Magento 1.9:check out page not redirect to sucess page with event sales_order_place_after

Question

I am beginner to magento & trying to develop a module for sending message when any order placed, with this module i am able to generate(send/recive) message but check out page not redirect to success page

etc/config.php

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Abc_Sms>
            <version>0.0.1</version>
        </Abc_Sms>
    </modules>
    <global>
        <models>
            <abc_sms>
                <class>Abc_Sms_Model</class>
            </abc_sms>
        </models>
         <events>
            <sales_order_place_before><!-- observe the event -->
                <observers>
                    <abc_sms>
                        <class>abc_sms/observer</class>
                        <method>newCheckout</method>
                    </abc_sms>
                </observers>
            </sales_order_place_before>
        </events>
    </global>
</config>

Model/Oberver.php

<?php 
class Abc_Sms_Model_Observer
{
    public function newCheckout($observer)
    {
        $order_id = $observer->getEvent()->getOrder()->getId();
        $order_no = $observer->getEvent()->getOrder()->getIncrementId();
        $order = Mage::getModel("sales/order")->load($order_id);

        $billing_address = $order->getBillingAddress(); 
        $billing_telephone = $billing_address->getTelephone();

        $msg = "Thank you for your purchase! Your order # is: ".$order_no;
        //sms api start

        $ch = curl_init();
        $user="****@gmail.com:****";
        $receipientno = $billing_telephone; 
        $senderID="TEST SMS"; 
        $msgtxt = $msg; 
        curl_setopt($ch,CURLOPT_URL,  "http://api.mVaayoo.com/mvaayooapi/MessageCompose");
        curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
        curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 1);
        curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, "user=$user&senderID=$senderID&receipientno=$receipientno&msgtxt=$msgtxt");
        $buffer = curl_exec($ch);
        if (empty ($buffer)) {
            echo " buffer is empty ";
        } else {
            echo $buffer;
        } 
        curl_close($ch);
        //sms api 
    }    
}
?>

Thanks in Advance for help

Answer 1

In your etc/config.xml

You should use

<sales_order_place_after> 

instead of

<sales_order_place_before>

Cheers :-)

Answer 2

<events>
    <sales_order_place_after><!-- observe the event -->
        <observers>
            <abc_sms>
                <class>abc_sms/observer</class>
                <method>newCheckout</method>
            </abc_sms>
        </observers>
    </sales_order_place_after>
</events>