Rockets hit Kandahar airport
(Cheragh) Two rockets fired from unknown locations hit Kandahar airport late on July 13, according to Afghan officials. Taleban spokesman Latif Hakimi claimed responsibility for the attack, but said he was unaware whether there had been casualties. An Afghan official requesting anonymity told the Hindu Kush News Agency that the attacks wounded two Canadian nationals, and a helicopter was damaged. The US military has yet to comment on the incident. The southern province of Kandahar, a former Taleban stronghold, has been the scene of increasing insurgent actions in recent months.
(Cheragh is an independent daily run by the Development and Democracy Association.)

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Wanted-list militant arrested
(Erada) Officials in the southern province of Paktia say they have arrested a militant who was on the Coalition Forces most-wanted list. Ghulam Nabi, a security official, named the man as Mullah Mohammad Anwar from Zurmat district in Paktia province. "He fled to Pakistan three years ago and has planned terrorist attacks that were carried out in Paktia," said Nabi, adding that Anwar has been involved in "all terrorist activities" in Paktia. After police, intelligence and Coalition forces tracked him down, he was arrested by local police in Zurmat.
(Erada is an independent daily run by the Afghan Media Resource Centre.)

Secret arms dump found
(Islah) Police July 12 unearthed a huge dump of arms and ammunitions in Koh-e-Safi area in Sorobi district, south of the Afghan capital. Sorobi police chief Colonel Sher Shah Yousafzai said the cache, including eight missiles, five rockets, 160 different kinds of mortar bullets and three machine-guns was buried in the Koh-e-Safi area. The police chief said Kabul had been attacked several times from the area where the munitions were found. "The dump may have been used by terrorists," he said, adding that no one had been arrested so far. He said that the arms had been taken to the capital. Interior ministry press officer Daad Mohammad Rasa, confirming the seizure, said that he doubted that there were other hidden dumps in the area.
(Islah is a state-run daily published mostly in Dari.)

Upgrade for Kabul airport
(The Kabul Times) An new air traffic control system at Kabul International Airport was inaugurated by the second vice president, Mohammad Karim Khalili on July 12. The system cost three million US dollars and was funded by the World Bank. Transport Minister Enayatullah Qasemi said that with the installation of the system, Kabul will be able to communicate with high-altitude aircraft.
(The Kabul Times is a state-run newspaper published every other day.)

Belgian F-16s fly into Kabul for poll security
(Outlook) Four F-16 jets belonging to the Belgian contingent in the NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force ISAF deployed in Afghanistan have touched down in Kabul. ISAF air force commander General D. Van Laethem said the aircraft would help boost security for the September election. The jets have the capacity to reach any part of the country rapidly. Earlier, the Dutch contingent provided an equal number of planes to strengthen the peacekeeping force's headquarters in Kabul. There are currently 8,300 peacekeepers from different nations deployed in Afghanistan.
(Outlook is an independent daily published in English.)