Afghanistan: Two Dead In Camp Bastion Attack

[MikeL]

http://news.sky.com/story/985315/afghanistan-two-dead-in-camp-bastion-attack

Afghanistan: Two Dead In Camp Bastion Attack
The base's perimeter is breached as militants armed with rockets damage buildings, an aircraft hangar and several military jets.

Militants armed with rockets have attacked the main Allied military base in Afghanistan, leaving at least two people dead and a number of others hurt.

The perimeter of Camp Bastion was breached as it was hit by small arms fire and there was major damage to buildings, an aircraft hangar and several military jets.

This facility is often subject to indirect fire, but officials in Afghanistan say the damage that has resulted is far more severe than normal.

Army Major Martyn Crighton, a spokesman at ISAF's Joint Command, says the attack may still be ongoing.

Officials in Afghanistan said it was too early to know if the attack was motivated by the anti-Muslim YouTube film which has sparked violent protests in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

 

[MikeL]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/09/14/camp-bastion-british-military-base-in-afghanistan-under-attack_n_1885475.html

Camp Bastion: British Military Base In Afghanistan Under Attack
The Huffington Post UK  |  By Paul Vale 
Posted: 14/09/2012 22:03 Updated: 14/09/2012 22:38

An attack has been launched on Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. Injuries have been reported.

The attack has reportedly targeted the American section of the camp with a rocket launcher and small arms.

It is not known whether Prince Harry, who is serving as a helicopter pilot in Helmand Province, has been involved in the violence.

According to The Pentagon, there has been some damage to the buildings. It is not known whether the attackers gained access to the base.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman in London said: "We are aware of an incident that has taken place at Camp Bastion, which is currently being dealt with."

A spokesman for the Isaf coalition in Afghanistan said: "I can confirm there was an attack involving small arms fire. It has caused some injuries and damage."

 

[jollyjacktar]

I'm sorry to hear they've lost some personnel.  My condolences to the comrades of the fallen.  I hope they made the insurgents pay dearly.

 

[MikeL]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/u-s-marines-killed-at-same-base-that-prince-harry-is-stationed-1.956877

U.S. Marines killed at same base that Prince Harry is stationed

The Associated Press
Published Friday, Sep. 14, 2012 7:33PM EDT
Last Updated Friday, Sep. 14, 2012 7:59PM EDT
WASHINGTON -- Heavily armed insurgents attacked a British air base in southern Afghanistan on Friday, killing two U.S. Marines and wounding several other troops, U.S. officials said.
Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, is stationed at the base on a four-month combat tour. There was no immediate word on his whereabouts at the time of the attack.
U.S. officials said the attack at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand province involved a range of insurgent weaponry, possibly including mortars, rockets or rocket-propelled grenades, as well as small arms fire.
Lt. Col. Stewart Upton, a spokesman at Camp Leatherneck, a U.S. Marine based adjacent to the air base, confirmed the attack and said two coalition service members had been killed but he did not specify their nationalities.
Upton said coalition forces were assessing the extent of the damage and would provide more details later.
Camp Bastion is a British air base and is used by the Marines at Leatherneck.
A number of aircraft at the base also were hit by insurgent fire, another U.S. official said.
Capt. Harry Wales, as the prince is known in the military, is serving a four-month combat deployment as a gunner on an Apache helicopter. Harry, who turns 28 on Saturday, is expected to start flying Apache missions this week. This is his second tour in Afghanistan.
It also was not clear Friday whether the attack was connected at all to the protests and violence across the Muslim world this week that has been linked to an anti-Islamic film. Afghanistan's southern region has been a hotbed of the insurgency and frequent attacks.

 

[Maxadia]

Apparently the "Apache helicopter, the 2nd, and the Reaper overhead" aren't enough of a deterrent to kep them away.

 

[aesop081]

Apparently the "Apache helicopter, the 2nd, and the Reaper overhead" aren't enough of a deterrent to kep them away.

It will only get worse. With everyone's impending withdrawal and more talk of leaving early from other countries, the Taliban will ratchet up the pressure to the end.

 

[Maxadia]

Except that I don't think they will look at it as the end, but rather the beginning.  :-[

 

[MikeL]

Apparently the "Apache helicopter, the 2nd, and the Reaper overhead" aren't enough of a deterrent to kep them away.

