The Afghanistan NGO Safety Office Issue: 63 1-15 December 2010 ANSO and our donors accept no liability for the results of any activity conducted or omitted on the basis of this report. THE ANSO REPORT -Not for copy or sale- Inside this Issue COUNTRY SUMMARY Central Region 2-7 Kabul City, the epicentre of attributed to this recent 7 incidents recorded this 8-13 Northern Region CENTRAL, was character- intensification, and impact, period. These included a Western Region 14-16 ised this period by national of IMF operations, though SAF attack against an security force operations and civilian casualties caused by NGO vehicle in Balkh, the Eastern Region 17-22 interdictions along with both parties remain an is- temporary abduction of Southern Region 23-27 criminal activity, as evidenced sue. Inter-AOG rivalry in NGO staff at an AOG by the extortive threat against Nuristan underscores their checkpoint in Sar-e Pul, 28 ANSO Info Page an NGO staff member. Out- ‘eminent domain’, indicat- and the release of the 2 side of Kabul provincial ing a greater concern over INGO staff previously YOU NEED TO KNOW boundaries, for example internal dominance rather abducted in Takhar. Of Kapisa, dynamics were than a need to prosecute note, this last incident was • Criminality remains a con- shaped by low intensity the conflict. Khost also the first involving an expat cern within Kabul City AOG actions such as IEDs recorded the region’s sec- staff member this year and • Increased IMF pressure on and indirect fire attacks, ond recent mass abduction has been attributed to AOG within Eastern Region whereas further afield to the of demining staff. criminal actions. The com- south, the environment The murder of a female bined factors of a wide- • Various factors driving insta- spoke of a higher AOG pres- spread NGO presence and bility within Ghor NGO national staff mem- ence and activity level. This ber in Herat out WEST multiple ‘contested’ areas • Consistently high NGO included the 5th AOG ab- served as a further grim are two of the driving fac- incident levels within the duction of an NGO staff reminder of the impact inci- tors behind the high vol- North member in Wardak for 2010. dents outside the realm of umes in this region. To the west, areas such as • Regularly ‘contested’ terrain the wider conflict can have Kandahar Province in the within Southern region Daykundi were primarily upon the community. The SOUTH reported 2 sig- dominated by local power use of an airstrike to target nificant suicide attacks this structures and the conflicts the Pasaband District period, which combined they breed. ANSO is supported by Shadow Governor (in the resulted in 8 IMF soldiers Following a recent spate of south of Ghor) illuminates killed and a further 14 higher intensity AOG actions two key features of the con- wounded. Overall it ap- in Jalalabad, the regional cen- text in this province: the pears that AOG in this tre for the EAST, criminal importance of exogenous region are intent on carry- activity outpaced opposition AOG (the DSG was from ing on through the ‘end of activity this period. This is Helmand) and the steady the fighting season’ as well attributed in part to vigorous escalation of the conflict as maintain their tempo in counter-AOG efforts (seen recorded in the latter half of areas recently claimed in region wide) on the part of 2010. Badghis continues to security force operations security forces, in one case report incident levels on par (as in Helmand). Ghazni affecting an NGO collater- with the summer, a fact continues to be one of the ally. However, the suicide indicative of a resilient and most volatile provinces in attack against NDS on the persistent AOG presence. the country, and the recent 10th clearly telegraphs AOG The NORTH continued its election results could serve future intent for this prov- dominance of NGO inci- as a further destabilising ince. The dramatic drop in dent reporting for 2010, influence, highlighting the AOG incidents in Kunar, accounting for 3 of the total existing ethnic, social, and Khost and Paktya is partially political divides. THE ANSO REPORT Page 2 C ENTRAL REGION NGO Incidents KABUL Year to Date 9 KABUL 50 This Report Period 1 On 11 December, an INGO fe- 40 male program manager received a landscape. Several successful op- 30 threatening phone call from an erations against suicide cells were 20 reported by security forces. For unknown individual, menacing the 10 instance, on 2 December at 0900 staff member and her family 0 unless a financial payment is made hrs, an NDS patrol engaged a to the 'mujahideen'. The case has group of three alleged suicide at- been reported to ANP. The rea- tackers in transit across Deh Sabz. KABUL AOG KABUL Crime sons behind the targeting of this As a