Page 105 - War Conflict
Algerian Islamist leader buried in homeland after death in exile
Abassi Madani, founder of Algeria's banned Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), was buried Saturday in Algiers in front of thousands of supporters after his death in Qatar where he had long lived in exile. Madani's body was carried from his family home to Ennadi mosque, where believers recited the Islamic funeral prayer, ahead of his transportation to a cemetery. Cries of "God is greatest" and slogans used by the FIS in the 1990s rang out. Mourners had gathered well in advance of the arrival of the remains of Madani, who called for armed struggle in 1992 after Algeria's military scrapped the country's first multi-party parliamentary election. The FIS won that election, and pushed for the creation of an Islamic state in the North African nation. He died in a Doha hospital on Wednesday from a "long illness" at the age of 88, FIS co-founder Ali Belhadj said. The FIS had been on track to win an absolute majority in the 1991-92 parliamentary election when the army cancelled the second round, ..
Indian-descent family mistaken for Muslims targeted in car attack
An African American Iraq War veteran intentionally ran down a family of Indian descent in California thinking they were Muslims, according to police.
Unions, leftwing parties, join 'yellow vests' for Paris march
Thousands of trade unionists and activists from left-wing parties marched with "yellow vest" protesters through Paris Saturday to present a united front against French President Emmanuel Macron's latest reforms package. The Paris march, organised by the militant CGT union, came ahead of the main yellow vest march in the eastern city of Strasbourg, where protesters clashed with police trying to enforce a ban in parts of the city centre. Veterans of the protests, which have been running for six months now, led off the Paris march. But in a new development, many senior figures from the radical left marched with them, including Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of France Unbowed and one of Macron's most vocal critics. Welcoming this show of political unity, Melenchon told BFM TV: "It's the first time that there has been a call of this kind, that's to say union organisations, associations and political movements." That in itself made it a political event, he added. It was a government plan to
Two policemen killed in Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur
Two police personnel were killed and a villager was injured Saturday evening when Naxals opened fire on them in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said. The incident took place when the two policemen and the villager were going to Tippapuram village, under Pamed police station area, on a motorbike. A 'small action team' (typically comprising four-five rebels) of Naxals opened fire on them, leaving constable Arvind Minj and assistant constable Sukku Habka dead on the spot and the villager injured, said Deputy Inspector General (anti-Naxal operations) Sundarraj P. Locals took the injured villager to Cherla in neighbouring Telangana for treatment, he said, adding that security forces have been rushed to the spot.
Lanka bans local Islamist extremist outfits linked to ISIS
Sri Lanka on Saturday banned local Islamist extremist outfit NTJ and a splinter group, which are linked to the ISIS that has claimed the responsibility for the Easter bombings that left 253 people dead and several hundreds injured. National Thawheed Jammath (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim, the mastermind behind the attacks, was killed inside the Shangri La hotel were he detonated himself. President Maithripala Sirisena used emergency powers to ban the NTJ and a splinter group identified as Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem (JMI), a statement said. "All movable and immovable property of these two organisations will be confiscated," the statement said. The move to ban the outfits came after the Lankan Parliament adopted a newly-enforced emergency regulation on Wednesday following a series of eight coordinated blasts, which ripped through three churches and three high-end hotels frequented by tourists on April 19 in the country's deadliest violence since the devastating civil war ended in ...
Mumbai LS poll: Over 40k cops deployed
Over 40,000 security personnel, including 14 companies of Central paramilitary forces, will be on duty on Monday for Lok Sabha polls in Mumbai's six seats, an official said Saturday. Polling will be held in 10,073 booths at 1,492 locations in the city, with election authorities declaring 325 of these booths as "critical", the official added. A police communique said security has also been beefed up against the backdrop of the multiple bomb attacks in Sri Lanka on Easter that killed over 250 and injured 500 people. The police release said a slew of anti-terror measures have been put in place with personnel from Force One, Quick Response Team, Assault Teams, Anti Terrorism Cell being deployed in the metropolis. It said 40,000 personnel on duty in Mumbai included 14 and 12 companies of Central paramilitary forces and State Reserve Police Force respectively. Police said a total of 391 illegal weapons had been seized along with Rs 10.51 crore cash since the model code of ...