You are taking that quote out of context... it was a reply to another poster talking about possible targeting of Apache helicopters in order to shoot down Prince Harry.

As well,  large bases being attacked isn't new,  it isn't too common,  but it has happened a few times(that I know of,  maybe more)

 

[MikeL]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/taliban-claim-attack-on-base-in-south-afghanistan-1.957172

Taliban claim attack on base in south Afghanistan

The Associated Press
Published Saturday, Sep. 15, 2012 6:40AM EDT
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Taliban claimed responsibility on Saturday for an attack against a sprawling British base in southern Afghanistan that killed two U.S. Marines and wounded several other troops, saying it was to avenge an anti-Islamic film which insulted the Prophet Muhammad and also because Britain's Prince Harry is serving there.
The U.S.-led NATO coalition said in a statement that the overnight attack focused on Camp Bastion, a huge British base adjacent to Camp Leatherneck which houses U.S. Marine operations in southern Helmand province.
"We attacked that base because Prince Harry was also on it and so they can know our anger," Taliban spokesman Qari Youssef Ahmadi said by telephone. He added, "Thousands more suicide attackers are ready to give up their lives for the sake of the Prophet."
Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, is based at Camp Bastion. A spokesperson for Britain's Ministry of Defense told The Associated Press that he was unharmed in the attack, which according to Britain's Press Association took place two kilometers (one mile) from the section of the complex where the prince was located. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policy.
Capt. Harry Wales, as the prince is known in the military, is serving a four-month combat deployment as a gunner on an Apache helicopter. Harry, who turns 28 on Saturday, is expected to start flying Apache missions this week. This is his second tour in Afghanistan.
In its statement, the International Security Assistance Force, NATO's Afghan mission, said that insurgents attacked "with both small arms fire and indirect fire killing two ISAF service members and causing damage to buildings and aircraft on the flight line. Currently, ISAF forces are in the process of assessing the extent of the damage." Indirect fire usually refers to mortars or rockets.
No details were provided on the dead and wounded, but U.S. officials said in Washington that two Marines were killed in the attack.
Lt. Col. Stewart Upton, a spokesman at Camp Leatherneck, and Daoud Ahmadi, a spokesman for Helmand's governor, said 16 Taliban fighters were also killed.
It was unclear what the insurgents hoped to accomplish in attacking Camp Bastion, one of the largest and most heavily defended military facilities in Afghanistan.
Bastion is located in a remote desert area northwest of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand. It is the hub for all British operations in Helmand and along with Leatherneck houses thousands of combat troops and Marines, including Danish and Estonian forces.
Afghanistan's southern region has been a hotbed of the insurgency and attacks against foreign forces occur daily, although the Taliban have largely been routed in its capital and larger towns. Helmand remains an active battlefield between insurgents and NATO forces and for years has been the site of some of the war's bloodiest engagements.
There were few protests against the film in Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday. The largest involved a few hundred people in the eastern city of Jalalabad.
The Afghan government has indefinitely blocked YouTube to prevent Afghans from viewing a video clip of the film that was posted on the internet site, said Khair Mohammad Faizi, a spokesman for communication ministry. He said it will remain blocked until the video is taken down.
Other Google services, including gmail, were also blocked in Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday. Faizi did not comment on this.

 

[MikeL]

http://www.isaf.nato.int/article/news/insurgent-attack-on-camp-bastion-helmand-province.html

Insurgent attack on Camp Bastion, Helmand province
2012-09-S-021
For Immediate Release


KABUL, Afghanistan (Sept. 15, 2012) — Nearly 20 insurgents infiltrated the perimeter of Camp Bastion in Helmand province yesterday and attacked International Security Assistance Force personnel and facilities using small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and suicide improvised explosive device vests. The attack, which began shortly after 10 p.m., killed two ISAF service members, wounded several and caused damage to multiple aircraft and structures along the base’s flight line.

ISAF forces reacted to the assault, returned fire and killed all but one of the known insurgents, defeating the attack. ISAF personnel wounded the remaining insurgent attacker, who is in ISAF custody and is being treated in a medical facility.

Camp Bastion is currently secure. ISAF personnel cleared the large base of attackers early this morning.

ISAF is in the process of fully assessing damages to aircraft and structures on the airfield.

