The Afghanistan NGO Safety Office Issue: 71 1-15 April 2011 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 Widespread civil unrest dom- information indicating NGO volumes this year, 6 Northern Region inated the beginning of the whether that contingent will for 7 and 5 respectively. Western Region 15 period, affecting all regional, redeploy in the near term. Suicide attacks were in the and many provincial, centres. Eastern Region 17 Following a surprisingly fore this period, with 2 While the majority of these kinetic March, April trend- SVBIEDs, 5 BBIEDs, Southern Region 24 were benign, events in the ing indicates that this along with 2 complex at- North and South eclipsed the ANSO Info Page 29 month will likely reach pari- tacks that included multiple rest in both scope and vio- ty with last month, as well suicide attack vectors. The lence. The protests in Mazar, as surpass those volumes Central, East and Southern which directly affected UNA- recorded in this period last Regions accounted for 3 YOU NEED TO KNOW MA and claimed the lives of year (see graph p.4). As has incidents each. With the 7 staff, were focused in their been the case for most of exception of the incident in • Widespread civil unrest this impact while those in Kanda- period 2011, Helmand in the South Kunar (targeting a local har (occurring over 2 days) is one of the key provinces leader with an anti-Taliban • PRT withdrawal in Samangan were more diffuse, though driving these volumes, bent) these incidents exclu- they did impact an INGO though Kunar and Khost in sively targeted security • East & North continue as office. Of note, public gath- NGO incident focal areas the East continue to post forces, both IMF and erings of this size are relative- high figures as well. Of ANSF. However, when • Expansive use of suicide/ ly rare there, a reality that note, Herat, Badghis and unpacking the incidents, complex attacks speaks to the prevailing insta- Farah in the West have also one sees a broad range of bility’s affect on the popula- posted figures generally tactical goals, as well as tion. It appears that both higher than most provinces varying degrees of tactical cases presented a clear align- in the Central and Northern efficacy. These included ment of goals between the Regions. the specific targeting of ANSO is supported by public and opposition individuals (Kandahar, groups, a factor that was the Beyond the INGO office impacted in the recent civil Kunar); general targeting of key driver in how events un- security elements (Paktya, folded. unrest, there were three other NGO direct incidents Laghman, Kabul); as well The relocation (read: with- this period. In line with as the complex attacks drawal) of the small scale trends identified from the whose ultimate goal was PRT contingent from Saman- 1st quarter, 2 of these oc- penetration of a secure gan in the North went rela- curred in the East facility in order to maxim- tively unnoticed (due to the (Nangarhar, Kunar) with ise casualties (Kandahar, events above) but is worth the final one from the Kabul). While the long mentioning. This occurred North (Badakhshan). Not term suicide attack rate as a direct result of a govern- only do these two regions statistics indicate that the ment/populace request and regularly account for the use of this tactic peaked in is noteworthy as it represents highest countrywide per- 2007 (see graph on p.22), the first such case reported. centages (see graph p.9), one should take into ac- It should also be noted that taking into account these count the increasing use of this move occurred outside latest events, Nangarhar multiple attackers in com- the ‘transition’ framework and Badakhshan have rec- plex attacks, a tactic less and at present there is no orded the highest provincial common during that time. THE ANSO REPORT Page 2 C ENTRAL REGION NGO Incidents KABUL KABUL Year to Date 3 50 This Report Period 0 Kabul was relatively unaffected by 40 the widespread civil disorder that Network in this province, sugges- 30 affected other area (to varying tive of a cross-pollination of tacti- 20 cal knowledge between the two degrees) this period. While nu- 10 entities. It also speaks to the col- merous small scale demonstra- 0 tions did occur, it is likely that the laborative approach the groups pervasive presence of security take in targeting efforts within the forces, as well as proximity to in- capital. fluential political structures man- This attack was only the first of KABUL AOG KABUL Crime aged to mitigate the threat of vio- three suicide attacks that occurred and denote a reorientation following focus on lence. in Kabul this period. On the 