CONFIDENTIAL— NGO use only No copy, forward or sale © INSO 2012 Issue 110 REPORT 16‐30 November 2012 Index COUNTRY SUMMARY Central Region 1-4 As the winter arrived, the Central region INGO vehicle that swerved to miss a child 5-8 Northern Region saw the largest casualty inducing attack of who ran in front of them in Herat, the Western Region 9-10 the fortnight when an SVBIED detonated West was devoid of NGO security inci- amongst a cluster of GOA facilities in the dents, but rather characterized – in general Eastern Region 11-13 center of Maidan Shahr (Wardak) causing – by seasonal declines in recorded AOG eight deaths and over 120 injured. Casual- activity; specifically in Badghis and Farah. Southern Region 14-16 ties included five NGO staff as well as two However, although fewer, the AOG at- 17 ANSO Info Page separate NGO compounds collaterally tacks in Badghis were more robust, causing damaged, illustrating the risks that NGOs significantly higher casualties. In Ghor, face with compounds in major population complicated relationships between conflict HIGHLIGHTS centers and/or near GOA facilities in con- actors - where the ALP is in the process of tested areas. Logar was the site of the only developing - continue to create the poten- UXO kills two NGO demi- ners in Nimroz other NGO incident in this region when a tial for destabilization despite this overall demining site was robbed of VHF equip- decrease in activity. NGOs suffer casualties in ment and mobile phones. In Kabul, Shia SVBIED attack in Maidan The East witnessed the highest number of Shahr and Sunni students get into a violent scuf- NGO direct incidents this period; four in fle at Kabul University during Ashura, and all, with three occurring in Nangarhar - NGO staff detainments by a BBIED operative was shot and killed - including NGO staff detainments by AOG IMF and AOG in Nangarhar his vest partially detonating - in an target (subsequently released) and IMF (still at Students clash at Kabul rich environment in the sixth suicide attack large) as well as the temporary occupation University during Ashura inside the nation’s capital this year. of an NGO compound during a protracted The North witnessed no NGO incidents firefight - and one in Kunar (collateral Sustained AOG activity in Badghis and Faryab this period, but did amass a relatively large damage occurring to an NGO compound and diverse number of attacks along main as the result of a stray mortar round). The ANSO is supported by transit routes including the ring road in East has accounted for 32% of all NGO Baghlan - where most notably Provincial incidents in 2012 to date, of which 58% and District level leadership were fired up- have been opposition authored, 28% crimi- on as they attempted to take on new posi- nal, and 15% by IMF/ANSF combined. tions - Jawzjan (along both the Shibirghan- IED activity and abductions were recorded Andkhoy road where an abduction oc- in numbers throughout the region, includ- curred, and along the Sar-e Pul-Shibirghan ing an SVBIED attack against an IMF base road) and Faryab. Faryab shook off sea- in Nangarhar and an IED in Khost city sonal trends and continued to witness a that killed three civilians and injured 23. high volume of incident reporting, with Finally, in the South, a UXO detonation much of it occurring on the main Maymana caused injuries to four NGO de-miners in -Ghormach road, although some also on Nimroz (leading to the eventual death of the more traveled Maymana-Shibirghan two of them), while Kandahar City saw its road. A notable attack in Faryab included eleventh suicide attack this year; also mark- five individuals opening fire on spectators ing the second to occur in November. at a Buzkashi game in Khwaja Sabz Posh Elsewhere, provinces other than Helmand for unknown reasons. witnessed seasonal decreases in AOG ac- Despite a traffic accident involving an tivity going into the winter. ANSO is a project of the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), a registered charity in England & Wales no.1140276 and a company limited by guarantee no.7496737 THE ANSO REPORT Page 1 C ENTRAL REGION NGO Incidents KABUL ABUL K Year to Date 15 50 This Report Period 0 Two significant events monopo- 40 lized security reporting in Kabul enough to suggest a reversal of 30 city during the second half of No- the recent trend towards improv- 20 vember: the semi-foiled BBIED ing security conditions in the capi- 10 tal city. incident in Wazir Akbar Khan and 0 the bout of sectarian violence that That is not to say that the opposi- took place at Kabul University tion has lost its capability to suc- during Ashura. cessfully penetrate Kabul’s ever- KABUL AOG KABUL Crime Firstly, the city witnessed its se- more effective defensive security cond incident over the past three measures at times - and with into this. months involving a BBIED oper- enough effort some attacks are bound to get