Page 12 - War Conflict
Chinese armymen,civilians do yoga with Indian defence
Chinese army troops and civilians for the first time participated in a joint Yoga session with Indian army personnel along the Indo-China border in the Eastern border on Friday. Altogether 70 Chinese army personnel and 30 civilians participated in the joint yoga sessions at Nathu-La in Sikkim and at Bumla and Wacha-Damai in Arunachal Pradesh, a defence spokesperson Lt Col Harshwardhan Pande said. Participation of Chinese army personnel in such an event during border personnel meetings will go a long way in promoting peace and tranquility along the borders, he said. The event was oragnised as a part of India's fifth International Yoga Day celebrations. Meanwhile, Eastern Command with an aim to promote better mental and physical health of people on the theme 'Yoga for Heart' organised various events where a large number of troops, their families and local citizens participated in far flung areas of the East and North Eastern region. Various workshops were organised by the ..
Yoga Day: Indian Army personnel perform asanas in Siachen
Battling the bone-numbing cold, Indian Army personnel performed Yoga in Siachen on Friday to mark the occasion of 5th International Yoga Day.Army personnel showed their grit and zeal by performing asanas at the Siachen Glacier - the world's highest battlefield. The troops deployed at the glacier are known for their perseverance and fighting spirit as the temperatures at the altitude of over 20,000 feet may be as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius.All the defence forces took part in the celebrations of International Yoga Day at various locations across the country.The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been designated as the nodal force to coordinate with the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to conduct yoga demonstration at Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.BSF camps in Delhi, Odisha and Assam also participated enthusiastically, while Navy personnel performed Yoga on-board vessels in the sea.The theme of this year's Yoga Day is "Climate Action".It was Prime Minister Narendra Modi ...
Georgia opposition vows fresh protests after police crackdown
Georgian opposition leaders on Friday vowed to hold mass protests until parliament is dissolved, after police used rubber bullets and tear gas against demonstrators who had rallied overnight. Demonstrations broke out in capital Tbilisi on Thursday after a Russian lawmaker addressed parliament from the speaker's seat -- a deeply controversial move in a country at loggerheads with Moscow. "The Georgian people and opposition parties demand snap parliamentary polls as well as the resignation of the speaker and the interior minister," Grigol Vashadze, the leader of the United Opposition alliance, told AFP. "Peaceful mass protest will continue until these demands are met," he said, adding that a fresh rally would start at 7 pm (GMT 1500) on Friday. The Kremlin on Friday condemned the protests as "aggressive demonstrations against citizens of Russia". The presence of Russian MP Sergei Gavrilov in parliament sparked outrage in the ex-Soviet nation which in 2008 fought and lost a war with ...
Bihar encephalitis deaths figure in RS
The death of more than 130 children in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district due to encephalitis figured in the Rajya Sabha Friday, with opposition parties demanding that the government make an urgent intervention and pay compensation to families. The issue first figured when Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu was reading out obituary references on death of former members as well as those killed in terrorist attacks in New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Opposition members demanded a similar reference be made for the children who died in Bihar. Naidu first asked the Secretary General to "take care of the Bihar thing" and bring an appropriate resolution. Such a reference was not listed in the agenda paper for the day. But after making a reference to June 21 being celebrated as International Day of Yoga, he said that a number of children had died in Bihar and the House condoles their death. "We will stand in silence in memory of the children who lost their lives," he said as members stood in silence .
Gujarat: Indian Army troops perform yoga in Bhuj
On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Indian Army troops along with their family members performed yoga on a river bank in Bhuj on Friday.The striking yogic poses have now become a norm amongst the defence personnel in India. Several departments of the defence have taken part in yoga in the run-up to the fifth international yoga day.The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been designated as the Nodal Force to coordinate with the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to conduct yoga demonstration at Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad on the occasion of 5th International Yoga Day today."345 units and 74 Formations of CISF, which includes eight training institutions, 12 reserve battalions, zonal, sector and force headquarters across the length and breadth of the country are ready to celebrate the 5th International Day of Yoga on 21st June, 2019 with great fervor," CISF Public Relations Officer (PRO) said in a statement.Over 1000 CISF and CAPF personnel will participate in the Yoga ...