However, ISAF has determined that despite the damage, there will be no impact to ground or air operations from Camp Bastion.

An investigation is ongoing.

 

[Journeyman]

The Taliban claimed responsibility on Saturday for an attack against a sprawling British base.....

Well I'm glad they cleared up that piece of the puzzle; I was just about to start slagging the Scientologists again....  :

 

[jollyjacktar]

From the Daily Mail

Taliban commander claims Prince Harry was primary target of Camp Bastion attack which killed two U.S. Marines


The Taliban have announced that Prince Harry was the main target of an attack last night on his base in Afghanistan, which left two U.S. Marines dead and others injured.

Insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles stormed heavily-fortified Camp Bastion, the British HQ in Helmand, in a deadly assault on the ‘aviation area’.

A commander for the radical Islamic movement told Sky News the Prince was their primary target and secondly as revenge for an amateur anti-Muslim video recently posted on YouTube.

'We attacked that base because Prince Harry was also on it and so they can know our anger,' Taliban spokesman Qari Youssef Ahmadi said by telephone.

He added, 'Thousands more suicide attackers are ready to give up their lives for the sake of the Prophet.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203530/Prince-Harry-primary-target-Talibans-Camp-Bastion-attack.html#ixzz26YNiKoc7

 

[Journeyman]

.....the Prince was their primary target and secondly as revenge for an amateur anti-Muslim video recently posted on YouTube.

I guess we can expect that tagged on to everything from flag-burnings to yeast infections for the next 6 months.  :not-again:

 

[MikeL]

http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/afghan-policeman-behind-deadly-attack-on-base-in-afghanistan-1.957172

Afghan policeman behind deadly attack on base in Afghanistan

The Associated Press
Published Saturday, Sep. 15, 2012 6:40AM EDT
Last Updated Saturday, Sep. 15, 2012 2:16PM EDT
KABUL, Afghanistan -- An Afghan local policeman killed two soldiers with the NATO military coalition in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, the latest in a surge of insider attacks that are fracturing trust between Afghan forces and their international partners.
The shooting came a day after insurgents in the same region stormed a sprawling British base, killing two U.S. Marines and wounding several other international troops in an attack inspired by an anti-Islam film produced in the United States and the presence on the compound of a high-profile target, Britain's Prince Harry.
NATO would not say exactly where the latest insider attack occurred or if the gunman was a bonafide Afghan policeman or an insurgent who infiltrated the force. Police inspector Hismatullah Baulatzia in the city of Lashkar Gah said the attack happened there, in the capital of Helmand province. It was not clear, he said, if the gunman was a member of the Local Afghan Police, a village-level fighting force overseen by the central government.
So far this year, 47 international service members have died at the hands of Afghan soldiers or policemen or insurgents wearing their uniforms. At least 12 such attacks came in August alone, leaving 15 dead and raising concerns that the country will not be able to take charge of its own security as planned by 2014.
The incidents have prompted the Afghan military to run deeper background checks on its troops, leading to the dismissal or detention of hundreds. Meanwhile, the U.S. has halted the training of about 1,000 trainees in the Afghan Local Police, one of several measures being taken to stem the attacks.
The raid a day earlier took place in an area just to the northwest, NATO said. Nearly 20 insurgents armed with guns, rocket-propelled grenades and explosive vests infiltrated the perimeter of Camp Bastion shortly after 10 p.m. Friday, starting a firefight that didn't end until Saturday morning.
Jamie Graybeal, a coalition spokesman, confirmed that two U.S. Marines died in the attack. He said two insurgents wearing suicide vests took part in the assault, although he did not say whether they blew themselves up. In the ensuing battle, coalition forces killed 18 militants and captured a wounded fighter, who is now undergoing medical treatment. NATO is still assessing the damage to aircraft and buildings on the air field.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack, saying it wanted to avenge Muslims insulted by the amateurish film that mocked the Prophet Muhammad -- the main motivator in a string of protests across the region this week -- and also because the British prince is serving on the base.
A spokesman for Britain's Ministry of Defence said Harry, third in line to the British throne, was unharmed in the attack, which according to Britain's Press Association took place two kilometres (one mile) from the section of the complex where he was staying. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policy.
The prince is serving a four-month combat deployment as a gunner on an Apache helicopter. Harry, who turns 28 on Saturday, is set to start flying Apache missions this week, and Britain's defence ministry did not plan to cut short the deployment after the attack. This is his second tour in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's southern region has been a hotbed of the insurgency and attacks against foreign forces occur daily, although the Taliban have largely been routed in its capital and larger towns. Helmand remains an active battlefield between insurgents and NATO forces and for years has been the site of some of the war's bloodiest engagements.
Although outnumbered by Afghan and foreign troops, the Taliban fighters are continuing their strikes to create fear and instability in Afghanistan and weaken the government. In addition to the near-daily bombings and attacks, Afghans have staged two anti-American protests against the film.
On Saturday, a few hundred of university students protested in the eastern city of Khost, shouting "Death to America" and burning an effigy of President Barack Obama. A larger demonstration was held on Friday in Nangarhar province, also in the east.
The Afghan government has indefinitely blocked video-sharing website YouTube to prevent Afghans from viewing a clip of the anti-Muslim film, said Khair Mohammad Faizi, a spokesman for the Communication Ministry. He said it will remain blocked until the video is taken down. Other Google services, including Gmail, were also blocked in Afghanistan on Friday and Saturday.
In other violence on Saturday, a police vehicle hit a roadside bomb during a routine patrol in Kandahar, the largest city in southern Afghanistan, killing a police inspector and wounding two other policemen, Kandahar provincial spokesman Jawed Faisal said.
Twelve other civilians from two families were killed on Friday when their car hit a roadside bomb in the Gereskh district of Helmand province.
Separately, the Afghan parliament on Saturday voted to approve three of four individuals Karzai nominated to fill senior security positions.