9th, softer, civilian targets in the opening months Due to the focus on, and impact a single BBIED detonated against of the year. As well, while the compressed of, the events in other regions at an ANA shuttle bus, resulting in timing of 3 such events stands out against the beginning of the period, a 11 fatalities (7 ANA, 4 civilians) standard trending, it is unclear at this time if complex attack against an IMF and late in the period, on the 14th, this period marks an outlier. Besides logistical facility on the Jalalabad Road went an SVBIED attacked the Musayi constraints, there are consistent ANSF efforts relatively unnoticed. This attack, District ANP HQ which resulted to disrupt activities and this on-going pressure while claimed by the IEA, bore in 3 ANP and 1 civilian killed. suggests that AOG would be unable to main- the hallmarks of tactics (i.e. SAF, Overall, these attacks fall well tain such momentum over an extended period. multiple suicide attackers) utilised within targeting norms for Kabul more commonly by the Haqqani (all clear ‘hard’ security targets) NGO Incidents KAPISA KAPISA Year to Date 1 50 This Report Period 0 40 Incident volumes in Kapisa were low during the period, with just 7 the Bad Pakh clearing operations; 30 recorded, including an absence of the ANA claimed the PSG and a 20 any AOG-initiated incident in number of other AOG members 10 were captured, and an as yet un- Tagab. This was unexpected, giv- 0 en the reported movement of known number killed. Also early AOG members into this area after in the period, IMF and ANA IMF clearing operations occurred seized a cache of weapons and KAPISA AOG KAPISA Crime in Laghman’s Bad Pakh. As well, military uniforms during a search last period’s SVBIED seemed to operation in Mahmud Raqi’s Shu- khi area, while on the 8th in AOG fighters ambushed an IMF convoy in have initiated the start of the the Shirkhel area with SAF, which didn’t led to fighting season for the AOGs Nijrab’s Kafer Qala, an IMF air strike killed 13 AOG fighters. any reported casualties. Also in Nijrab, ANP present in Tagab and this period discovered a string of 4 IEDs on the main dis- AOG activity summed to just was expected to see at least some trict road in the Maiakhel area, which were three recorded incidents, one of significant clashes between AOGs later defused by IMF EOD. Again, this very which was perhaps a sign of fu- and security forces. However, low volume of AOG-initiated incidents was IMF did conduct clearing opera- ture AOG intent; in Nijrab’s surprising, and it may be the case as in Lagh- Chokan Baz bazaar on the 13th, a tions in Alasay at the beginning of man that AOGs have opted to wait for IMF BBIED operative riding a motor- the period, reportedly killing 7, and ANA operations to end before they cycle had his vest prematurely and the ANA conducted clearing launch their campaign in full earnest. operations in Tagab on the 12th detonate, killing him and mildly in what was an auxiliary action to injuring 4 civilians. In Alasay, THE ANSO REPORT Page 3 NGO Incidents LOGAR Year to Date 1 LOGAR This Report Period 0 50 In early April the level of AOG 40 ANSF/IMF patrols. For instance, activity recorded in Logar re- 30 mained relatively constant as com- on 1st of April in Saydan area of 20 pared to the previous report. Charkh District, two ANP ser- Among 19 security incidents re- vicemen were wounded when an 10 ported from the province in the IED struck an ANP patrol. On 0 past two weeks nine were AOG the 11th, one IMF vehicle was initiated. This reporting period damaged in an IED strike that AOG were particularly active in occurred in Momen Village of LOGAR AOG LOGAR Crime Puli Alam and Muhammad Agha, Baraki Barak. Nonetheless, an increase in IED emplacement recorded during the present cycle. These were and to a lesser extent in Charkh focused on Puli Alam, Muhammad Agha, and Baraki Barak districts. Am- frequently involves an increase threat of collateral involvement Baraki Barak and Charkh. In the two latter bushes on IMF convoys took districts, probably in relation to this increasing place in Puli Alam and Charkh. for locals as well as for NGOs operating in the area. This was threat, two reported operations targeted sus- In the latter district, on 8th of pected an IED ring. Apart from IED em- April in Naw Shahr area, two IMF underlined on 13th of April in Safid Village of Khushi District, placement, AOG active in the province at- soldiers were wounded along with tempted to counter ANSF/IMF operations by three civilians following an AOG when a roadside IED detonated targeting a local tractor, killing launching attacks on telephone company an- attack.