Militants

3 militants arrested for 'threatening' to bomb Manipur's Sangai festival

Security forces have arrested three militants, including a woman, for allegedly threatening to trigger explosions during the ongoing Sangai tourism festival in Manipur, police said on Thursday. The Manipur Police, along with Assam Rifles, conducted a joint operation and arrested three active cadres of the banned KCP (MFL) on Wednesday, they said. The action came following a video posted on Facebook by a user on November 21, which contained threats to bomb the festival being held from November 21 to November 30, a police officer said. The militants were apprehended from Imphal East, Imphal West and Thoubal districts, he said. Further investigation is underway. The Sangai tourism festival has been boycotted by displaced persons and civil society organisations in the northeastern state. More than 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups in Manipur since May 2023.

Israel orders Palestinians to leave Gaza City or be deemed militants

Around 400,000 Palestinians have fled famine-stricken Gaza City since Israel launched a major offensive last month aimed at occupying it, but hundreds of thousands remain

J&K Police conduct terror-related searches at 8 locations across valley

Jammu and Kashmir Police's Counter Intelligence Wing on Saturday conducted searches at multiple locations in the valley in a terror-related case, officials said. Searches were being conducted by the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) at eight locations across the valley as part of its investigations in the case, the officials said. They said the searches were being conducted in the districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kupwara, Pulwama, and Shopian. "The searches are in pursuance of a search warrant obtained from the competent court in case FIR number 3/2023 of P/S CIK," the officials added.

Militants arrested for illegal activities in Manipur's Bishnupur district

Security forces have arrested five militants belonging to three proscribed outfits from Manipur's Bishnupur, Imphal West, and Imphal East districts for extortion and possession of illegal arms, police said on Monday. According to officials, an active cadre of the banned UNLF (Pambei) was arrested from Toubul Mayai Leikai in Bishnupur district on Saturday. Identified as Thoudam Bobby Singh (50), he was found in possession of one .303 rifle with magazines, five magazines of different rifles, one hand grenade, 501 live rounds of ammunition of various calibres, and other items, police added. UNLF(P) had signed a peace pact with the Centre in 2023. However, its cadres continued to be arrested for extortion and possession of illegal arms and other criminal and illegal activities, officials said. On Sunday, four militants were arrested from different parts of the state. These include two militants of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (City Meitei) and one each of KCP (PWG) and KC

Syrian govt evacuates Bedouin families from Sweida to end weeklong clashes

The Syrian government on Monday started evacuating Bedouin families trapped inside the city of Sweida, where Druze militiamen and Bedouin fighters have clashed for over a week. The clashes between militias of the Druze religious minority and the Sunni Muslim clans killed hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria's already fragile postwar transition. The clashes also led to a series of targeted sectarian attacks against the Druze community, followed by revenge attacks against the Bedouins. The UN International Organisation for Migration said some 128,571 people were displaced in the hostilities that started with a series of tit-for-tat kidnappings and attacks a week ago. Israel also launched dozens of airstrikes in the Druze-majority Sweida province, targeting government forces who had effectively sided with the Bedouins. Syrian state media said early Sunday that the government had coordinated with some officials in Sweida to bring in buses to evacuate some 1,500 Bedouins in the city

Syria's Bedouins withdraws from Druze-majority city after weeklong fighting

Syria's armed Bedouin clans on Sunday announced that they had withdrawn from the southern city of Sweida following over a week of clashes, as per a US-brokered ceasefire agreement. The clashes between militias of the Druze religious minority and the Sunni Muslim clans killed hundreds and threatened to unravel Syria's already fragile postwar transition. Israel also launched dozens of airstrikes in the Druze-majority Sweida province, targeting government forces who had effectively sided with the Bedouins. A series of tit-for-tat kidnappings sparked the clashes in various towns and villages in the province, which later spread to the city. Government forces were redeployed to halt renewed fighting that erupted Thursday, before withdrawing again. Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was more sympathetic to the Bedouins, had tried to appeal to the Druze community while remaining critical of the militias. He later urged the Bedouins to leave the city, saying that they cannot replace the

Over 30 killed in clashes between Druze militias, Sunni Bedouin in Syria

Clashes between local militias and clans in Syria's Sweida province have killed more than 30 people and injured nearly 100, and government forces were being sent to the area to restore order, authorities said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 37 people killed, including two children, in the clashes between armed groups from the Druze religious minority and Sunni Bedouin clans around the province. The UK-based war monitor reported that military convoys were sent to the area to reinforce security checkpoints. The observatory said the clashes had started after a series of kidnappings between both groups, which began when members of a Bedouin tribe in the area set up a checkpoint where they attacked and robbed a young Druze man. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the observatory, said the conflict started with the kidnapping and robbery of a Druze vegetable seller, leading to tit-for-tat attacks and kidnappings. Syria's defence and interior ministries were deploying .

