Coalition arms convoy comes under attack

Armed Taliban attacked an ammunition convoy of the US-led coalition troops in the southern Ghazni province, sparking a fierce gun-battle with police that left three attackers dead, police said Thursday.
However, Taliban rebut the claim, saying they set ablaze a truck and a police car, killing five cops onboard.
Police chief of Andar district, Colonel Muhammad Nabi Patang, told Newsv Agencies the convoy was carrying ammunitions for the coalition forces from Ghazni to Paktika when it came under attack from armed Taliban.
Patang claimed the clash that lasted for one hour left three Taliban dead and two others wounded, while police remained unhurt.
Talking to this scribe by the telephone from an undisclosed location, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected casualties to the Taliban and claimed an ammunition truck and a police car were torched and five people onboard were perished.
He also claimed that in another attack in Qara Bagh district of the same province, they set ablaze two ammunition vehicles, destroyed two cars and killed eight police.
However, Ismail Jahangir, spokesman for Ghazni governor, refuted Mujahid's claims, saying one oil tanker was destroyed in the attack, but no human casualty was occurred.

Woman injured in Samangan suicide blast

A teenager blew up his explosives laden waistcoat in front of the governor house killing only himself and injuring a woman in the northern Samangan province earlier Sunday afternoon, local police officer said.Body of suicide attacker destroyed.As result of explosion nearby governor's office windows shattered.Chief of police said the governor of Samangan were in office while the incident took place.No one from government officials has been injured in the incident and one of police's car has been destroyed .

In mean time local police officers came under fire in Kunduz province.In fighting which took place between armed man and the local police man four police has been injured.

Body of the deputy of oil and Gas Company of Hayratan Port found.

Gul Ahmad Ahmadi who has been kidnapped few days ago has been shot dead by unknown armed man in Northern Province of Balk. His body has been found from south of Mazar-e-Sharif city from a river. Gul Ahmad Ahmadi was deputy of Oil and Gas department of Hayratan port a small town which has border with Termiz city of Uzbekistan through Friendship bridge over Amu Darya. Balkh police said the investigation has been launched, so far no one has claimed the responsibility for the killing. Local police said he might have been killed because of personal reasons. So far his family didn’t comment anything on that. Balkh in north of Afghanistan is relatively peaceful city compared with south with some sporadic incidents.
Mazar-e-Sharif is the fourth largest city of Afghanistan, with population of 300,600 people (2006 estimate). It is the capital of Balkh province and is linked by roads to Kabul in the south-east, Herat to the west and Uzbekistan to the north. Mazari Sharif means "Noble Shrine," a reference to the large, blue-tiled sanctuary and mosque in the center of the city known as the Shrine of Hazrati Ali or the Blue Mosque. The city is a major tourist attraction because of its fabulous Muslim Hellenistic archeological sites. In July 2006, the discovery of new Hellenistic remains was announced.



Hairatan : Afghan-Uzbek Friendship Bridge.


The Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge is a road and rail bridge across the river Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River; the Greeks (Ptolemeus) called it Oxiana palus) connecting the Uzbek city of Termez with the city of Heiratan in the Balkh province in northern Afghanistan. It was built by the Soviet Army in 1982 to supply it is troops in Afghanistan.
It is the only way across the Uzbek-Afghan border, the nearest bridge across the Amu Darya being at Kelif some 120 Km to the west crossing the Turkmen –Afghan border.
The bridge was closed in May 1997 when the Taliban forces took control of the city of Mazar-e-Sharif. It reopened on December 9, 2001 .

Can 20000 new soldiers solve Afghanistan’s problem?

US administration is planning to send 20000 soldiers to Afghanistan in order to bring stability in the country. Well US military officials are hoping that they can achieve the same result as they did in Iraq Surge by outnumbering the troops then. Regarding the US officials new soldiers will be based in troubled cities of south like Helmand,Kandhar or Uruzgan where they can help out Canadian and British soldiers to combat Taliban. In mean time development and reconstruction projects which will be funded by US and other international countries, will be implemented in different areas mainly in south of the country by Afghan government. Tribal leaders will be invited by the Afghan government and international forces to implement security in their own areas and fight back against the Taliban, which means forming of different militia forces in the country. Basically in new strategy US are trying to get tribal and local people or leaders to fight against Taliban. That means they will be paying money and if necessary arming the tribes man and militia forced in the country. Well what about Afghan government? Apparently they will be in the picture and they will be playing key role to implement the new strategy .since fall of the Taliban afghan government were in the centre of attention. Despite spending of billions of Dollars on afghan government expected results were not achieved. Security situation is getting worse, country’s police and army is not trained properly (not enough numbers as well),every office and officials from top to bottom in Afghan government are believed to corrupt ,warlords and people once violated people’s right are appointed in high positions, the list of failures goes on which I don’t want to stop in every one of them as everyone has got full details .So because of those reasons donor countries specially the US this try’s to involve the local people . They might be optimist about that and obviously the 20,000 soldier is considered to be a big number .currently 31000 American soldiers are serving in Afghanistan plus another 20000 from other countries. But there are some doubts about the abilities of Afghan tribal leaders, because they can easily switch the side obviously money plays a key role, but how long you can give them money? In mean time insurgents who are fighting against Afghan Government and international forces are mostly from southern Afghanistan where from the very tribes that International community demanding help .well that would make things worse as well.
So now how much Afghan government is happy about latest arrangements? As it sounds not 100%.Afghan Government of course would welcome any increase of foreign troops. But in mean time they have their own idea for better security in Afghanistan. They want international community to spend more money on training of Afghan Army and police. They want the new soldiers mainly to be deployed in border areas in order to control the border crossing of insurgents from Pakistan. Also put some pressure on in other side of border, Pakistan.
So who you can trust? This the question every ordinary Afghans are asking? Corrupt afghan government? Or international community which by implementing of new strategy they are trying to create militia forces. Well Afghans doesn’t have a good experience from militia forces as well.

15 Road workers kidnapped from Faryab Province.

15 road workers have been kidnapped from Faryab province in the north of Afghanistan. The incident took place late last night Ghormach district of Faryab province.
The workers have been kidnapped in point of gun by unknown armed man. Regarding the officials from the private company workers who have been kidnapped were the ordinary workers who have been working on building the road from Ghormach to Faryab province .Faryab province spokesperson confirmed the incident saying investigation has been launched .It is not the first incident in the area, few months earlier one engineer killed and several others have been kidnapped. So far no one has been claimed the responsibility for the kidnapping.
Ghormach is a district in northeast Badghis province, of Afghanistan.It borders on Turkmenistan to the north, the Almar and Qaysar districts of Faryab province to the east, and Murghab District to the south and to the west. The district centre is Ghormach.
The district population was estimated by the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan at 61956(2003).The United Nations lists 221 villages in the district. Notable localities in this district include Ab-i-Garmak,Arzanak,Du abi,Garband,Husaym,Joy-e-shor,Karez,Khatun,Khushki,Pamakhtu.Petaw,Rangin,Rashid,Sartakit,Sawriwon,Senjetak.