War In Afghanistan Daily News - October 28, 2008

U.S. Forces Kill Militants After Helicopter Attack in Afghanistan American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2008 – U.S. forces in Afghanistan assigned to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force in Regional Command East killed 12 militants yesterday and detained one other while securing the site where a coalition helicopter was forced to land in Wardak province after taking enemy fire. The UH-60 Black Hawk came under small-arms fire from a number of militants. The helicopter crew returned fire, but had to land when the tail was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, officials said. Coalition ground forces responding to the scene were engaged by several militants in the area, officials said. Coalition forces responded, initially killing five militants. Coalition forces continued searching the area and were engaged by more militants. They again responded, killing seven more militants and detaining one. The helicopter was recovered and taken to a nearby ISAF base. Also yesterday, Afghan and coalition forces killed one armed militant and detained seven suspected militants during combined operations targeting the Taliban and Haqqani terrorist networks in Ghazni and Khowst provinces. In Khowst’s Sabari district, Afghan and coalition forces searched a compound associated with a Haqqani commander suspected of facilitating the movement of foreign fighters in Afghanistan. The targeted militant also believed to plan and coordinate terrorist activities in the province, officials said. As the combined force entered the targeted compound, an armed militant attempted to assault the force. In response to the insurgent threat, the force engaged the militant with small-arms fire, killing him. The combined force detained six suspected militants during the operation. A second operation, in Ghazni’s Waghez district, netted a targeted militant with ties to multiple Taliban commanders. Coalition forces searched the compound without incident, detaining the targeted insurgent. Written by Bagram Media Center    Tuesday, 28 October 2008 KABUL, Afghanistan – Coalition forces, patrolling in Ghazni province, killed an unknown number of armed militants after a patrol came under heavy fire, Saturday. The force, conducting a patrol in Qara Bagh District, came into contact with dozens of armed militants firing from fortified fighting positions.  Without provocation, the anti Afghan insurgents engaged the Coalition force using a barrage of small-arms, rocket propelled grenades and mortar fire.  Coalition forces defended themselves by engaging the militants with small-arms fire and close-air, precision munitions until insurgent threat was eliminated.  All Coalition forces survived the engagement, it is estimated multiple militants were killed during the fighting. Written by Bagram Media Center    Tuesday, 28 October 2008 KABUL, Afghanistan – Coalition forces killed three armed militants and detained four suspected militants during an operation targeting the Haqqani terrorist network in Paktika province, Thursday. Coalition forces searched a compound in Ziruk District, targeting a Haqqani commander suspected of foreign fighter and weapons facilitation.  He is also believed to finance Haqqani terrorist operations throughout eastern Afghanistan. As the force searched the compound, they received small-arms fire from several armed militants.  Coalition forces returned fire, killing three armed militants.  A search of the compound revealed multiple AK-47s and other military style equipment. Written by Headquarters United States Forces Afghanistan    Thursday, 23 October 2008 KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition forces today killed three insurgents and uncovered a weapons and ammunition cache in Bala Boluk District, Farah province. As ANSF and Coalition forces helicopters entered the area, they were attacked by insurgents with small-arms and heavy-weapons fire coming from inside a cave. ANSF and Coalition forces returned fire, killing three insurgents. A search of the area by ANSF and Coalition forces following the attack uncovered a cache of several weapons and ammunition. No ANSF, Coalition forces or civilian casualties have been reported. . (Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)

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Village elders see progress with problematic creek

Village elders see progress with problematic creek
(High resolution photo)

KABUL, Afghanistan - Conspiracy theories surrounding military bases are not just limited to the sci-fi community.

The rural villages surrounding Bagram Air Field, a former Soviet air base in eastern Afghanistan, now being used for the headquarters for Regional Command-East, have been upset about a local enigma surrounding an important creek for some time.

Coyote Creek, as it is known on the airfield, enters the base on the west side then flows through to the east side. Or at least it used to.

Six years of dirt and silt have built up on the west end of the creek, causing severe flooding to the western villages, and droughts to the villages on the east side. Many of the citizens thought this was done purposely by ISAF to choke off their main water source.

So on 25 October, ISAF’s Parwan Provincial Reconstruction Team and the Mine Action Centre invited village elders onto the airfield for an inspection of the creek and see what progress has already been made to amend the problem.

“Today we took the village elders and showed them so they could see with their own eyes what the problem was,” said Australian Major David Bergman, MAC’s officer in charge. “It has silted up ... because of a long term blockage to the drain that goes under the runway. Today we saw approximately five feet of dirt that is blocking the creek head. And what that means is no water can actually enter in the creek and flow through.”

Not only is this a concern of the local residents, Bergman said, but a problem for the base. When the west village floods, so does that part of the base.

To eliminate the problem, the MAC burned away the dense plant growth around the creek within the base so the area can be cleared of hidden mines left from the former Soviet occupation.

“Then we are going to use our demining excavators, which are up-armoured, to actually go along the creek line and take out as much silt as we can to allow the water to flow from the western side of the creek through the tunnel under the runway,” Bergman said.

While at the base, the village elders could see various places along the creek where the silt and debris had severely narrowed the creek bed or blocked its path. Now with all the vegetation burned away, the mess was clearly visible.

The elders showed a lot of excitement during the visit. There seemed to be no end to the handshakes, smiles and hugs from the most senior of the elders. The reason for their excitement? After six years, they can see with their own eyes that something is being done to fix their main water supply.

“From their standpoint, I feel that [the visit] helped them understand and know that we are here to help in whatever capacity we can,” said U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Jayson Blunck, MAC’s operations non-commissioned officer.

“We are truly concerned with the problem of the village not receiving water,” Blunck said, “and bringing them on base helped them understand. Like the saying goes, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’”

Afghans, ISAF open new surgery centre in Herat

Afghan and ISAF officials meet Oct. 28 during the official inauguration of a new surgery centre in Ghoryan district, Herat.
(high resolution photo)

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan and ISAF officials met 28 October to inspect and inaugurate a new surgery centre in Ghoryan district, Herat.

Dr. Rashed, chief of the Herat Health Department, met with Colonel Luca Covelli, commander of ISAF Herat Provincial Reconstruction Team, and Dr. Alberto Vecchi, chief of the Italian contingent’s foreign affairs ministry.

Dr. Rashid, on behalf of the Afghan community of Ghoryan, thanked the members of the PRT. The PRT, which is guided by Regional Command-West, supports the provincial institutional authorities in the process of reconstruction, economical development and governance.

The project, financed with Italian funds, was built by a local Afghan company and managed by a group of military and civilian engineers from the PRT. The use of local contractors increased job opportunities for the people in the area and improved economical development in Ghoryan.

First Afghan ‘wind farm’ holds promise for progress

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan’s first wind farm is due to open 10 November, supplying power for the provincial government in Panjsher and serving as a symbol of progress.

Partnering with the local Panjsheri workforce and a contractor based out of New Zealand, engineers from ISAF’s Panjsher Provincial Reconstruction Team developed the $977,000 hybrid power generation and distribution system to provide running water, hot water and a septic system for the new government facility.

“The wind farm is significant because it offers an opportunity to study the feasibility of constructing larger megawatt wind turbines and serve as a ‘working laboratory’ for long-term study on wind power potential”, Captain Jason Aftanas, chief engineer said .

The wind farm will also improve coordinating efforts within the provincial government.

“Now that power is being provided on a consistent basis to the new government facility, the governor’s staff and key ministry personnel have moved into the building and are operating just a few doors down from one another”, Aftanas said.