US Army Pfc. Markie Sims

20-year-old US Army Pfc. Markie T. Sims was killed on 29th December 2012 when an insurgent bomb exploded beside the vehicle he was in. The incident happened during a patrol at Panjwal.

Pfc. Sims, from Citra, Florida, was serving with the Washington-based 38th Engineer Company, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

More information to follow.

Missing Georgian soldier, Sergeant Giorgi Kikadze, found dead

The body of Georgian Army Sergeant Giorgi Kikadze has been found in Afghanistan following an intensive search and rescue mission.

Sgt. Kikadze disappeared from a military base on 19th December 2012, sparking a joint-service search effort.

Defence Minister of Georgia Irakli Alasania said earlier: "Today it is the hardest day personally for me, for the Defence Ministry and the Georgian Armed Forces. Today the body of Sergeant Giorgi Kikadze has been discovered. He went missing on December 19 and since then the search and rescue operation had been going on. We express condolences to the family of deceased Georgian soldier."

Below is the news announcement in Georgian language.

Bomb kills ISAF soldier in southern Afghanistan

A NATO/ISAF soldier was killed by a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan earlier today (29th December 2012).

Update: the soldier has been names as 20-year-old US Army Pfc. Markie T. Sims

US Army Sergeant Enrique Mondragon killed in action

23-year-old US Army Sergeant Enrique Mondragon, serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 173rd Special Troops Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based in Bamberg, Germany, was killed in action on 24th December 2012.

Sgt. Mondragon was on a foot patrol when his unit was attacked by enemy forces with small arms fire at Baraki Barak, Afghanistan.

More information to follow.

Bomb kills three near Military base in eastern Afghanistan

Khost, 26th December 2012: a car bomb exploded close to FOB Chapman, Khost, earlier today killing three Afghan civilians and wounding seven others, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.

ISAF spokesman, Major Martin O'Donnell, confirming the report, said: "Three Afghan nationals are killed and seven Afghan nationals are wounded. We have no report of coalition casualties right now."

3 civilians killed by bomb in western Afghanistan

News in brief: three Afghan civilians in the western Afghanistan province of Farah, were killed yesterday (25th December) when the vehicle they were travelling in drove over a hidden bomb.

The incident happened in the Bakwa district. The victims were heading towards Herat, Abdul Rauf Ahmadi, a provincial police spokesman, said.

US Police Mentor Joseph Griffin killed in Kabul shooting

49-year-old Joseph Griffin, from Mansfield, Georgia, was shot and killed in Kabul on 24th December 2012.

His killer was a policewoman identified only as Sergeant Nargas, an Iranian who went to Afghanistan 10 years ago with her husband and obtained a fake ID through him, according to a report in The Guardian.

Mr Griffin was employed by US-based DynCorp International and was in the country supporting the Afghan Ministry of Interior and Afghan National Police Development Program (AMDP).

Nargas walked into a heavily-guarded compound in the heart of Kabul, confronted Griffin and shot him with a pistol. Investigators are still unclear on a motive for the attack.

Afghan government spokesman, Sediq Sediqi, told a news conference that Nargas, in her early 30s and a mother of four, was born in Tehran and moved to Afghanistan 10 years ago after marrying an Afghan national. She joined the Afghan police five years ago and had a clean record within the force.

He went on to say that "her mental condition is not good," and described her as "unstable." He also told press that she had recently attended a training course in Egypt and had been assessed as "not being normal," in a reference to her mental state.

A statement on the DynCorp International website stated that Mr Griffin had worked in support of several of the company's global training and mentoring programs since November 2000 and that he deployed to Afghanistan in July 2011. The statement also says about Mr Griffin that he was "A veteran of the U.S. military who served in various U.S.-based law enforcement positions over the years, Mr. Griffin was an experienced professional who will be missed by his colleagues.

Afghan police officer kills five colleagues

Afghan Police. CROWN COPYRIGHT.

An Afghan police officer, identified as Dur Mohammad, shot dead five of his colleagues earlier today - Monday 24th December - in the northern province of Jawzjan, an official said.

