Sayedan, Panjwayi District, Kandahar Province, Early: Afghan and Coalition forces raided this village and attacked a group of Taliban hiding in a shop that sold dried fruit, setting off a major firefight. Coalition forces had been tracking the guerrillas for two days. 12 Taliban were killed in the battle. 2 Canadian soldiers were seriously wounded by small arms fire in the fighting.
The media gave the name of the town as Saidan, but that is incorrect. Sayedan (map here) is 142 miles west of Kandahar. It is only 7 miles northwest of Alizi (written by the media as Azizi) where a major US air raid on the Taliban fighters hiding in the town killed about 35 civilians a few weeks ago.
Media reports have speculated lately that the Taliban in Panjwayi District were defeated, based on their perceived strength and body counts of dead fighters. That clearly is not the case.
*****
Andar District, Ghazni Province: Guerrillas waylaid and set afire an oil tanker heading to a US base. The attack killed the driver and wounded a passenger. Andar District is totally controlled by the Taliban.
Sunday, June 11
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Syachow, Deh Rawood District, Uruzgan Province, Late: Afghan and US forces raided this village following a tip from an Afghan informant. In the ensuing battle, 15 Taliban were killed, including a relative of Mullah Omar, Mullah Amanullah, the Taliban commander for the district. 6 guerrillas were arrested in the raid and variety of weaponry, including rocket launchers and assault rifles, was seized.
There were no Coalition casualties. The media is saying this town is called Siachave, but the real name of the town is Syachow (map here). Syachow is located 10 miles southwest of the district capital of Deh Rawood, near the border with the Kajaki District of Helmand Province. It is in this area that a huge US offensive is presently being planned. The Deh Rawood district of Uruzgan is highly unstable.
*****
Sangin District, Helmand Province, Evening: A British patrol engaged in a firefight with Taliban fighters, killing 1 British soldier and seriously wounding 2 more. 10 Taliban were also killed in this battle. The Sangin District is very unstable.
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Yaq'ub, Ghazni Province: US and Afghan forces engaged in a battle with guerrillas near here. Afterwards, guerrillas fled into this village. Coalition forces surrounded the village and started searching for guerrillas, but while doing so, a US up-armored Humvee hit a roadside bomb and a US soldier was killed. No enemy fighters were found in the search of the village.
The media is referring to this town as Yacoub, but the real name of the village is Yaq'ub (map here). It is located 13 miles south of the capital city of Ghazni in white-hot Andar Province.
*****
Saturday, June 10
Zabul Province: Fighting here between Coalition forces and Taliban fighters killed 2 Taliban.
Madrid, Spain: Spanish officials released the names of 63 Spanish soldiers who were killed when their plane crashed in Turkey a while back as they were returning home from serving in Afghanistan. The list follows, including which branch of service they were from, name, rank and hometown.