through - but it is The other major issue in Kabul over the past ative managing to enter a protect- fortnight was of a significantly different nature. ed diplomatic and military area of also likely that the emphasis that the armed opposition has placed While there was no repetition of the BBIED downtown Kabul. On the morn- attack during 2011’s Ashura observations ing of the 21st, a BBIED operative on staging such large attacks in Kabul has changed for a number (which occurred amongst a procession of wor- wearing a PSC-like uniform was shippers in the Murad Khane area of District identified by ANA soldiers as he of reasons. For one, in the con- text of IMF withdrawals from 1), a disagreement between Shia and Sunni was walking along a restricted lane students at Kabul University’s male dormito- near Camp Eggers, the home of many actively contested rural dis- tricts in the central region’s more ries over the acceptability of conducting a Shia the Chief Justice of the Afghan ceremony within the campus mosque led to a Supreme Court, and a number of insecure provinces, as part of the third phase of transition, the op- brawl in which three students were killed (two other notable governmental and thrown from balconies and one trampled un- diplomatic facilities. The soldiers position is presented with an op- portunity for significant gains if derfoot); a further 28 students were injured to shot and killed the operative be- varying degrees, with a number suffering fore he could get to his target and they make a concerted effort to fill the vacuum these withdrawals wounds from knives and stones, and the dor- detonate his vest, although part of mitories also being moderately damaged. it did ultimately detonate, killing a may create (and there is evidence nearby PSC guard and a local ci- that this is occurring, for instance As a result of the disturbance, ANP were sta- vilian, and injuring two ANA sol- in southern Wardak). tioned at the scene for the coming two days, diers. Furthermore, a senior Moreover, with Haqqani (HQN) and the whole university put on three months’ ANA officer who runs a depart- expansion in the east, as well as leave, alongside the Medical Faculty, the Poly- ment in the Ministry of Defence continued operational focus in the technic, and the Teacher Training College, as a was also mildly injured, as was his southeast up as far as Wardak precaution. However, there were no other driver, as they were passing near- (where a HQN-signature disturbances related to Ashura across the city by in a vehicle when the blast oc- SVBIED was detonated during or elsewhere, standing in stark contrast to a curred. the current period), that network, series of bomb attacks on mourning proces- which has been so central to the sions across the border, and thus reinforcing With this marking only the sixth the notion of relative sectarian tolerance here. complex/suicide attack in Kabul complex attack campaign against city thus far in 2012, as compared Kabul targets, is relatively well Finally, on the lighter side, the afternoon of th to 14 total in 2011, this attack and occupied. Other factors, such as the 28 saw rumours of an ANSF seizure of a the previous one like it instead reconciliation negotiations and the VBIED in District 6 (Darulaman area), but represent something more akin to controlled de-escalation in the these turned out to be a scene being shot for a minor disturbances, and are not run-up to 2014, also likely play docu-drama to be broadcast on local televi- sion. NOTICE: The graphs provided in the report are accurate as of the 28 November 2012 THE ANSO REPORT Page 2 NGO Incidents ARDAK WARDAK W Year to Date 9 70 This Report Period 1 60 The single most significant inci- 50 dent that occurred in Wardak just behind the buildings that took 40 province in the past fortnight was the brunt of the impact – also lost 30 the large SVBIED that was deto- their lives. 20 nated in the provincial capital Whether or not there was a spe- 10 Maidan Shahr. Having entered cific intended target remains un- 0 the town from the south, the driv- clear. The OCCP, frequently vis- er of the Mazda truck – its flatbed ited by IMF, would have been the WARDAK AOG WARDAK Crime laid with explosives and covered most natural target, but if it was, in firewood to disguise it – drove the driver stopped 20 meters too element in the opposition’s arsenal, with multi- past the Olympics Committee late. While local sources have ple strikes occurring already in Saydabad, Puli sports ground and down an un- postured that a prison break may Alam and Baraki Barak: this latest VBIED was paved lane where a number of have been the objective, this is the fifth that has been deployed, although the governmental facilities shared a incongruous with the blunt force first to lean more towards governmental rather presence with two NGO com- that the SVBIED caused – as op- than military targets.