5 NATO-Led Soldiers, 11 Afghani Policemen Killed, 2 Fuel Tankers Destroyed in Taliban Attacks, More Civilians Killed in NATO Attacks, July 31, 2011

5 NATO-Led Soldiers, 11 Afghani Policemen Killed, 2 Fuel Tankers Destroyed in Taliban Attacks, More Civilians Killed in NATO Attacks

July 31, 2011

Deadly blast targets Afghan police Ten policemen and a child killed Lashkar Gah

By News Wires (text)

AFP -

Ten policemen and a child were killed Sunday when a suicide car bomber struck outside police headquarters in the southern city of Lashkar Gah, local officials said.

The attack came days after control of security in the city, the capital of Helmand province, passed from foreign to Afghan forces in a process which will see all foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Some experts question the ability of Afghan soldiers and police to protect their country against attacks from the Taliban, who claimed responsibility for the latest blast, and other insurgents.

Daud Ahmadi, spokesman for Helmand's provincial governor, said 11 people had been killed and nine wounded.

"Among the dead there is one child and 10 others are policemen. Wounded are seven policemen and two civilians," he said.

"The explosives were placed in an SUV (sports utility vehicle)."

The blast happened at around 8:30 am (0400 GMT) in front of the heavily-secured police headquarters as Afghan police left to go on a patrol, a statement from the governor's office added.

The Taliban published a statement on their website claiming responsibility for the attack in Helmand, one of the most dangerous provinces in Afghanistan and a focus of the war in the south.

"A large number of policemen were gathered and a hero of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan struck and exploded his vehicle laden with explosives," the statement said.

A doctor at the local hospital, speaking on condition of anonymity, had earlier said it had received six bodies and 13 wounded in the wake of the explosion.

"The wounded are being treated and we've made calls to families of the deceased to collect the bodies," he said.

The blast comes amid ongoing concerns over the ability of the Afghan security forces, which are receiving huge sums of money from the international community in a bid to build them up.

There are currently at least 126,000 police in Afghanistan and thousands more are being trained up in programmes financed by countries in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

However, they have faced allegations of corruption and also struggle with factors including low literacy rates among recruits.

The Afghan police and army are frequently targeted in attacks by the Taliban and other insurgents in a bid to undermine President Hamid Karzai's government in Kabul.

There are currently roughly 140,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, of which about 100,000 are from the United States.

Some nations have already started withdrawing troops ahead of the 2014 deadline.

The attack follows a spate of assassinations in southern Afghanistan in recent weeks, including that of President Hamid Karzai's powerful half-brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, in neighbouring Kandahar province.

Karzai was killed by his bodyguard earlier this month, while Kandahar mayor Ghulam Haidar Hameedi was assassinated last week by a suicide bomber who hid explosives in his turban.

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4 NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan

KABUL, July 31, 2011 (Xinhua) --

Four NATO soldiers were killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan on Sunday, the military alliance said.

"Three International Security Assistance Force service members died as a result of a non-battle related injury in western Afghanistan today." said a statement issued by NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) here.

According to the statement the fourth soldier was killed in an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan.

However, the brief statement did not reveal the nationalities of the victims, only saying "It is ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities."

Troops mostly from Italy have been stationed in western Afghanistan while troops from U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia have been deployed in the southern region within the framework of ISAF to fight Taliban militants.

Sunday's casualties bring to 335 the number of NATO service member who lost their lives since beginning this year in insurgency-hit country.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Blast kills 10, injures 15 in Afghanistan

Press TV, Sun Jul 31, 2011 8:23AM GMT

A bomb blast has killed at least ten Afghan policemen and injured 15 others, including civilians, in the southern city of Lashkar Gah in Afghanistan's Helmand Province.

The incident occurred on Sunday when a car bomb went off near the police chief's compound in Lashkar Gah, a Press TV correspondent reported.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Afghan security forces took over security of Lashkar Gah from US-led foreign forces earlier this month.

Violence in Afghanistan has picked up despite the presence of almost 150,000 US-led soldiers in the war-torn country.

As the security situation continues to deteriorate in Afghanistan, US-led forces are also killed by Taliban militants on a near-daily basis.

At least 330 US-led soldiers, most of them Americans, have lost their lives in war-ravaged Afghanistan so far this year, according to data from icasualties.org.

MSH/HJL/HRF

US-led soldier killed in Afghan blast

Press TV, Sun Jul 31, 2011 5:44AM GMT

A roadside bomb has killed a soldier with the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in eastern Afghanistan.