5 Taliban terrorists killed by Afghan forces in Faryab province
Five Taliban terrorists were killed in an operation by Afghan Special Forces in the country's northern province of Faryab, the provincial government said on Friday.The anti-terrorist operation was carried out in the Dara-e-Shakh area of Gurziwan district in the wee hours of Friday. Two Taliban hideouts were destroyed, reported Xinhua.There was no immediate comment from the Taliban regarding the operation.Afghanistan is facing an unstable political and security situation due to the activities of the Taliban and the Islamic State.The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces have been conducting operations to combat terrorism across the country.
US official: Bad spending oversight hampers Afghan troops
A US watchdog says lack of coordinated oversight of America's spending in Afghanistan has led to a waste of funds and hampered training and development of the country's security forces. Washington's Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which monitors billions of dollars in US aid to the country, says America has so far spent more than $84 billion dollars on Afghan forces but they continue to suffer staggering losses and bleed personnel. Soldiers go home on leave and never return. SIGAR's report, released late Thursday, paints a troubling picture of a costly Afghan security development scheme, with multiple supervising U.S. and NATO departments that don't coordinate with one another. The report says the "security sector assistance mission in Afghanistan lacked an enduring and comprehensive plan" from the start.
Cannon found while digging canal in Nadia district
Workers engaged in digging a canal in Nadia district have stumbled upon a cannon, sparking excitement among the locals, a district official said. The weapon is very old and it is about 4 feet 2 inches in length, Haringhata BDO Krishna Gopal Dhara said. The cannon, made of brass, was recovered from Yamuna canal at Haringhata in Nadia district on Wednesday. As the word spread, locals soon gathered at the spot to have a look at the cannon. They were also flocking to the local police station, where it has been kept, to have a glimpse of the artillery. IC, Haringhata police station, Ashoktaru Mukherjee said, "We have kept it in the police station and informed the Archaeological department, so that experts can come and examine it. "It was found at south Rajapur in Haringhata. While one end of the cannon is 17-inches in diameter, the body tapers to a 12-inch base on the other end. It has a handle to fix the cannon to a base, either on a carriage or a boat," he said. The workers
World Food Programme announces partial suspension of Yemen aid
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced Thursday the "partial suspension" of aid to Yemen's capital Sanaa, controlled by Huthi rebels, citing problems with "diversion of food" from the neediest. The suspension would initially target Sanaa city only, affecting 850,000 people, the UN agency said in a statement. But nutrition programmes will remain in place for malnourished children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Ultimately, the suspension will affect all areas in Yemen "under the control of the Sanaa-based authorities". The WFP said its decision was taken after negotiations stalled on an agreement "to introduce controls to prevent the diversion of food away from some of the most vulnerable people in Yemen," adding "some individuals seek to profit by preying on the vulnerable." "WFP has been seeking the support of the Sanaa-based authorities to introduce a biometric registration system that would prevent diversion and protect the Yemeni families we serve, ensuring food reaches ...
Georgia: Police fire rubber bullets, water cannon to disperse protesters near Parliament
The police resorted to firing rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters after they attempted to storm the Georgian Parliament over the visit of a Russian lawmaker here on Thursday.Protests broke out after Russian State Duma member Sergey Gavrilov along with a Russian delegation participated in the 26th session of the General Assembly of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO) here, according to TASS.Gavrilov opened the session as the IAO President. The Opposition objected to the Russian lawmaker making his address while sitting in the parliament chairperson's chair and disrupted the session, the Russian news agency added. The Russian delegation left after a decision to finish the session was made.Following this, representatives from Georgia's Opposition joined the protesters in demanding Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Parliament Chairperson Irakli Kobakhidze's resignations.Representatives from the ruling 'Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia' ...