Woman Naxal with Rs 16 lakh reward on head killed in encounter
Two women Naxals, one of them carrying a reward of Rs 16 lakh on her head, were killed in an encounter with police in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra Saturday afternoon, an official said. The skirmish took place in Gunderwahi forest in the district when commandos of C-60 squad, police's anti-Naxal unit, was combing the area, a police official said. Naxals carried out an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast and opened fire on the commandos, leading to a gun battle, he said. After the rebels fled, bodies of two women Naxals were found. One of them was identified as Ramco alias Kamla Manku Narote (46), a divisional committee member in the Naxals' Gatta Dalam who was involved in several attacks on police, he said. She was carrying a reward of Rs 16 lakh on her head, he added. The other woman was Shilpa alias Manu Durva (29), a member of Bhamragad Dalam who was carrying a reward of Rs 4 lakh on her head, he said. Ramco was married to Bhaskar, a Naxal 'commander', the ..
Hemant Karkare's deputy jumps in poll fray against Pragya Thakur
Riyaz Deshmukh, former Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) and deputy to Mumbai's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, has jumped into the poll fray against Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur."BJP has fielded Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, an accused in Malegaon blast case, against Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal. She has spoken against Hemant Karkare. She called him a traitor. It hurt me. Thereafter, I decided to contest the election as an independent against her from Bhopal," Deshmukh told ANI.Hemant Karkare, a senior IPS officer, was killed in action during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. In 2009, he was posthumously given the Ashoka Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry decoration.Karkare had probed multiple terror blasts in Maharashtra's Malegaon in September 2006 in which six people were killed and over 100 others were injured.Pragya Thakur, the key accused in the blast and currently out on the bail, recently said that Karkare died because she had cursed him. Later, she ...
India asks citizens not to undertake non-essential travel to Sri Lanka
India on Saturday issued an advisory asking citizens not to undertake non-essential travel to Sri Lanka in view of the recent wave of bombings in which over 250 people were killed. In the advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said those requiring to undertake emergency travels can contact the High Commission of India in Colombo, the Assistant High Commission in Kandy as well as Consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna for any assistance. "In view of the prevailing security situation in Sri Lanka in the aftermath of terror attacks on April 21, Indian nationals intending to travel to Sri Lanka are advised not to undertake non-essential travel," it said. "In case of those undertaking essential/emergency travels, they can contact the High Commission of India in Colombo or the Assistant High Commission in Kandy / Consulates in Hambantota and Jaffna in case of requirement of any assistance," the MEA added. The MEA said Sri Lanka has beefed up security in the country but a nation-wide .
GOC-in-C Eastern Command visits border areas of Arunachal
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command, Lt Gen M M Naravane, reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness in the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh during a three-day visit to the north-eastern state, a Defence official said here Saturday. During the visit from April 24 to April 26, Lt Gen Naravane was briefed in detail on the prevailing security situation and operational preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. During his interaction with the troops, the Army Commander appreciated their hard work and dedication in their endeavour to safeguard the nation's border while operating in hostile terrain and adverse weather conditions, the official said. The Army commander was accompanied by GOC, Gajraj Corps, Lt Gen Manoj Pande, during the visit that concluded Friday.
Seeds of hate in Sri Lanka: Fiery leader, wealthy followers
An impatient little girl in a pretty dress pulls on the hand of a man, possibly her grandfather, as they cross a brick courtyard outside St Sebastian's Church on Easter Sunday. Directly in her path a slightly built, bearded man, bent beneath the weight of a large backpack, slows down so he doesn't bump into the girl, his fingers seeming to touch her hair for just an instant as she passes. And then, CCTV cameras show, they both go about their day a common, almost mundane interaction made chilling only by what happens next. The man walks into the church packed with worshippers, a ceiling fan whirring above, and, according to authorities, detonates the bomb in his bag, part of a coordinated set of attacks on churches and luxury hotels across the country that killed more than 250 people. Officials are now hunting for clues that might explain how a little-known Islamic radical group went from defacing Buddhist statues and posting online screeds to pulling off one of the most stunning and .
Indians asked to avoid 'non-essential' travel to Sri Lanka
India on Saturday issued an advisory asking its nationals to avoid "non-essential travel" to Sri Lanka where the situation continues to be precarious in the wake of last Sundays terror attacks.