 

[Maxadia]

You are taking that quote out of context... it was a reply to another poster talking about possible targeting of Apache helicopters in order to shoot down Prince Harry.

As well,  large bases being attacked isn't new,  it isn't too common,  but it has happened a few times(that I know of,  maybe more)

I don't think it is out of context at all.  I'm assuming here, but I bet that they had the attack planned already with the intent to get to Captain Wales.
Adding the blame of the film to it was just an afterthought.

Pure conjecture on my part.

 

[Redeye]

Never mind Captain Wales, they got a bigger score - apparently they managed to destroy SIX AV-8B Harriers. That's a lot of hardware trashed in one attack, at a relatively low cost to the Taliban. They apparently infiltrated wearing US uniforms. I doubt that would last long as a ruse, but it'd sow just enough confusion to buy some time.

I'm still trying to figure out how they got close enough to Bastion to breach the perimeter, it sits on a massive, flat, barren piece of desert for the most part.

 

[The Bread Guy]

From the Daily Mail

Taliban commander claims Prince Harry was primary target of Camp Bastion attack which killed two U.S. Marines


The Taliban have announced that Prince Harry was the main target of an attack last night on his base in Afghanistan, which left two U.S. Marines dead and others injured.

Insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles stormed heavily-fortified Camp Bastion, the British HQ in Helmand, in a deadly assault on the ‘aviation area’.

A commander for the radical Islamic movement told Sky News the Prince was their primary target and secondly as revenge for an amateur anti-Muslim video recently posted on YouTube.

'We attacked that base because Prince Harry was also on it and so they can know our anger,' Taliban spokesman Qari Youssef Ahmadi said by telephone ....

With the attached from the Taliban's Info-machine (with Wales spelled wrong)....

 

[MikeL]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19614911#TWEET228402

Meanwhile, more details have emerged about the attack on Camp Bastion, which the Taliban said was in retaliation for a film mocking Islam made in the US.

In a statement, Nato said the attack had been carried out by 15 insurgents dressed in US Army uniforms who "appeared to be well-equipped, trained and rehearsed".

"The insurgents, organised into three teams, penetrated at one point of the perimeter fence," it said.

As well as the six American AV-8B Harrier jets destroyed, two were significantly damaged. Three refuelling stations were also destroyed, and six aircraft hangars were damaged.

Fourteen of the insurgents were killed, Nato said, and one was taken into custody. Nine coalition personnel were wounded.

 

[Maxadia]

Fourteen killed, one wounded.....in return for six jets taken out and 2 damaged. 

For them, probably not a bad return on their investment. 

 

[Rifleman62]

Plus one career smashed (Base Comd).