Pak COAS arrives in London for official visit
Starting off his official visit, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, arrived in London on Wednesday, as per the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces.He is scheduled to meet senior British officials during his trip, the Inter-Services Public Relations added."COAS arrived at London, UK on an official visit. Will interact with senior British Civil-Military leadership to discuss matters of mutual interest including evolving geo-strategic environment, defence and security," Major General Asif Ghafoor, Pakistan Army's Spokesperson, tweeted.
India's female squad to soon assume duties under UN peacekeeping missions in Congo
India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Syed Akbaruddin on Thursday said that Indian women who are contingents to the United Nations' peacekeeping operations will soon be assuming their duties in the Democratic Republic of Congo."India's Female Engagement Team deployed in @UNPeacekeeping is on way to assume duties @MONUSCO (Democratic Republic of Congo)," Akbaruddin wrote on Twitter.The envoy captioned the post saying, "Women Peace & Security in action."The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or MONUSCO is a United Nations peacekeeping force that was established by the United Nations Security Council in accordance to the resolutions 1279 and 1291 to monitor peace in Congo.India has a long tradition of sending women to UN peacekeeping missions, said a recent statement issued by the United Nations named "India: A long and deep tradition of contributing to UN peacekeeping".In 2007, India became the first country .
BSF recovers heroin 5-kg from near IB in Jammu
Stepping up vigil on the International Boundary (IB), the Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday recovered about 5-kg of heroin.According to BSF, on the basis of specific information, the troops of 36 Battalion of BSF carried out special search operation near the IB in Suchetgarh."The BSF party led by Sanjay Guleria, Second in Command, found a plastic can in a branch of Phalku Nalla. During the search, the can was found to be filled/packed with about 5 kgs of drugs. The place of recovery was approximately 100 meters before the IB along Pakistan."Last year in the month of December, BSF jointly with DRI Jammu had recovered 3 kgs of heroin on specific information."It is suspected that this consignment was to be taken to Punjab through local Indian smugglers working for Pak smuggling group run by notorious Pakistan's smuggler Chaudhary Akram.""The BSF in tandem with other agencies is developing input to identify and nail down the local smugglers and break the network. Smugglers are ...
18 IS fighters killed in joint operation with US: Niger
Eighteen members of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara were killed in a joint operation by US, French and Niger troops near Niger's border with Mali, the defence ministry said Tuesday. The June 8-18 operation took place "in the northern border region of Tongo Tongo targeting a gang of ISGS terrorists implicated in an ambush on May 14," in which 28 Nigerien soldiers were killed, it said. "The toll on the enemy side is: 18 terrorists neutralised, five terrorists, of whom three are Nigerien, taken prisoner." There were "no human or material losses" during the operation, which was codenamed ACONIT, it said. "Important materiel was recovered including equipment belonging to the Niger armed forces which were taken by the attackers after the ambush," the statement said. In October 2017, the ISGS claimed responsibility for a raid which killed four US soldiers and five Nigerien troops in the same region, a mere 20 kilometres from the Malian border. On June 8, a US army vehicle hit a ...
Sri Lanka to charge police for 'lapses' over Easter attacks
Sri Lankan authorities Thursday ordered the first criminal charges against security personnel for "lapses" before the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed 258 people. Nine police officers will face "criminal investigations" for failing to act on warnings ahead of the April 21 bombings on three churches and three hotels carried out by Islamic State-backed jihadists. In a notice ordering the probe, Attorney General Dappula de Livera said an inquiry commission appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena had found the officers liable for criminal negligence. All nine were senior officers in the districts where the attacks were carried out. Authorities have admitted that warnings sent by neighbouring India of an impending attack by a local group, the National Thowheeth Jama'ath (NTJ) were ignored. Forty-five foreign nationals were among the dead and 500 people were injured in the attacks. The tourist hotspot has been under a state of emergency since. Sri Lanka's State Intelligence ...
