International Security Assistance Force officials in Afghanistan expressed regret today for the death of a religious leader who was killed when an ISAF convoy fired on what appeared to be a threatening vehicle.

“Despite all the measures that we put in place to ensure the safety of the Afghan people, regrettable incidents such as this one can occur,” ISAF spokesman Brig Gen. Eric Tremblay of the Canadian army said. “On behalf of ISAF, I express my sincere regrets for this loss of life and convey my deepest condolences to his family.”

A thorough investigation is being conducted, command officials said in a written statement, and appropriate action will be taken to ensure that the personnel involved complied with policies designed to protect the civilian population. “We constantly review these policies to provide the greatest possible protection to civilians,” the statement said.

The family will be compensated in accordance with local customs.

In other news from Afghanistan, international and Afghan forces killed or captured numerous insurgents and seized enemy weapons in various incidents and operations in recent days:

– An Afghan-international security force detained several insurgents today in Kandahar province’s Ghorak district.

– An Afghan-international security force came under fire yesterday from a large number of insurgents while conducting a patrol in Baghlan province. The insurgents were firing rocket-propelled grenades across a river. The patrol called for air support. ISAF air assets bombed and strafed the insurgents in a tree line. Afghan forces estimate 12 to 20 insurgents were killed.

– An Afghan-international security force discovered a weapons cache in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province, Jan. 26. The cache consisted of a rocket-propelled grenade, an antipersonnel mine, a pressure plate, a mortar bipod, radios and an assault rifle with a full magazine. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the munitions.

Despite the wave of violence this week in Afghanistan’s capital, military officials there believe Afghans will turn out to vote in their national election Aug. 20, a spokesman for NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said today.

Suicide bombings in Kabul today and Aug. 15 killed three ISAF troops, several Afghan soldiers, United Nations employees and more than 50 innocent civilians, Canadian Defense Force Brig. Gen. Eric Tremblay said in a video news conference from Afghanistan.

Insurgents have stepped up their attacks from about 30 to more than 40 per day in the past four days, Tremblay told Pentagon reporters. The highest number of attacks for one day during that period is 48, he said. Although that seems like a large number, the general explained, Afghanistan’s election commission expects to open an estimated 6,500 polling stations throughout the country, meaning insurgents would have to launch at least 65 attacks to affect even 1 percent of the polling stations.

“Clearly, [insurgents] do not have the capacity to intimidate and prevent 15 million Afghans from voting,” the general said. “This incident, once again, proves that the insurgents have no respect for the Afghan population as they continue to use indiscriminate and [disproportionate] violence to advance their ideology and extremist views against the citizens of Afghanistan.”

More than 90,000 Afghan soldiers and 47,000 police are expected to be on hand conducting security operations on Aug. 20. The Afghan defense ministry’s plan calls for police to provide direct security at the polls, with the army positioned in outlying areas as a contingent force. ISAF troops will be standing by as a last resort with ground and aerial capabilities.

Afghan security forces have been training and preparing for election day security for months, participating in national and regional exercises, Tremblay said. Also, ISAF and Afghan troops have stepped up operations in Taliban strongholds in the eastern and southern parts of the country.

“The objectives of these operations and preparations were to minimize and mitigate the risk to the lowest levels possible,” he said. “Despite the best plans in place, there will always be some residual risk. This is especially the case in a complex environment like Afghanistan.”

Attacks are almost a certainty on Aug. 20, but in spite of the best efforts by the Taliban and insurgents to drive Afghans from the polls, they’re likely not going to make a difference, he said.

“Chances are, when you’re looking purely at statistics, they’re not going to be able to attack even 1 percent of the entire polling sites in this country,” Tremblay said.

ISAF officials expect 85 to 95 percent of Afghanistan’s 15 million registered voters to make it to the polls — not entirely because of security efforts, Tremblay said, but because of their desire to take part in their country’s political process.

“The Afghans have expressed very clearly their will and their determination to vote, and we will continue to support them so that they can freely exercise their right to choose their next president and their provincial representatives,” the general said. “It is now for the Afghans themselves to decide their future.”

Source: AFPS

U.S. Marines are on the move in southern Afghanistan to counter Taliban efforts to disrupt the upcoming elections. We’ll hear from ISAF spokesperson Eric Tremblay about the push.