Two top women Maoists killed in Maharashtra gunfight
Two women Maoists, including a senior cadre carrying a reward of Rs 16 lakh on her head, were shot dead in a gunfight with security forces here on Saturday afternoon, officials said.
Five of family meet watery grave
Five members of a family from Bengaluru drowned in a temple tank at Siddarabetta, about 50 km from here, polissce said Saturday. Police identified the deceased as Munirkhan (49), Reshma (22), Usman Khan (14), Yaarab Khan (21) and Mubbin Taj (21), hailing from Hegdenagar in the city. They had gone to Siddarabetta, a hillock, near Dobbespet on thecity outskirts to visit a mosque, police said. After the prayers they went to the hillock near the temple tank known as Kalyani in local parlance, where they were having food. Usman who was playing near the tank, slipped into it and began drowning. In a bid to save him, the others too jumped into the Kalyani and drowned. The bodies were later fished out and sent to hospital, police said.
Six killed as jihadists attack Burkina Faso school
Armed jihadists attacked a village school in eastern Burkina Faso, killing five teachers and a municipal worker, officials said Saturday. Burkina Faso, a former French colony, has seen a surge in attacks blamed on radical Islamist groups - mainly the Ansarul Islam group and the Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) - in the last four years. The latest attack happened on Friday evening at Maitaougou village in the Koulpelogo province, which has been targeted by extremists. "Jihadists led an incursion into Maitaougou village... and killed five teachers," a security source said. "Four teachers died instantly in the attack, which took place at around 5:00 pm in the heart of the school, while a fifth succumbed to his injuries a few hours later." A municipal worker was also killed in the same area, several sources said. Burkinabe President Roch Marc Christian Kabore said he firmly condemned "this cowardly and ignoble killing" and vowed to track down the perpetrators. The attacks were ...
15 killed in Lanka gun battle; 10 more held (2nd Lead)
Fifteen people were killed in a gun battle between the government forces and an armed group in Kalmunai city of Sri Lanka, authorities said on Saturday. Around 70 suspected suicide bombers were estimated to be at large, they said.
Putin says Moscow 'thinking' of simplifying nationality process for all of Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday Moscow was "thinking" of making it easier for all Ukrainians to obtain Russian citizenship after the Kremlin moved to grant passports in the country's separatist east, causing uproar in Kiev. "We are actually thinking about providing citizenship in a simplified order to all citizens of Ukraine, not only residents of the Lugansk and Donetsk republics," Putin told the press during his visit to Beijing, referring to the unrecognised separatist republics governed by Moscow-backed rebels.
Ambedkar statue damaged in UP's Azamgarh
A statue of B R Ambedkar was damaged by miscreants in the Bardah area here, police said Saturday. The statue was damaged Friday night in Chowki village. Local residents noticed it Saturday morning and informed police, they said. To prevent tension, the local administration installed a new statue in its place, police said. The situation is under control and the search for the suspects is on, they said.
6 children, 3 women among 15 dead as Sri Lanka forces raid Islamist hideout
Six children and three women were among 15 people killed when militants linked to the Easter Sunday bombings opened fire and blew themselves up during a fierce gun battle with security forces in Sri Lanka's Eastern province, police said Saturday. The shootout occurred as the security forces continued their hunt for members of the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ), the local terror outfit behind the April 21 coordinated blasts in which 253 people were killed and over 500 injured. The Special Task Force and Army troops, following a tip-off, raided a house in Kalmunai city, about 360 kms from Colombo, on Friday night, leading to the heavy exchange of fire with the armed group. As the heavily-armed men opened fire on troops, a civilian caught in the middle got killed. As the clashes intensified, three men are believed to have set off explosives. "A total of 15 bodies recovered, six men, three women and six children. At least four suspected suicide bombers are dead and three others who were
IED blast kills three security personnel in Pakistan
The death toll in the IED blast at a check post in northwest Pakistan on Saturday rose to three after one of the two injured security personnel succumbed to his injuries in a hospital, sources said. The explosives, which were planted close to the check post in Sheva tehsil of North Aaziristan District bordering Afghanistan, went off when the levies personnel reported for duty, eye witnesses said. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister K P K Mehmud Khan strongly condemned the blast, saying that the resolve of the government against terrorism can not be suppressed through such acts of cowardice.