GPS News  
THE STANS
Two killed as NATO tankers, containers blown up in Pakistan

NATO soldier dies in Afghanistan
Kabul (AFP) Sept 23, 2010 - A NATO soldier was killed Thursday in an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan, the commander of international forces said, which brings the death toll to 533 this year. "An International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) servicemember died following an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan today," ISAF said in a statement. The nationality of the soldier was not disclosed in line with ISAF policy to allow the relevant national authorities to make casualty notifications and announcements.

The latest death brings to 533 the number of foreign soldiers killed in military operations in Afghanistan since the beginning of the year, according to an AFP count based on independent website icasualties.org. On average, two foreign soldiers die each day in Afghanistan. In 2009, 521 soldiers were killed, which was already far ahead of previous years and the highest since the Taliban regime were toppled after an international military coalition led by America, at the end of 2001. But in barely nine months, the number of deaths surged past the 2009 toll, making this year even more deadly, as forces confronted an intensification of insurgent fighting in the last three years. On Tuesday, 10 soldiers died, including nine who were killed when their helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan.
by Staff Writers
Peshawar, Pakistan (AFP) Sept 23, 2010
Militants Thursday blew up four oil tankers and three containers carrying fuel and other supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan, killing two people, officials said.

The incidents took place in the Khyber tribal region near the Afghan border, top local administration official Shafeerullah Khan told AFP.

"A bomb planted underneath an oil tanker exploded while it was on the move in a market in Landi Kotal town of Khyber turning the vehicle into a ball of flame, which also engulfed four nearby vehicles and killed two people," Khan said.

He blamed the attacks, which also wounded 11 people, on local militants.

The lawless Khyber is on the main NATO supply route through Pakistan into Afghanistan, where 150,000 foreign forces are battling to reverse an escalating Taliban insurgency.

Khan said militants also blew up three oil tankers and four containers carrying fuel and other supplies for NATO troops. "These vehicles were parked in Torkhum town at the time of attack", he added.

Local intelligence officials in Khyber also confirmed the attacks and casualties.

NATO supplies also travel through the southwestern province of Baluchistan, which is troubled by Taliban violence and attacks by separatists who rose up in 2004 demanding autonomy and a greater share of profits from natural resources

earlier related report
Czechs to send up to 200 more soldiers to Afghanistan
Prague (AFP) Sept 23, 2010 - The Czech Republic will boost its contingent in Afghanistan next year to about 700 soldiers from the current 535, the defence ministry told AFP on Thursday.

"We are talking about a figure close to 700 soldiers for next year, while the mandate for this year was 535," said Jan Pejsek, head of the ministry's press department.

The CTK news agency on Thursday quoted Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra as saying the figure may reach up to 730 in the end.

But Pejsek said no exact figure had been set as the proposal was still subject to approval by the cabinet, which would receive it in early October, and by the parliament.

Vondra said earlier this month he wanted to cut Czech troop numbers in Kosovo this year to 90 from the 270 who are deployed there now, and to "adequately" boost Czech presence in Afghanistan where Czech soldiers "are undoubtedly needed and will be needed for about three more years".

Most Czech soldiers deployed in Afghanistan work in a provincial reconstruction team in the eastern Logar province.



Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
News From Across The Stans



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


THE STANS
US expects no big changes to Afghan war strategy: Gates
Washington (AFP) Sept 23, 2010
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday said he expected no major changes to war strategy in Afghanistan when the government carries out a review in December. "I have not gotten a sense from my conversations with people that any basic decisions or basic changes are likely to occur" in the review, Gates told a news conference. "I suspect that we will find some areas where we can mak ... read more







THE STANS
Uruguay agriculture gets a Singapore sling

Japan's vending machines sell cool bananas, read minds

Rotating High-Pressure Sodium Lamps Provide Flowering Plants For Spring Markets

New Blueberry Recommended For Home Gardeners

THE STANS
Optical Chip Enables New Approach To Quantum Computing

Spin Soliton Could Be A Hit In Cell Phone Communication

Chip revenue expected to grow 31.5 percent in 2010: Gartner

Computer data stored with 'spintronics'

THE STANS
Human-Powered Ornithopter Becomes First Ever To Achieve Sustained Flight

Swiss solar plane completes flight across Switzerland

Britain fixes Eurofighter ejector seats after Spain crash

WTO ruling doesn't worry Boeing

THE STANS
Beijing authorities warn of more traffic chaos

S.Korea considers tunnels to China, Japan: reports

New Supercomputer Sees Well Enough To Drive A Car

Spain's Endesa, Japan's Mitsubishi seal electric car deal

THE STANS
Europe eyes ban on gulag-style imports from China

China denies blocking rare earth exports to Japan

HSBC chief executive to quit in major shake-up: reports

EU confident of an early Mercosur deal

THE STANS
The Amazon Rainforest - A Cloud Factory

Pristine Rainforests Are Biogeochemical Reactors

Highway plan would destroy Serengeti: biologists

Forestry Professor Helps Shape Future Of Global Industry Research

THE STANS
NASA's MODIS And AIRS Instruments Watch Igor Changing Shape And Warming Over 3 Days

A Growing La Nina Chills Out The Pacific

GOES-13's Family of Tropical Cyclones: Karl, Igor And Julia

ISRO To Launch Four Satellites In December

THE STANS
Australian PM welcomes BHP carbon tax call

Don't wait for US on cap-and-trade, OECD urges Canada

Australia hopes for carbon capturing 'sponges'

Australia to address price on carbon


The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement