End 2009, Forces fighting in Afghanistan...[ 842 ]

Afghanistan: Key facts and figures

BBC,,The UK forces death toll in Afghanistan has exceeded that suffered in Iraq and has reached almost 100 this year. Below, we set out some of the key facts and figures about Afghanistan and the British and other international forces fighting there.

Highest monthly death toll comes in July 2009, with 22 dead, as a major offensive against the Taliban begins in the south. Manpower British and other ISAF troops face a determined enemy in the Taliban. The insurgents consist mainly of Afghans, though numbers of Arab and Uzbek fighters are also be involved. Groups of fighters are usually organised along local and tribal lines and led by a senior, experienced commander. Here we compare a British soldier with his Taliban counterpart. British soldier Main weapons: Standard issue SA-80 rifle, L1A1 12.7 mm Heavy Machine gun, 81mm Mortar Strengths: Highly-trained, well-supported professional soldier with modern equipment. Air support available Weaknesses: May struggle to adapt to fighting in the harsh Afghan environment. Lacks intimate knowledge of local landscape, may face hostility and distrust from civilians Taliban fighter Main weapons: Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle, Rocket-Propelled Grenades. Strengths: Tenacious, well-supplied guerrilla force highly adapted to local climate and geography. Can blend in with local population when required. Weaknesses: Vulnerable to air attack. Few heavy weapons. Factional nature can mean shifting loyalties. Poor weapons-handling skills. Mobility Mobility is a major factor in guerrilla warfare and Taliban fighters often operate as a 'pick-up truck cavalry' force in adapted four-wheel drive vehicles such as the Toyota Hi-Lux. ISAF forces tend to rely on heavier armoured vehicles. Mastiff II Defences: Heavy armour and V-shaped hull to protect against roadside bombs and mines. Strengths: State-of-the-art, heavily armed, armoured patrol vehicle designed to carry 8 soldiers and 2 crew. Weaknesses: Expensive, requires dedicated maintenance. Cost: Approximately £1.2 million per vehicle Toyota Hi Lux Defences: Some carry RPG launchers, heavy machine guns. Strengths: Hard-wearing, fast, reliable off-road transport for up to 10 Taliban fighters. Weaknesses: No armour, variable levels of mechanical support. Cost: Approximately $10,000 in local terms. Civilian casualties The true number of civilians killed in the Afghan conflict will probably never be known. ISAF has only recently begun to count the numbers of civilians killed. The estimates below are based on estimates provided by a range of agencies together with local and international press reports. ISAF troop deployment in Afghanistan Major combat units Reconstruction teams Over 40 countries contribute forces to the international mission in Afghanistan. Full details on the Isaf website. Breakdown of ISAF troop contributing nations Albania 250 FYROM* 165 Norway 480 Australia 1,350 Georgia 1 Poland 1,910 Austria 4 Germany 4,365 Portugal 145 Azerbaijan 90 Greece 145 Romania 990 Belgium 530 Hungary 360 Singapore 2 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10 Iceland 2 Slovakia 245 Bulgaria 460 Ireland 7 Slovenia 130 Canada 2,830 Italy 2,795 Spain 1,000 Croatia 290 Jordan 7 Sweden 430 Czech Rep 480 Latvia 175 Turkey 720 Denmark 690 Lithuania 250 Ukraine 10 Estonia 150 Luxembourg 8 UAE 25 Finland 165 Netherlands 2,160 UK 9,000 France 3,095 NZ 300 US 34,800 Total (approx.): 71,030 * Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Pakistan, Attack on US consulate ..., [ 841 ]

Attack on US consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan

Advertisement Pakistani television filmed two of the blasts BBC,15:11 GMT, Monday, 5 April 2010 16:11 UK, At least seven people have died after militants attacked the US consulate in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar. There were several explosions in the area near the consulate and buildings collapsed. A gun battle between police and the attackers followed. Pakistan's main Taliban faction said it had carried out the raid. The raid came hours after 43 people died in a suicide attack about 80 km (50 miles) north-east of Peshawar. The bomber targeted a crowded rally held by a Pashtun nationalist party in Timergara, Lower Dir. 'Great concern' Investigators suspect it was co-ordinated with the Peshawar attack, in which police told the BBC four militants and three security personnel died. Americans are our enemies - we carried out the attack on their consulate, we plan more such attacks Azam Tariq Taliban spokesman In pictures: Peshawar attacks 'Suicide bomb' at Pakistan rally Who are the Taliban? There were no reported US casualties and it is not clear if the US consulate building suffered any damage. The White House condemned the attack and expressed "great concern". Officials said the attack was well organised, but order had been restored. The militants struck near Shama Square, a major crossroads at the northern end of Peshawar's cantonment area, near the US consulate. 'Miscreants' There are also some army barracks and offices of the army's Military Intelligence in the vicinity. An Associated Press reporter at the scene said two of the explosions were just 20m from the consulate, which is in a heavily fortified area. ANALYSIS M Ilyas Khan, BBC News, Islamabad Monday's attack in Peshawar appears to be similar to recent gun-and-bomb raids in Lahore and Rawalpindi. These have been co-ordinated assaults, with several gunmen moving in alongside suicide bombers to force their way into a facility - this time the "prized" US consulate. The Pakistani Taliban were apparently aiming for a feat to match the one last December in Khost, Afghanistan, in which several American CIA officials were killed. Another reason could be to try to ease military pressure on militants in Orakzai tribal district, where the Pakistani security forces launched a major operation last week. America's presence in Afghanistan and US drone strikes on militant targets in Pakistan's tribal areas make the US a top target for the Taliban. Pakistani police officer Ghulam Hussain told AFP news agency: "The target was certainly the American consulate but they didn't succeed in getting there. "One of the suicide bombers blew himself up close to the gate. Police guarding the US consulate started retaliatory fire. "More blasts took place. We have recovered unexploded material from four different points," he said. Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq said his group had carried out the raid. "Americans are our enemies. We carried out the attack on their consulate in Peshawar. We plan more such attacks," he told Reuters news agency. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the bombers as "miscreants trying to spread panic", reports AFP. TV footage showed army soldiers taking battle positions on the main Khyber Road where the blasts took place. Witnesses told BBC Urdu a couple of armoured vehicles parked outside the consulate caught fire. ATTACKS ON US TARGETS Feb 2010: Three US military trainers die in bomb near Lower Dir school Aug 2008: Top US diplomat evades Peshawar gun attack Mar 2006: Suicide bomb kills US diplomat near same consulate Feb 2003: Gunmen kill two policemen outside same consulate June 2002: 12 Pakistanis die in bomb at Karachi US consulate "I saw attackers in two vehicles. Some of them carried rocket-propelled grenades," Peshawar resident Siraj Afridi told Reuters. The BBC's Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad says that this is the first successful attack against a US facility in Pakistan target in four years. In 2006, a US diplomat was killed by a suicide car bomber near the US consulate in Karachi, days before a visit to Pakistan by then US President George W Bush. Peshawar, which is on the edge of Pakistan's tribal areas, has been frequently targeted by Islamist militants. Analysts say the attacks appear to be in response to a major security operation launched in the Orakzai tribal region near Peshawar last week.