From the Army: Teniente coronel José Ramón Solar Ferro (Noja, Cantabria), Comandante José Antonio Fernández Martínez (Madrid), Comandante Antonio Novo Ferrero (Guitiriz, Lugo), Comandante Felipe Antonio Perla Muedra (Madrid), Comandante José Manuel Ripollés Barrios (Sidi Ifni), Capitán Manuel Gómez Generes (Pamplona), Capitán Ignacio González Castilla (Madrid) and Capitán Santiago Gracia Royo (Zaragoza),
Capitán Juan Ignacio López de Borbón (Madrid), Capitán José María Muñoz Damián (Zaragoza), Capitán Jesús Mariano Piñán del Blanco (Gijón, Asturias), Teniente David Arribas Cristóbal (Burgos), Teniente Antonio Cebrecos Ruiz, (Santander), Teniente Mario González Vicente (Madrid) and Teniente Sergio Maldonado Franco (Herrera de Pisuerga, Valladolid), Subteniente Godofredo López Cristóbal (Valdeolivas, Cuenca), Brigada César Garciela González (Vigo), Brigada Juan Bonel Suárez (Madrid), Brigada Francisco Javier Cobas Ligero (Ceuta), Brigada Miguel Angel Díaz Caballero (Granada), Brigada Emilio Gonzalo López (Madrid), Brigada Juan Carlos Jiménez Sánchez (Madrid) and Brigada José Ignacio Pacho González (Bilbao), Sargento Primero Blas Aguilar Ortega (Valencia), Sargento Primero Francisco de Alarcón García (Valencia), Sargento Primero Francisco Javier Hernández Sánchez (Murcia), Sargento Primero Sergio López Sáez (Zaragoza), Sargento Primero Iñigo Maldonado Franco (H.de Pisuerga, Palencia), Sargento Primero Rafael Martínez Micó (Alfafar, Valencia), Sargento Primero Alberto Antonio Mustienes Luesma (Zaragoza), Sargento David González Paredes (Zaragoza), Sargento Eduardo Hernández Mañez (Valencia), Sargento Juan Ramón Maneiro Cruz (Madrid), Sargento Juan Jesús Nieto Mesa (Montehermoso, Cáceres), Sargento José Gabino Nve Hernández (Bata, Guinea), Sargento Miguel Sánchez Alcázar (Villanueva de los Infantes, Ciudad Real), Cabo primero Juan Jesús Rivas Rodríguez (Salamanca), Cabo primero Feliciano Vegas Javier (Cáceres), Cabo primero José Ignacio Viciosa García (Palencia) and Cabo José Israel Ferrer Navarro (Albacete).
From the Air Force, the following airmen were killed: Teniente David Gil Fresnillo (Segovia), Brigada José María Pazos Vidal (Marín, Pontevedra), Brigada Eduardo Rodríguez Alonso (Sotes, La Rioja), Brigada Francisco Moro Aller (Valdesogo, León), Brigada Pedro Rodríguez Alvarez (Sotes, La Rioja), Alférez David Paños Saá (Madrid), Sargento Primero José M. Sencianes López (Málaga), Sargento Primero José Luis Moreno Murcia (Barcelona), Sargento Primero Miguel A. Algaba García (Madrid), Sargento Primero Ismael Hipólito Lor Vicente (Zaragoza), Sargento Primero José Antonio Tornero Rodenas (Albacete), Sargento Francisco J. Cardona Gil (Valencia), Subteniente Joaquín Alvarez Vega (San Esteban de Pravia, Asturias), Cabo Primero Fernando España Aparisi (Valencia), Cabo Primero Vicente Agulló Canda (Lalín, Pontevedra), Cabo Primero Juan C. Bohabonay Domínguez (Las Palmas), Cabo Javier Gómez de la Mano (León), Soldado David García Díaz (Santander), Soldado Edgar Vilardell Iniesta (Hospitalet de Llobergat, Barcelona), Soldado Carlos Oriz García (Zaragoza) and Soldado Miguel Angel Calvo Fuentes (Madrid).
From the Civil Guard (National Guard), Comandante Javier García Jimeno (Ceuta) was killed.
Friday, June 9
Outside Kabul, Late: Roadside bomb attack on an Afghan convoy carrying a top Kabul intelligence officer, Humayoon Aini, missed the officer but killed 3 others in the convoy, including a tribal chief, and wounded 2 more, including a district intelligence officer.
Outside Kandahar: Roadside bomb attack on an Afghan police convoy killed 2 police officers and wounded 3 more. The convoy was escorting a district police chief to Kandahar.
Thursday, June 8
*****
Chahar Bolak District, Balkh Province, 3:30 PM: There was yet another attack on Afghan aid workers in this province, in which an attacker on a motorcycle fired on aid workers, killing their driver and wounding 2 others. There has been a series of these attacks in this province, often involving attackers on motorcycles, lately but no one knows for sure who is behind it or what their motivation is.
4 suspects have been arrested in this latest attack. Another source said the attack took place in Chimtal District. The media is calling this district the Charbolalk District but it is actually called the Char Bolak District. It is located 26 miles west of Mazar-e-Sharif near the border with Jawzjan Province.