NIA raids residential premises in Coimbatore's Shanti Nagar area
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted raid at residential premises here in Shanti Nagar and recovered a hard disc and some documents in connection with an ISIS module case.This comes a week after the probing agency arrested six youths from Coimbatore, who were allegedly a part of the ISIS module, propagating Sri Lankan bomber Zahran Hashim's preaching on social media.One of the arrested youth was identified as Mohd Azarudeen, who runs a graphic design shop in Shanti Nagar.On the basis of the information revealed by him, an NIA team conducted a search operation in the house of Sandhu who works along with Azarudeen and recovered a hard disc and some documents.The in-charge of the ISIS module, sources said, was believed to be in touch with Easter Sunday bombings mastermind Zahran Hashim on Facebook.
TN IS module: NIA questions computer technician
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Thursday questioned a computer technician here over some hard disks recovered from the Tamil Nadu IS module mastermind, who was arrested recently. A team of NIA sleuths visited the house of Sinod and questioned him over the hard disks given by Mohammed Azharuddin, police sources said. The NIA had on June 12 arrested Mohammed Azaruddin, the alleged mastermind of ISIS Tamil Nadu module who was a Facebook friend of Sri Lankan suicide bomber Zahran Hashim, after it carried out searches at seven locations in the city. The technician was questioned based on the information provided by Azharuddin, the sources said. The statement of the technician was recorded, they added.
Nine trainee police constables down with viral fever symptoms
Nine trainee police constables have been admitted to the government hospital here with symptoms of viral fever, officials said Thursday. According to the sources, four trainees in the 4-Special Police battalion at Kovaipudur were suffering from fever two days ago following which doctors and staff from the government hospital organised a medical camp there. A check revealed that they were suffering from high viral fever and immediately shifted to the hospital, they said. During examination Wednesday night, the doctors found five more trainees had symptoms of viral fever. They were also admitted to the hospital. All the nine are undergoing treatment in a special ward, the sources said. Health department officials inspected the premises and found the water in the tank was not good for consumption which was cleaned with the help of corporation staff, they added.
Delhi Police busts interstate gun racket, 3 arrested
Delhi Police on Thursday busted an interstate gun smuggling racket and arrested three people, including the manufacturer and supplier of the illegal weapons."A team of Special Cell led by Inspectors Vivekanand Pathak and Kuldeep Singh, under the supervision of ACP Manoj Dixit also recovered 30 semi-automatic pistols from their possession," read a police statement.The police had received a tip-off that a huge consignment of illegal arms would exchange hands near Jheel Wala Park, Sector-3 in Rohini.Pawan Singh and Chandar Singh, two of the three arrested from Rohini's Jheel area are residents of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district. Upon interrogation, they revealed that they have been involved in the business for over 10 years.Accused Pawan disclosed that he had been sending consignments of illegal arms to criminal gangs operating out of Delhi, UP, Haryana, MP etc. through his various courier chains."In view of recent criminal activities involving the use of firearms, the Special Cell of ...
Thousands of CISF personnel to conduct demonstrations on yoga day
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been designated as the Nodal Force to coordinate with the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to conduct yoga demonstration at Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad on the occasion of 5th International Yoga Day on June 21."345 units and 74 Formations of CISF, which includes eight training institutions, 12 reserve battalions, zonal, sector and force headquarters across the length and breadth of the country are ready to celebrate the 5th International Day of Yoga on 21st June, 2019 with great fervor," CISF Public Relations Officer (PRO) said in a statement.Over 1000 CISF and CAPF personnel will participate in the Yoga Day demonstrations in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad."In presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a mass yoga demonstration will be held at Prabhat Tara Ground, Ranchi (Jharkhand). Large numbers of CISF personnel of Ranchi based units and 2nd Reserve Battalion with other fellow CAPF personnel will participate in the demonstration," the ..