Afghan, NATO forces kill 30 insurgents in assault

KABUL: Afghan and NATO-led forces killed at least 30 insurgents in an air and ground assault in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, NATO forces said in a statement.

The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said more than 250 Afghan security forces and coalition troops battled insurgents in Laghman province, southeast of the capital Kabul, after coming under small-arms fire.

There were no immediate reports of coalition or civilian casualties in the assault, which ISAF said was continuing.

Rising violence and casualties are of deep concern in Washington, where U.S. President Barack Obama is due to conduct a strategy review of the increasingly unpopular war in December.

Afghanistan is under renewed scrutiny after last weekend’s parliamentary election was hit by violence and widespread claims of fraud, the second flawed poll in 13 months

10 killed in Orakzai offensive

PARACHINAR: Ten militants were killed and six others wounded during security forces offensive in different areas of Orakzai Agency.

Sources said security forces killed 10 militants and wounded six others during ongoing operation against militants in different areas of Orakzai.

Meanwhile, fighter jets pounded militants’ positions in Jabba area destroying five hideouts as search operation is underway in the area.

Eight militants killed, 6 hurt in Orakzai offensive

PESHAWAR: Eight militants were killed and six others wounded during security forces operation in different areas of Orakzai Agency.

Sources said security forces killed eight militants and injured six others during an operation in upper Orakzai. Two militants dens were also destroyed during the action.

More than 1300 militants have been killed and over 40 training center of militancy have been destroyed so far in an ongoing offensive against militants in the area.

Troops kill 29 militants in Kurram, Orakzai

PESHAWAR: Security forces killed 29 militants Friday in Kurram Agency and Khyber Agency.

According to reports, eighteen militants died early Friday at a military checkpoint in the Orakzai tribal region.

Lt. Col. Tahir Akram, a spokesman for the paramilitary Frontier Corps, said the fighting involved insurgents who arrived from the nearby Khyber region to try to retake the checkpoint in Orakzai where the Taliban have a heavy presence.

He said the security forces repulsed the attack and captured four insurgents. One soldier was wounded.

Later Friday, security forces clashed with militants in Kurram Agency. The shootout left 11 suspected insurgents dead, said Rashid Khan, a local government official.

Killed In Charsaddah Four Militants

Security forces killed some four militants during a search operation in Charsaddah.
The security forces raided a house of one Jan Shah in Umar Zai and gunned down four militants during a clash, while as many security personnel got injured. The injured officilas have been shifted to the hospital.

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Killed In Charsaddah Four Militants was first posted on February 26, 2010 at 11:39 am.

US Reopens Embassy in Yemen Capital

SANAA : The United States embassy in Yemen reopened on Tuesday, an embassy official said, a day after Yemeni forces killed two al Qaeda militants they said were behind a threat that had forced US and European missions to close.

“We are reopened,” a US embassy official said. The embassy had closed on Sunday in response to what it said were al Qaeda threats and came as concern grew about stability in the poorest Arab country.

The British and French embassies resumed operations but remained closed to the public, diplomats at those embassies said.

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US Reopens Embassy in Yemen Capital was first posted on January 5, 2010 at 4:55 pm.

More Than 100 Dead in European Winter Weather

LONDON: More than 100 people have died across Europe as days of snow storms and sub-zero temperatures swept the continent, causing traffic chaos for millions.

At least 42 people have frozen to death in Poland over the last three days and another 48 in Ukraine and other areas. Another 13 people died in car accidents in Austria, Finland and Germany, where temperatures fell to -33C (-27F).

Air, rail and road transport links were disrupted across northern Europe where more snow was expected in coming days. Eurostar said it would run a “restricted” service on Tuesday after a three-day shutdown stranded some 75,000 people.

Only passengers originally due to travel Saturday or Sunday would be eligible, and the remaining backlog would be cleared over the next few days. The crisis prompted French President Nicolas Sarkozy to call the head of national rail carrier SNCF, the majority stakeholder in Eurostar.

Meanwhile Eurotunnel – which carries vehicles under the Channel between England and France – said its terminal at Folkestone was at “saturation point” and closed its shuttle car service to new arrivals.

In Poland, police appealed for people to help if they came across homeless or drunk people lying outside, as temperatures dropped towards -20C in some areas.

Most of the 42 people who froze to death in the country over the weekend were homeless, police said. Meanwhile, one restaurant owner offered tens of thousands of homeless people a hot meal in Krakow’s main square.

“The food is not the only important thing,” restaurateur Janusz Kosciuszko was quoted as telling Euronews. “What is also important is that these people know that someone is thinking about them.” Cold-related deaths were also reported in France, where two homeless people died.

Treacherous travel conditions also caused havoc for rail services. Fifty people were injured when a train hit a buffer in the Croatian city of Zagreb, while 36 were injured when a passenger train derailed in Paris.

Parts of the continent saw 20in (50cm) of snow over the weekend. In France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, airport operators struggled to clear runways amid thick snowfall, with major disruption to flight patterns.

In France, a second wave of snowstorms hit the country’s north on Sunday with Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport warning as many as one in five flights was likely to be cancelled on Monday.

Germany’s third largest airport – in Dusseldorf – was also closed because of Sunday’s heavy snow.

In Belgium, the three biggest airports – Brussels, Charleroi and Liege – were completely shut. Severe delays and cancellations were reported at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.

Moscow said it was deploying 9,000 snow ploughs to clear the city’s streets. Temperatures were forecast to rise later in the week.

Operation in Swat, 4 Militants killed

MINGORA, Pakistan News: The forces killed four militants in a clash in Karakar area of Swat, in which two security men were also injured.

Some militants tried to creep into Buner from Karakar point, at the confluence of Swat and Buner, sources said. In clash with the troops four militants were killed.

The forces also captured large quantity of munitions and explosive material.

Two security men were also injured in fighting.

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Operation in Swat, 4 Militants killed was first posted on December 22, 2009 at 11:49 am.

NAB Re-opens 44 Cases Against 80 Accused in Punjab

Pakistan News: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has re-opened 44 cases against 80 accused after the Supreme Court’s decision of striking down NRO.
NAB’s Prosecutor of Punjab has submitted application to issue summon notices to 32 people including politicians. According to NAB Punjab, out of 80 NRO benificeries in Punjab are 12 politicians, 56 bureaucrats and 12 government officials. NAB has also frozen assets of above 2.5 billion rupees. The preliminary investigation of 12 cases will be carried out by NAB while 32 cases including cases of PPP leader Mushtaq Awan, PML-N leader Rana Nazir and former MPA Muhammad Rashid have been forwarded to accountability courts.

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NAB Re-opens 44 Cases Against 80 Accused in Punjab was first posted on December 18, 2009 at 3:39 pm.

Six Militants killed in SWaziristan

Pakistan News: Security forces killed six militants who attacked on a check post in Laddah area of South Waziristan.
Another militant was killed in clash with security forces in Swat. Terrorists attacked a check post of security forces in the morning today however retaliation fire from the forces killed six militants. Eight militants got injured in the offensive. Security forces seized a large cache of arms. On the other hand, six suspects have been arrested in different areas of Swat in search operation.

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Six Militants killed in SWaziristan was first posted on December 5, 2009 at 6:04 pm.

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