60 U.N. census workers traveling in a convoy were attacked. Attackers were in 2 cars, killed one census worker and wounded 11.
AP 12/4/03 - N. Khan;
Jang.news 12/4/03
religious school in Matan village
Paktia
rocket
Slams into religious school in evening.
AP 12/5/03 - A. Shah
near Orgun-e base
Paktika
bomb
Explodes outside district administration office causing damage but no injuries.
AP 12/5/03 - A. Shah
Mando Zayi district in Khost
Paktia
bomb
Damages a bridge. Another report mentions bridge bomb destroyed 2 vehicles, killed 6 Afghan soldiers and injured others.
AP 12/5/03 - A. Shah;
Jihad Unspun 12/5/03
Day : December 5, 2003
location
province
Afghan
civilian
deaths
Afghan
military
deaths
U.S. military
& allied
deaths
Taliban or allies killed
weapon
commentary
Sources :
Khak-i-Jabar area, 25 kms. south of Kabul
Kabul
Attackers burst into office of Turkish construction company, beat and tie up Afghan staff members, abduct 2 Turkish workers and an Afghan one. The 2 Turkish engineers were released unharmed on Dec. 9th.
AP 12/7/03 - S. Graham in Herald Sun 12/7/03 ; Jihad Unspun 12/9/03 ; AFP 12/10/03 at 7:59 AM ET;
village 20 kms. east of Gardez
Paktia
8
Aircraft and ground forces
Night-time attack by US forces on a compound. Explosions kill 6 more children and 2 adults. Attack was focused upon arms cache kept by a Mullah Jalani, who was not there (as usual). Children died buried by a collapsed wall. Top Afghan officials announced on Dec. 1oth that US forces were not responsible for these deaths (see LAT).
AFP 12/10/03 at 2:23 AM;
IOL 12/10/03 ; photos exist by AFP's Shah Marai ; AFP 12/10/03 ; BBC News 12/10/03 at 11:26 GMT ; LAT 12/11/03 - P. Watson;
Day : December 6, 2003
location
province
Afghan
civilian
deaths
Afghan
military
deaths
U.S. military
& allied
deaths
Taliban or allies killed
weapon
commentary
Sources :
downtown district of Chowk-Schidan
Kandahar
Huge bomb placed on a bicycle behind a car
Explodes at 12:45 PM in busy downtown area in front of the Mirwais Hotel, injuring at least 18 persons. Damaged houses and 5 shops. Same area where US soldier was recently attacked. Target was US soldiers who shop in the area of the Herat bazaar.
Xinhua 12/6/03; News24.com 12/6/03; AP 12/6/03 at 10:22 AM ET - N. Khan;
10 kms. north of near Shahjoy along K-K highway
Zabul
Two Indian engineers disappeared at 6 PM while traveling near the highway. They had stopped to shop for chickens at Bazargan village, 5 kms. from the highway. Ambushed by 3 armed men at 13:30 GMT near Shahjoy. Afghan driver beaten and car stolen. Confusion over whether Taliban are responsible. The 2 were released on Wed., Dec. 24th, unharmed
AP 12/6/03 - S. Graham;
AP 12/7/03;
Dawn 12/7/03;
AFP 12/8/03
village of Hutala south of Ghazni
Ghazni
10
two lethal US aircraft, the A-10 Warthogs based at Bagram air base
At 10:30 AM, two US A-10 Warthog planes fired upon houses in a small village, killing 10 persons (including 9 children and a 25-yr. old laborer, Abdul Hamid, a cousin of Wazir). The kids were playing outside. Even the UN condemned the U.S. attack on Dec. 7th. US trying to kill a former low-level Taliban, Mullah Wazir, but he had left village 10 days ago. Also, bombed the wrong house! Rockets made 30-40 small craters in ground where children were playing.
BBC News 12/6/03 at 20:07 GMT and 23:38 GMT;
AFP 12/7/03 in The Age 12/7/03; AFP 12/7/03 at 2:22 AM; many photos exist by Aijaz Rahi, A.P.; BBC News 12/7/03 at 17:20 GMT for best report; NYT 12/8/03 - C. Gall; AP 12/8/03 at 9:37 AM ET - S. Graham;
Day : December 8, 2003
location
province
Afghan
civilian
deaths
Afghan
military
deaths
U.S. military
& allied
deaths
Taliban or allies killed
weapon
commentary
Sources :
Ghazni
1
A Pakistani engineer working on the K-K highway is murdered and his assistant kidnapped, but Taliban deny any responsibility. ENR reports the highway is extremely dangerous.
4 battalions comprising 2,000 soldiers, backed by helicopters
US launches large new military offensive called Operation Avalanche across the south and east of Afghanistan. Operation actually began on Dec. 2nd. So far, Operation Avalanche has killed 15 innocent children! By Dec. 11th, Operation had failed to find any Taliban (Reuters).
AP 12/8/03 at 9:37 AM ET - S. Graham;
IHT 12/9/03; LAT 12/10.03 - P. Watson;
Reuters 12/11/03
Near Spin Boldak
Kandahar
Afghan forces arrested two Taliban, Mullah Abdul Samad and Gul Muhammad, after the pair opened fire upon a police checkpoint.
Jang.news 12/10/03
Near Orgun-e base
Paktika
Two 107 mm rockets
Land in the US base, wounding a US soldier and an Afghan civilian
Reuters 12/11 03
Day : December 11, 2003
location
province
Afghan
civilian
deaths
Afghan
military
deaths
U.S. military
& allied
deaths
Taliban or allies killed
weapon
commentary
Sources :
Zabul province
Zabul province deputy governor, Maulvi Muhammad Omar, admits 80% of the province is a non-man's-land. Only three districts - Shahjoy, Shahra-e-Safa and the capital Qalat - are under government control. He said his administration was weakening by the day, with 30% of his employees have quit.
AFP 12/11/03 ;
maternity hospital in Jalalabad
Nangarhar
6
US Special Forces soldiers attacked Afghans in a maternity hospital, killing 6, while trying to arrest a Commander Esmatullah Muabat, military chief of nearby Laghman province. On Friday, thousands of persons demonstrated demanding release of commander, blocking road to Kabul.
Reuters 12/11/03;
Jang.news 12/13/03 ;
AP 12/12/03 ;
Downtown Kandahar
Kandahar
321st Civil Affairs Brigade
U.S. sets up its seventh PRT team, in Kandahar.
Reuters 12/11/03; CSM 12/12/03 - A.S. Tyson
Asadabad
Kunar
IEDs
Explode near a US convoy patrolling city, injuring 2 US Special Forces soldiers.