result of the firefight, one of particular staff member have not the attackers was killed and two others were arrested and two sui- proactive disruption of AOG networks in Ka- been disclosed, however, the cir- bul. cumstances feature an underlying cide vests and three rocket economic, hence criminal, motiva- launchers were reportedly seized. Besides recurrent reporting of planned AOG tion behind the threat. Similarly, unconfirmed reporting suicide and/or spectacular attacks against the indicated that a suspicious vehicle typical high profile targets (GOA and military With 28 combined incidents as was apprehended by ANSF offi- installations, high-profile hotels, foreign em- compared to 31 in the last cycle, cers outside the Ministry of Inte- bassies), the only two effective AOG strikes, the incidents remained low in rior during the afternoon of 8 De- both kinetic attacks against static security tar- both volume and intensity and cember. Henceforth, several cases gets, were reported from Surobi, that is, an were consistent with the patterns were also noted of the ANSF re- inaccurate SAF attack against an ANP check- of the previous period. Kabul porting arrests of presumed sui- point on the highway in Tangi Abreshum, and Province hosted 27% of the com- cide attackers without specifying another SAF attack against an ANP check- bined number of incidents re- whether or not equipment related point in the Uzbin Valley. The Tangi Abre- ported in Central, but only 2 out to suicide attacks was found or shum attack came in addition to a total 4 ki- of the 36 AOG-initiated attacks recovered during the course of netic attacks against security targets (convoys occurred in the province. Police investigation. For instance, ANP and checkpoints) recorded on the Qarghayi disruption of AOG networks and sources reported the arrest of an side in Laghman. Given the recurrence of re- logistical chains (9 cases including AOG member driving a motorcy- porting on AOG concentration and planning an IMF-led operation and an cle rigged as a VBIED in the vi- in the area, AOG kinetic attacks along this part RCIED discovery in Bagrami), 4 cinity of Camp Phoenix near the of the Kabul – Jalalabad highway is most likely interventions against kidnapping Jalalabad Road (PD 9), on 7 De- to continue in the short term. Recent reporting gangs, and two arrests of drug- cember at 1000 hrs. However, no also emphasized that AOG operational tactics traffickers dominated the security further comments were released in Kapisa, Laghman and Surobi may encom- as to the case, and local ANP did pass wearing ANSF uniforms in order to pass KEY THREATS & CONCERNS not corroborate the information. thru the ANSF security perimeters. Local secu- Spectacular attacks within Kabul The fact remains that in contrast rity circles have widely debated the fact that City to very low levels of effective ANSF uniforms and military equipment in ANSF operations AOG strikes in the province, the general are readily available on the market in Criminality ANSF and IMF continue their Kabul. THE ANSO REPORT Page 3 NGO Incidents KAPISA KAPISA Year to Date 2 50 This Report Period 0 40 Following a lull in armed escala- tions in the first half of Novem- ployment of the victim’s brother 30 ber, and a consequent return to with a PSC. Four days later, an 20 low-intensity warfare in the vol- ANP convoy drove into an am- 10 bush in the same area, with the umes typical of previous periods, 0 Kapisa witnessed a two-fold in- AOG killing one and injuring an- crease of security incidents (from other serviceman before with- 5 to 12) during this cycle. drawing. In Nijrab, AOG attacked a road construction site in Wishar, KAPISA AOG KAPISA Crime Besides two AOG-initiated at- killing one and injuring an addi- tacks, an IDF incident in Mah- tional PSC staff. killed in action, no casualties were reported on mudi Raqi (and an additional the IMF-ANSF side. In a sad anniversary, one The intensity of the occasional ANP discovery of an IED planted year in captivity for the two French journalists on a primary district road), and a AOG-IMF encounters was illus- taken from the Tagab – Surobi Road was com- trated through one of the Tagab multiple but inaccurate IDF attack memorated on 15 December. against the Kohband DAC, the incidents, again a roadside am- bush staged by the AOG. While In the West, the developments pointed out to following 9 incidents pertained to an increased activity of AOG elements. Never- the volatile eastern districts. on a patrol, an IMF-ANSF unit received SAF from various fight- theless, all three (stand off) incidents remained In Tagab, AOG staged 4 kinetic ing positions located alongside the localized in nature and largely ineffective, pre- attacks against IMF-ANSF pa- main road.