ISAF reported the death in a statement on Sunday but did not reveal the nationality of the soldier, Reuters reported.

At least 330 US-led soldiers, most of them Americans, have lost their lives in war-torn Afghanistan so far this year, according to data from icasualties.org.

As the casualties of the US-led force persistently climb in the Asian country, public opinion in the United States and other Western countries is increasingly turning against the Afghan war.

The security situation has steadily worsened across Afghanistan over the past few years despite the presence of around 150,000 US-led foreign troops in the war-ravaged country.

MSH/HJL/HRF

US-led operation kills Afghan civilians

Press TV, Sat Jul 30, 2011 2:35PM GMT

Latest reports say a US-led military operation has killed a large number of civilians and wounded several others in the troubled eastern Afghanistan.

The causalities come after foreign forces pounded a residential area in Paktia Province.

The US army has confirmed the operation but claimed the casualties were militants. Villagers and eyewitnesses say the victims had no links to militant groups.

There has been a surge in civilian casualties resulting from attacks by US-led foreign troops in Afghanistan. Hundreds of civilians have been killed in US-led airstrikes and ground operations in various parts of Afghanistan over the past few months.

Civilian casualties by US-led foreign forces have also been a major source of friction between Kabul and Washington.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly condemned the attacks and called on US-led foreign forces to stop killing civilians.

Afghans have held several angry protests against NATO over the issue of civilian casualties.

The invasion of Afghanistan took place with the official objective of curbing militancy and bringing peace and stability to the country. More than nine years on, however, Afghanistan remains unstable and civilians continue to pay the price.

JR/HGH/MMN

Two US-led troops die in Afghan war

Press TV, Sat Jul 30, 2011 12:14PM GMT

Two US-led NATO soldiers have been killed in eastern Afghanistan as foreign forces experience some of their deadliest days in the war-ravaged country.

The Western military alliance confirmed the deaths on Saturday without giving further details.

Afghan sources say the two troopers were killed in the eastern province of Kunar.

On Friday, two other US-led foreign soldiers lost their lives in a roadside bomb blast in the east.

The deaths bring the number of foreign fatalities to over 330 so far this year.

According to official figures, more than 2,611 US-led soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.

NATO has admitted that the power of militants in Afghanistan is on the rise despite the presence of about 150,000 US-led forces in the war-hit country.

The rising number of foreign casualties has stoked opposition to the Afghan war in NATO member states as well as in other countries that have contributed troops to the mission.

JR/HGH/MMN

Two US-led troops killed in Afghan war

Press TV, Fri Jul 29, 2011 3:52PM GMT

Two more US-led troops have been killed in Afghanistan as the death toll of foreign forces continues to rise in the war-torn country.

The Western military alliance said on Friday that the troops were killed by a roadside bomb in the east of the country.

NATO did not reveal the nationality of the soldiers or the exact location of the incident.

The deaths bring the number of foreign fatalities to at least 328 so far this year.

Over 2,609 US-led foreign troops have been killed in Afghanistan since the invasion of the country in 2001.

The security situation remains fragile in Afghanistan despite the presence of about 150,000 US-led foreign forces.

The increasing number of troop casualties in Afghanistan has caused widespread anger in the US and other NATO member states, undermining public support for the Afghan war.

AHK/JR/MMN

2 NATO tankers destroyed in Pakistan

Press TV, Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:54PM GMT

NATO oil tankers supplying fuel to US-led forces in Afghanistan are one of the favorite targets of local militants. (file photo) Two NATO oil tankers supplying fuel to US-led forces in Afghanistan have been destroyed by a roadside bomb in northwestern Pakistan.

The attack took place in the Landi Kotal area of the Khyber Agency on the border with Afghanistan, local sources said on Friday, a Press TV correspondent reported.

There were no casualties in the incident, according to the local sources.

Taliban-linked militants have carried out a number of attacks on NATO fuel trucks in recent months, but no group has claimed responsibility for Friday's attack.

The Taliban-linked militants say that the assaults are in retaliation for non-UN-sanctioned US drone strikes on Pakistan's tribal areas.

Washington claims the drone strikes target militants, but casualty figures show that the attacks have led to the death of hundreds of civilians.

Despite the frequent attacks on NATO supply convoys, the US military has not stopped its unauthorized drone attacks on Pakistan's tribal areas.

HSN/HGL

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