Dur Mohammad, the head of the police post, is thought to have joined the Taliban insurgents after the deadly shooting, provincial police chief Abdul Aziz Ghairat said.

"He shot dead five of his colleagues and fled and joined the Taliban," Ghairat said.

The gunman and victims were part of the Afghan Local Police (ALP), a US-backed community police force tasked with guarding Afghan villages against Taliban attacks.

The incident is the latest in a string of attacks by Afghan Police and Army personnel on their own men or foreign allies. Earlier in the day, a female Afghan police officer killed a foreign adviser in the capital Kabul. Click here for that report.

Update on missing Georgia soldier

The Georgia Ministry of Defence has issued an update on the status of a soldier missing in Afghanistan since 19th December.

The SAR (Search and Rescue) operation is ongoing and the mission - involving Georgia and ISAF troops - is being led by Deputy Chief of Joint Staff of GAF, Brigadier-General Vakhtang Kapanadze.

The soldier was reported as missing on 19th December. Since then, a rigorous search mission has been in operation. Georgia currently has two battalions operating in Helmand province; 12/1 Infantry and 32/3 Infantry. 19 Georgian soldiers have died in Afghanistan since 2010.

Update: The body of Georgian Army Sergeant Giorgi Kikadze was found on 29th December 2012.

ISAF soldier killed in eastern Afghanistan

KABUL: A NATO/ISAF soldier died today, Monday 24th December, following an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan.

No further details have been released as yet, but it is confirmed that this incident is not related to an earlier shooting at Kabul Police HQ.

More information to follow.

US Adviser killed by Afghan policewoman

Kabul: Deputy Police Chief Mohammad Daoud Amin has said in a statement to press that a female member of the Afghan Police shot and killed a US Adviser at Kabul Police HQ today, Monday 24th December.

Amin did not release any further information regarding the incident, stating that an investigation was in progress. NATO military command confirmed it was investigating reports of the shooting.

The victim has been named as 49-year-old Joseph Griffin.

US Navy SEAL Commander Job W. Price

US Navy Commander Job W. Price, died on 22nd December 2012 from a non-combat related injury in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan.

42-year-old Cmdr Price was in charge of mission coordination for Navy SEAL Team 4, according to reports by CNN.

CNN reported that staff found Cmdr Price's body with an apparent gunshot wound, which has led to speculation that the cause of death was suicide. However, the incident is being investigated.

More information to follow.

Photo courtesy of US Navy

British soldier killed by British sniper. Mother seeks apology from MOD

A British woman whose son was shot dead in Afghanistan seeks an apology from the Ministry of Defense. 

Helen Perry's son, Michael, was shot and killed while serving in Afghanistan as a Royal Military Police officer, attached the The Rifles. 

• Five months passed before she discovered how her son died
• He was shot and killed by a British sniper who thought he was firing at an insurgent
• Sat in the same room as the sniper who killed her son during a Hearing into the shooting

Read the full story at The Guardian

NEWS: Georgian soldier missing in Afghanistan

The Georgia Ministry of Defence has issued a statement concerning a Georgian soldier who has gone missing in Afghanistan.

The soldier disappeared on 19th December whilst serving with the Georgian Army in Helmand. The circumstances of his disappearance are as yet unknown. A Search and Rescue operation is currently underway.

Georgia has two battalions operating in Helmand province; 12/1 Infantry and 32/3 Infantry. 19 Georgian soldiers have died in Afghanistan since 2010.

Update: the body of Georgian Army Sergeant Giorgi Kikadze was found on 29th December 2012.

US Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Lipari

39-year-old US Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Lipari, from Baldwin, New York, died in Logar province on 14th December 2012.

Sgt. Lipari served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, based in Germany.

The circumstances surrounding his death are currently being investigated. More information to follow.

US Army Staff Sgt. Nelson Trent

37-year-old US Army Staff Sgt. Nelson D. Trent, from Austin, Texas, was killed from the blast of a bomb at Kandahar on 13th December 2012.