6 active organisations in Maha already banned in other states: Fadnavis

Six organisations operating in Maharashtra have already been banned in some other states, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday, referring to the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill'. The bill, which seeks to prevent unlawful activities of Left Wing Extremist organisations with a focus on urban Naxalism and passive militancy, has been passed by the assembly. It is expected to be tabled in the legislative council soon. I am happy that the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, which was introduced during the Winter Session in December last year, was cleared by the assembly on Thursday, Fadnavis told reporters at the Vidhan Bhavan here. When asked how many organisations might be affected once the bill becomes a law, Fadnavis said, There are 64 organisations operating in the state, of which six are already banned in other states under similar laws. Speaking in the assembly on Thursday, Fadnavis had said that Maharashtra had the highest 64 Extreme Left Wing ...

Two militants from banned outfits held in Manipur, firearms recovered

Security forces have arrested two members of proscribed outfits in Manipur and recovered firearms from their possession, police said on Thursday. One active cadre of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (PWG) was apprehended on Tuesday from one of the floating huts in the Loktak Lake in Bishnupur district, a senior officer said. One 9 mm pistol and ammunition were recovered from his possession, he said. "The floating huts on the lake were used as a makeshift transit camp and hideout by militants", the officer said, adding that several household items which were used by cadres of outlawed organisations were recovered and the huts were dismantled. In a follow-up action, arms and ammunition were recovered from the Nachou Awang Leikai area in the district, the police said. One active cadre of the banned United National Liberation Front (P) was also arrested from his Soibam Leikai residence in Imphal East district, the officer said. Two 9 mm pistols and ammunition were also recovered

At least 4 PREPAK (PRO) militants arrested in Manipur, firearms seized

Four militants belonging to the proscribed outfit PREPAK (PRO) were arrested in Manipur's Imphal East district and a cache of arms and ammunition was seized from their possession, police said on Monday. The arrested militants were identified as Thingbaijam Philip Singh, Lourembam Kumar Meitei, Laishram Haridas and Yumnam Akash Singh. They were arrested from different places in the district on Sunday, a police statement said. Based on inputs provided by the arrested militants, a search operation was launched in the foothills of Kalika in the district and a cache of arms and ammunition was seized, it said. The cache contained four self-loading rifles and 10 magazines, one light machine gun, one .303 modified sniper and two magazines, 82 cartridges, five hand grenades and nine detonators, the statement added.

Kurdish militant group PKK to disband, disarm in peace move with Turkiye

A Kurdish militant group announced a historic decision Monday to disband and disarm as part of a new peace initiative with Turkiye, after four decades of armed conflict. The decision by the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, was announced by the Firat News Agency, a media outlet close to the group. It comes days after it convened a party congress in northern Iraq. In February, PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, urged his group to convene a congress and formally decide to disband, marking a pivotal step toward ending the decades-long conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives since the 1980s. On March 1, the PKK announced a unilateral ceasefire, but attached conditions, including the creation of a legal framework for peace negotiations. The group has led an armed insurgency since 1984 that has left claimed tens of thousands of lives. It is listed as a terror group by Turkiye and its Western allies.

Pak security forces foil attack on checkpost, kill 10 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Pakistani security forces on Thursday foiled a terror attack on a checkpost and killed 10 militants following a suicide attack near the Frontier Corps camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, security sources said. Heavy firing was heard following a loud explosion in Jandola in South Waziristan district, Geo News reported, citing police officials. According to security sources, terrorists tried to attack the Jandola checkpost, which was repulsed by the security forces. A suicide bomber blew himself up in a vehicle near the FC camp, they said. The attack came a day after security forces killed all 33 attackers who had hijacked the Jaffar Express train in Balochistan and held passengers hostage in the mountainous region. The country witnessed a sharp increase in terror attacks in January 2025, surging by 42 per cent compared to the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), a think-tank. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained the ...

Morocco says it dismantled Islamic State cell that was planning attacks

Moroccan authorities this month arrested a dozen people they said were planning attacks on behalf of the Islamic State in the Sahel, a region south of the Sahara Desert, officials said on Monday. The discovery of the terrorist cell and what authorities called an imminent dangerous terrorist plot reflect the expanding ambitions of extremist groups in the region. Authorities did not provide details of the suspects' motives or their plot, beyond saying they planned to set off bombs remotely. They released photographs and videos showing officers raiding terrorist cells throughout the country. The images showed weapons stockpiles found during police raids, Islamic State flags drawn on walls, and thousands of dollars of cash. Morocco remains a major target in the agenda of all terrorist organisations operating in the Sahel, Habboub Cherkaoui, the head of Morocco's Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations, said at a news conference. Militant groups have been expanding their presence in

Security forces arrest 11 militants in Manipur in two days, says police

Security forces have arrested 11 militants from Manipur in the last two days, including seven suspected cadres of the Kuki National Army (KNA), along with arms and ammunition, police said on Sunday. The KNA cadres were apprehended from old Khaukual area in Churachandpur district on Friday, they said. KNA is a signatory of the tripartite suspension of operations (SoO) pact signed in 2008 among the United Peoples' Front (UPF) and the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), an umbrella of 24 insurgent groups, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Manipur government. The Manipur government, however, withdrew from the pact in March 2023. In another operation on Saturday at Huikap village in Imphal East district, four active members of the proscribed outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (PWG group), including two women, were arrested, police said. Two AK-47 rifles, pistols, live ammunition, incriminating documents and booklets were among items recovered from their possession, they added. PT

Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants, kidnappers in the past week: Army

Nigerian soldiers killed 79 militants and suspected kidnappers over the past week, the army said Friday, in an operation targeting a decades-long insurgency by Islamic militants in the northeast and attacks by various armed groups in the northwest. The West African country has been ramping up efforts to secure the country as some 35,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2 million displaced in the northeastern region, according to the U.N. The nationwide operation by Nigeria's military led to the arrest of 252 individuals and the liberation of 67 hostages held by the militants, a Nigerian military spokesperson, Edward Buba, said in a statement. Kidnappings have become a common occurrence in Nigeria's northwest, where dozens of armed groups exploit the region's limited security presence to carry out attacks on villages and along major roads. Many victims are only released after the payment of ransoms that sometimes run into the thousands of dollars. The 2014 kidnapping of 276

Militants hit Pak minister, police officer's homes in Balochistan

Armed militants attacked the residences of a senior minister and a deputy commissioner and stormed a police checkpost in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, police said. A senior police official said armed militants attacked the residence of Balochistan Minister for Finance and Mineral Resources Mir Shoaib Nosherwani with a hand grenade in his native town of Kharan late on Thursday night. The armed men came on motorcycles and drove away after hurling the hand grenade, he said. No casualty has been reported in the incident, he said. In a similar incident, the militants attacked the residence of the Kalat deputy commissioner with a hand grenade on Thursday night, injuring one police constable on duty at the gate. In the third incident, the armed militants attacked the police checkpost in Mastung town on Thursday night and set fire to machinery and equipment of a cement factory in the vicinity before escaping the scene, authorities said. A police official confirmed the attack t

Pakistan security forces rescue 8 of 16 mine workers abducted by militants

Pakistani security forces recovered at least eight out of 16 mine workers who were kidnapped by militants in the country's restive northwest Thursday morning, police and two security officials said. The operation was launched hours after insurgents ambushed and attacked the workers' vehicle in a narrow road in Lakki Marwat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, police officer Mohammad Ijaz said. The attack occurred as the men were travelling from Lakki Marwat to a nearby mining project, Ijaz said. He gave no further details. Other security officials said the mining project where the men worked is related to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, though the abducted workers are not its employees. They said an operation is still underway to recover the remaining workers. It was unclear whether those insurgents holding the men suffered casualties. No one from the commission was immediately available for comment. The latest development comes after militants se

Security forces bust camps of two banned militant organisations in Manipur

Security forces busted camps of two banned militant organisations while conducting search operations in Manipur's Imphal East district, police said on Thursday. A hideout of the banned Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) at Makou Pourabi in Imphal East district was busted on Wednesday during which one air gun, one mobile handset and one bulletproof helmet were seized, they said. Another training camp of the proscribed PREPAK also at Makou Pourabi was destroyed on Wednesday during which one INSAS LMG magazine, bayonet, five wooden dummy guns, two walkie-talkie sets, and cartridges were seized. Police also arrested nine cadres of the banned militant outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (Peoples' War Group) during the last two days for their involvement in extortion activities. On Wednesday police arrested two members of KCP (PWG) who were involved in extortion activities from Mantripukhri bazar in Imphal East district and recovered demand letters and cash receipt notes of the outfit from the

8 militants arrested in Manipur over killing of two migrant labourers

Eight cadres of the banned militant outfit Kangleipak Communist Party (People's War Group) were arrested from Manipur's Kakching district in connection with the recent killing of two migrant labourers from Bihar, police said on Tuesday. Search operations were launched across Manipur on December 14 to apprehend those who were involved in the killing of the two labourers, and an active member of the proscribed outfit was first apprehended from Kakching Lamkhai area on Monday, a police statement said. "From his inputs, a police team raided a camp located at the Kakching Mamang Ching Laipham Loknung area and arrested seven more cadres of KCP (PWG) from there," the police said. Arms and ammunition and 10 mobile phones were recovered from their possession, the police statement said. The KCP (PWG) is a faction of the banned outfit Kangleipak Communist Party, which was accused of being involved in extortion and other crimes in Imphal Valley. Chief Minister N Biren Singh had condemned the

Palestinian security forces launch crackdown on militants in West Bank

Palestinian security forces have launched a rare crackdown against local militant groups in the northern West Bank, sending in armoured cars and engaging in fierce gunbattles that have killed at least two people in the volatile area. The raid marks an unusual step for the Palestinian Authority, the governing body for semi-autonomous pockets in the occupied West Bank that is internationally recognised but has largely lost control of militant strongholds such as Jenin, where forces operated through the weekend and into Monday. Israeli troops have stepped into the vacuum in recent years, particularly since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas militant attack that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Palestinian health officials say 811 Palestinians have been killed since then in the West Bank, most by Israeli raids into Palestinian cities and towns. Israel says most of the dead have been militants. On Saturday, Palestinian security forces said they had begun the operation in the Jenin refugee camp, a