Two insurgents killed in Aust-Afghan raid
June 6, 2011 - 1:39PM
AAP
Australian special forces and Afghan police have dealt a heavy blow to the Taliban by killing two of their leaders in a raid on a meeting of insurgents.
One, Mullah Gul Akhund, is known to have only just returned to Oruzgan province to co-ordinate the traditional summer fighting season, the Department of Defence said.
In the joint operation conducted last Wednesday, the Australian and Afghan forces rapidly closed in on the gathering in the Karmisan valley, northwest of the Australian base at Tarin Kowt in Oruzgan.
Defence said Akhund, the Taliban shadow district governor for Chora, was meeting other insurgents when Afghan police and Australian troops confronted them.
"The insurgent group attempted to evade capture and engaged the partnered Afghan and Australian force," Defence said in a statement.
"In the ensuing small-arms engagement, Mullah Gul Akhund was killed.
"While securing the area, the partnered force found and identified the body of prominent insurgent bomb-maker and tactical commander Shah Mamood."
A Special Operations Task Group commanding officer, identified only as Lieutenant Colonel G, said the deaths of the two insurgent commanders would have an immediate and profound effect on the cohesiveness of the central Oruzgan insurgent network during the traditional summer fighting season.
He said Akhund was a district-level insurgent commander responsible for co-ordinating several cells dispersed across central Oruzgan.
"Importantly, he was a man who was wanted by Afghan authorities for ordering the assassination of government officials and tribal elders and ordering multiple attacks on coalition and Afghan forces," he said.
"Mullah Gul Akhund is known to have played a key role in the manufacture and facilitation of improvised explosive devices, an indiscriminate weapon that continues to cause harm to many more innocent Afghans than it does [International Security Assistance Force] troops."
Lieutenant Colonel G said both Akhund and Mamood had direct links to the senior insurgent leadership.
During the operation the Afghan and Australian forces detained several other insurgent fighters and seized a a significant quantity of weapons including assault rifles and grenades.
No Afghan or Australian troops were hurt.
News of the raid emerged on Monday, as the bodies of the two Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan on May 30, Lieutenant Marcus Case and Lance Corporal Andrew Jones, were about to arrive in Melbourne.
Uruzgan Joint Sniper Training
(Only partly Australian but a good vid anyway)
Video of Australian, Afghan and U.S. Army snipers training on their weapons in Afghanistan. Scenes include Australians mentoring A.N.A. snipers, firing .50 caliber sniper rifles and Americans firing the XM2010 rifle.
My respects to those who have fell.
...and may justice be done to the traitor who shot a good man in the back.
http://www.gg.gov.au/res/file/2011/h...28final%29.pdf
Congratulations boys.MERITORIOUS UNIT CITATION
321
Australian Defence Force
1st Mentoring Task Force,
For sustained outstanding service in warlike operations on Operation SLIPPER in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, between 20 January and 30 October 2010.
The 1st Mentoring Task Force contributed markedly to improved security and development through its partnering with the 4th Brigade, Afghanistan National Army. During the 8 months’ deployment, the task force conducted over 1,700 patrols involving more than 560 small-arms fire incidents, and located over 100 improvised explosive devices and more than 250 weapons and explosives caches. While suffering more than 50 improvised explosive device strikes and nearly 40 battle casualties, 6 of whom were killed in action, the Task Force displayed remarkable endurance and courage to build positive relationships with the local people, tribal leaders and officials of the Afghanistan Government.
Any
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1226075945494
Seems like a bit of a non-issue, I'm pretty sure other ISAF countries don't release every gory photo they take of dead Taliban.CORPORAL Ben Roberts-Smith wore running shoes the day he earned a Victoria Cross in Afghanistan. But a photo of his bloodied sneakers is the only graphic image taken by Australian soldiers during the operation that has not been heavily censored by the Defence Department.
Another photo of Corporal Roberts-Smith in action - armed and pensive, having already earned the nation's highest military honour - hangs in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. But even it has been cropped by Defence to hide at least one dead insurgent in the foreground.
A larger version obtained by The Australian under Freedom of Information laws is still censored, with only a splatter of blood visible on the ground.
Official photos and video are now routinely taken on the front line and yet, despite the deaths of 27 Australian soldiers and an ongoing debate about the war in Afghanistan, Defence continues to censor its official account of the conflict.
tactical running shoes
Disappointed he wasn't wearing VolleysOriginally Posted by grendel
Galleries: On patrol with Ben Roberts-Smith, VC
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...6184556?page=1
That gentleman is an absolute champ.
Big bastard ain't he - I wouldn't want to cross those boys.
American Special Forces in Afghanistan have shot and killed the Afghan soldier who killed Lance-Corporal Andrew Jones.
The Australian soldier, aged 25, was shot on May 30 in Afghanistan by the rogue member of the Afghan army who was in a watchtower on sentry duty.
The circumstances of the Lance-Cpl Jones’s death are not clear, but it seems the Afghan soldier - Shafied Ullah - had only been at the patrol base for a few weeks.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-speci...#ixzz1PnMEAIgQ
if you read the adds of mil spec boots they sound like they are amazing wonder shoes, i was surprised to see runners worn, what about ankle support and grip, im just a civvy so to me the sas are one of the best units if there wearing runners what does it say about boots? it says he wore them in the scout role, does this mean all scouts should wear this to be at there best? its not a big deal either way just like to hear from some serving members past or present on their thoughts?
He's a big boy and uses what works for him.
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