Staff Sgt. Trent served with the Fort Worth, Texas-based 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

On Thursday, a Taliban suicide bomber killed an American soldier and two Afghan civilians outside Kandahar Airport. It has not been confirmed if Staff Sgt. Trent was the casualty of that attack.

More information to follow.

US Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas Reid

26-year-old US Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas J. Reid, from Rochester, New York, died in Landstuhl, Germany on 13th December 2012. He had been evacuated to a hospital there after suffering injuries from a bomb blast in Sperwan Village on 9th December.

Staff Sgt. Reid, serving with the Washington-based 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD), 3rd Ordnance Battalion (EOD), was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. He deployed there in September.

US Marine Sergeant Michael Guillory

28-year-old US Marine Sergeant Michael J. Guillory, was killed on 14th December during operations in Helmand province. He served with the California-based 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion.

Sgt. Guillory's mother told Fox News (see video news above) that her son had been in a patrol vehicle when it overturned.

"He was doing his job and the vehicle that was carrying him rolled over and rolled on him and killed him," she says. "I think one other person got hurt, but he didn't make it."

US Army Green Beret veteran of Afghanistan dies in North Carolina

31-year-old US Army Major Benjamin Follansbee, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, died near Fort Bragg, North Carolina on Monday 10th December 2012.

According to a report in TribLive News (and elsewhere on the internet), Maj. Follansbee apparently hanged himself on Monday in his Fayetteville, N.C., residence, quoting Gavin McRoberts, a spokesman for the Fayetteville police.

He served as an airborne Army Ranger in Iraq in 2005 and 2006. He later completed training as an Army Green Beret and did three tours of duty in Afghanistan.

Click here for the full story at TribLive News

US soldier dies in southern Afghanistan

An American service member died in southern Afghanistan yesterday (Friday 14th December 2012) from a non-battle related injury.

No further details are available as yet. More information to follow.

French combat troops leave Afghanistan

The last unit of French combat troops left Afghanistan today (Saturday 15th December 2012). Approximately 200 troops from the 25th Infantry Regiment, departed early afternoon. They had been responsible for overseeing the French withdrawal.

88 French military personnel have died during combat missions in the country since 2004. Click here for the list of French fallen.

Their departure means France has around 1,500 non-combat troops left in Afghanistan, most of them based in Kabul. They are due to stay into 2013 to take responsibility for repatriating equipment and training the Afghan army to take over.

After that, only a couple of hundred French soldiers involved in cooperation or training missions will remain in Afghanistan.

Click here for the full story at France24

US Army Staff Sgt. Wesley R. Williams

25-year-old US Army Staff Sgt. Wesley R. Williams, from Ohio, died on 10th December 2012 of injuries sustained from a bomb blast in Kandahar.

Staff Sgt. Williams joined the Army in July 2005 and qualified as a Paratrooper later that year. In 2006 he joined 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, based in Germany.

In 2009, he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, the same unit he served with when he was killed.

He previously served in Iraq - from September 2009 to August 2010 - and deployed to Afghanistan as a Squad Leader in November this year.

His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Good Conduct Medal (2), National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, and the Iraq Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, among others.

US Navy SEAL Nicolas Checque killed during hostage rescue mission

28-year-old US Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque, from Pennsylvania, was killed during a mission to rescue kidnapped American doctor, Dilip Joseph near Kabul on 8th December 2012.

PO Checque was a member of the US Navy's Special Warfare Development Group, more commonly known as SEAL Team Six, the unit involved in the mission that killed Osama bin Laden. It has not been reported if he was part of the bin Laden mission.

He enlisted in the Navy in October 2002 and commenced training with the Navy's Special Warfare unit in April 2003. The 10-year veteran had previously deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

US soldier killed by suicide bomb at Kandahar

A Taliban suicide car bomber killed one American soldier and two Afghan civilians on Thursday 13th December 2012. The incident occurred near Kandahar Airport, shortly after US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta left the base.

According to Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the suicide bomber targeted a moving vehicle near the access gate to the military zone at the airport.

Mr. Panetta confirmed the death of one American soldier and said three others had been wounded in the attack. General Azimi confirmed the deaths of two Afghan civilians and fourteen wounded.

