009.

Read more at The Telegraph

Vacancy; head of Global Terrorist Organisation

With Bin Laden gone, an unusual vacancy has arisen in the world of terrorism.

Job Title: Head of Global Terrorist Organisation

Salary: to be agreed

Job location: to be agreed (possibly Islamabad, Pakistan)

Perks: multi-million dollar luxury mansion; multiple wives; army of millions at your beck and call 24/7; placement on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list.

Egyptian, Ayman al-Zawahri becomes the top candidate for the world's top terror job. Al-Zawahri was Bin Laden's right hand man for years and his extremist views and his readiness to use deadly violence are proven beyond doubt.

Read full story at the Boston Globe

Afghanistan: 5 private security guards killed

Kabul, 3rd May 2011: Five private security guards have been killed by a NATO air strike today.

Afghan police reported that the contractors were guarding a supply convoy for international troops. NATO confirmed the strike in Ghazni province but contradicted the police report by suggesting the attack was on suspected insurgents (terrorists in other words).

Afghan officials said there were no insurgents involved.

"This morning, there was some sort of incident between an American convoy and security guards from Watan Risk," said Zirawer Zahid, the police chief of Ghazni. He was referring to Watan Risk Management, a private company that supplies guards for convoys, offices and international organizations.

More to follow on this story.

Iraq: American soldier killed in action

A US Army soldier lost his life in Iraq on 29th April 2011 when enemy forces attacked his unit with rocket propelled grenades and small arms.

Cavalry Pfc. Robert M. Friese, aged 21, from Chesterfield, Michigan, was on patrol in Al Qadisiyah province, Iraq when the incident happened. Pfc. Friese was serving with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment which is based at Fort Hood in Texas.

Britain expels Libyan ambassador

Britain has moved to expel Libya's ambassador after the UK embassy in Tripoli was attacked by a mob.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said Omar Jelban was "persona non grata" and had been given 24 hours to leave the country.

Diplomatic missions belonging to a number of Nato states have been targeted after an air strike reportedly killed Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son and three of his grandchildren.

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65yo U.S electrician heading for Afghanistan

Ken Rowe, a 65 year old electrician from the U.S, has landed a job in Afghanistan, working for four to 16 months.

In his 40-year career as an electrician, Ken Rowe always found work, one way or another, but his latest job is far from ordinary.

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The 12yo Afghan suicide bomber

A suicide bomber said to be aged 12 has killed four people in east Afghanistan, one of several attacks a day after the Taliban announced a spring offensive.

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Syria: leave home and risk being shot

Concern is mounting for tens of thousands of Syrians trapped in a military siege imposed on their towns as party of bloody crackdown on protests.

Troops and tanks remain the town of Deraa in the south and Douma, near the capital Damascus.

Snipers are said to be shooting civilians if they leave their homes.

Read more at SkyNews

Libya: missing foreign photographer

The wife of a UK-based photographer missing in Libya has renewed appeals for help in contacting her husband.

Penny Sukhraj said she was desperate for news of Anton Hammerl who is believed to have been seized by Colonel Gaddafi loyalists along with three other journalists on the outskirts of the east Libya oil town of Brega on 5th April.

The 41-year-old - who lives in Surbiton, Surrey, but has South African and Austrian citizenship - is believed to be held separately in or around Tripoli from his captured colleagues.

Mr Hammerl's family has received no word from him since his disappearance although the three other journalists - two US correspondents and one Spanish photographer - were allowed to make a phone call to their families last weekend.

Iraq: suicide bomber hits army checkpoint

Eight people have been killed and 19 others wounded after a suicide bomber blew himself up at an Iraqi army checkpoint next to a market in the northern city of Mosul, police and hospital sources say.

A hospital source confirmed the number of dead and wounded and said Saturday's attack had taken place at a popular market in eastern Mosul, 390km from the capital, Baghdad.

"The suicide bomber exploded himself at the entrance where Iraqi soldiers were manning a checkpoint to frisk people entering the market," the source said.

Syrian troops storm mosque

Syrian forces have continued their military crackdown in the flashpoint city of Deraa, seizing control of a mosque and shooting dead the son of its imam, witnesses say. Four people were reportedly killed as the southern city came under heavy shelling and gunfire on Saturday, as residents attempted to bury those killed a day earlier during Friday's "day of rage" protests against the government.

"We are totally besieged. It is a tragedy. Many houses are levelled by shelling from the army. For the past six days we haven’t seen an ambulance," one witness told Al Jazeera via telephone, as gunfire rang out in the background.

"We are keeping the bodies of the dead in refrigerator trucks, but many bodies are still lying in the streets. Many of the bodies are bloated and are reeking."

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