Ruins of a city built by Alexander the Great in Balkh Province. This was just another in an endless series of conquests of this land. The conquering Greeks added their genes to the diverse Afghan gene pool. I know Pakistanis who trace their ancestry back to Greeks, perhaps those who came with Alexander's conquerors.*****
Cineh, Deh Rawood District, Uruzgan Province: US and Afghan forces disrupted a large group of Taliban meeting outside this village and attacked them with artillery, killing 10 of them. The remaining fighters fled into the countryside. Coalition forces pursued them, but they had disappeared. The media is calling this town Cahar Cineh, but the actual name is Cineh (map here).
It is located 7 miles west of Deh Rawood, the capital of the district and it is close to the border with the Kajaki District in Helmand. It is very close to Syachow. This area is apparently red-hot right now. The Deh Rawood District of Uruzgan and the Kajaki District of Helmand are apparently the site of a major US counterinsurgency operation set to go very soon.
*****
Uruzgan Province: Guerrillas attempted to set up an ambush here, but the attempt was foiled by US and Afghan forces. US forces attacked the group with cannon fire from an aircraft, killing 4 Taliban. Two RPG's, one AK-47 and several magazines were also seized in the operation.
Bala Buluk, Farah Province: Guerrillas opened fire on the provincial police chief as he walked in a market here, killing him and 3 bodyguards. Farah is getting more and more unstable lately, which is strange because supposedly the Taliban do not have a large presence here. However, there have been some attacks around Bala Baluk lately. Bala Baluk is located 28 miles northwest of Farah city, the capital of the province.
Paktia Province: Roadside bomb attack on Afghan troops here killed 3 Afghan soldiers.
*****
Kapisa Province: A shootout between Afghan government forces and guerrillas killed 3 guerrillas and wounded 4 more. Kapisa has been a pretty stable province, and it is strange that guerrillas are operating openly here. Kapisa is just northeast of Kabul Province. It is home to the Panjshir Valley, where Shah Massoud's largely Tajik mujehedin force was headquartered during the war against the Soviets.
Crash site of an aid helicopter that went down during stormy weather on a very high mountaintop in Kapisa a while back. Everyone on board was killed.Ghazni Province: Roadside bomb attack on Afghan troops here killed 3 Afghan soldiers and wounded 1 more. 3 suspects were arrested in the attack.
Qalat, Ghazni Province: Government forces seized a donkey laden with 66 pounds of explosives and a guerrilla who was reading the animal to detonate it by remote control as part of a guerrilla attack. The seizure took place on the outskirts of this town. Qalat is the capital of the province.
Wednesday, June 7
Kandahar Province, Night: The Taliban reported that they abducted several Canadian soldiers here, but the report proved to be false. After a roll call of all Canadian soldiers, none were found to be missing.
Kandahar Province, Night: The Taliban fired 3 rockets into the Canadian base at the Kandahar Airport but there were no casualties and there was no damage.
A photograph of the surprisingly modern Kandahar International Airport. Don't think I will be flying in anytime soon though. The main base for the Canadian troops in Afghanistan is located near this airport on the outskirts of Kandahar.Zabul Province: Roadside bomb attack on US troops here wounded 3 US soldiers.
Monday, June 5
Arghandab District, Zabul Province: US and Afghan forces battled a large group of 60 Taliban here, killing 30 of them. There were no Coalition casualties. Arghandab is in the northern part of the province.
Sunday, June 4
*****
Now Zad, Helmand Province: British forces on a routine search operation battled Taliban fighters in this village, and 13 Taliban were killed after a 6-hour gun battle. This battle was reported in an earlier edition of Afghanistan Wrapup, but in that entry only 5 Taliban were said to be killed.
The actual name of this town is Now Zad (map here), not Nowzad, as the media is calling it. It is a large town 56 miles north of the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.
The scene of the raid on the Taliban forces in Now Zad, Helmand Province. I am not sure what all that smoke is coming off the vehicles. Maybe military vehicles just smoke a lot, especially when driving fast in very hot weather.
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