US Commando killed during hostage rescue mission

A US Navy SEAL was killed on 8th December during a mission to rescue kidnapped American doctor, Dilip Joseph. The hostage was successfully rescued.

In a statement from the White House, President Barack Obama said that in carrying out the raid in eastern Afghanistan, the commando team had shown "the selfless service that allows our nation to stay strong, safe and free."

The US soldiers killed seven Taliban insurgents in the pre-dawn raid that was launched when intelligence showed that the hostage was in "imminent danger of injury or death", NATO's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement.

The US Department of Defense later named the serviceman as Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque.

US soldier killed eastern Afghanistan

A member of the US Forces was killed in eastern Afghanistan earlier today - Sunday 9th December 2012.

Officials have confirmed that a US Commando was killed during a hostage rescue attempt.

North Dakota National Guard Sergeant Darren Linde

41-year-old US Army Sgt. 1st Class Darren M. Linde, was one of two North Dakota National Guardsmen killed in southern Afghanistan on Monday 3rd December 2012.

Sgt. Linde, serving with the 818th Engineer Company, died as a result of injuries received when the vehicle he was in struck an insurgent bomb during a route clearance operation.

This was his second deployment as a National Guard soldier. He served in Iraq with the North Dakota National Guard’s 164th Engineer Battalion from August 2007 to April 2008.

Sgt. Linde leaves his wife, Adrienne, and four children.

The other soldier killed in the same incident was 20-year-old Spc. Tyler J. Orgaard.

North Dakota National Guard Spc. Tyler Orgaard

20-year-old US Army Spc. Tyler J. Orgaard, from Bismarck, was one of two North Dakota National Guardsmen killed in southern Afghanistan on Monday 3rd December 2012.

Spc. Orgaard, serving with the 818th Engineer Company, died as a result of injuries received when the vehicle he was in struck an insurgent bomb during a route clearance operation.

The other soldier killed in the same incident was 41-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Darren M. Linde

More information to follow.

US Military fatalities, Afghanistan - November 2012

US Military fatalities, Afghanistan - November 2012

The following is a list of known United States Military fatalities in Afghanistan - November 2012:

26-Nov	Monahan Jr, Christopher	Corporal	25	Combat Logistics Regiment 2, USMC
24-Nov	Ebbert, Kevin R.	PO1	32	Naval Special Warfare
21-Nov	Shanafelt, Zachary	Spc.	24	1-84th Field Artillery
18-Nov	Means, Dale	L-Cpl	23	Combat Logistics Regiment 2, USMC
16-Nov	Hicks, Channing B.	Sergeant	24	1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment
16-Nov	Richardson, Joseph A.	Spc.	23	1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment
13-Nov	Battle Jr., Rayvon	Staff Sgt	25	38th Engineer Company
12-Nov	Stiltz, Matthew H.	Sergeant	26	1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment
10-Nov	Bennett, Kenneth W.	Staff Sgt	26	53rd Ordnance Company
09-Nov	Nehl, James D.	Captain	37	2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment
09-Nov	Carlson, Daniel L.	Spc.	21	3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment
5-Nov	Buttry, Brandon	Pfc.	19	3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team
3-Nov	Venne, Dain T.	Staff Sgt	29	178th Engineer Battalion
3-Nov	Gornewicz, Brett E.	Spc	27	178th Engineer Battalion
3-Nov	Jayne, Ryan P.	Spc	22	178th Engineer Battalion
1-Nov	Kantor, Matthew G.	PO2	22	Naval Special Warfare

Two ISAF soldiers killed by IED in southern Afghanistan

Two North Dakota National Guard soldiers were killed in a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan on 3rd November 2012.

Spc. Tyler J. Orgaard and Sgt. 1st Class Darren M. Linde died when their vehicle struck an insurgent bomb.

US Marine Lance Corporal Anthony Denier

26-year-old US Marine Lance Corporal Anthony Denier was killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan over the weekend.

L-Cpl. Denier, from upstate New York, had been in the US Marines for almost two years and deployed to Afghanistan in October. He was based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

More information to follow.