Page 120 - War Conflict
UNSC condemns Lanka terror attack; underlines need to hold 'perpetrators accountable'
United Nations Security Council on Monday condemned the "heinous" and "cowardly" terrorist attacks that shook Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.The organisation also underlined the need to hold the "perpetrators" responsible for the attacks accountable."The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the series of heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks that took place in St. Anthony's Shrine in Colombo, St. Sebastian's in Negambo, Zion Church in Batticaloa, the Shangri-La, Cinammon Grand, and Kingsbury hotels in Colombo, as well as three explosions across Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, 21 April 2019, which resulted in nearly 300 killed and hundreds more wounded," TASS quoted UNSC statement."The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice, and urged all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and ...
Over 700 staff working in Sri Lanka safe: Kolkata firm
Hearing about the serial blasts in Sri Lanka on Sunday, a Kolkata-based real estate developer on Monday said he made anxious calls to find out the whereabouts of 700-800 Indian employees working at a Rs 2,000 crore project in the island country and finally took a sigh of relief after knowing all of them were safe.
Sri Lankan military given sweeping powers after bombings
Sri Lanka's president gave the military sweeping police powers in the wake of the Easter bombings that killed nearly 300 people, while officials disclosed that intelligence agencies had warned weeks ago of the possibility of an attack by the radical Muslim group blamed for the bloodshed. The suicide bombings struck three churches and three luxury hotels Sunday in the island nation's deadliest violence since a devastating civil war ended in 2009. The government shut down some social media, armed security forces patrolled the largely deserted, central streets in the capital of Colombo, and a curfew went into effect. The military was given a wider berth starting Tuesday to detain and arrest suspects powers that were used during the civil war but withdrawn when it ended. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he feared the massacre could unleash instability and he vowed to "vest all necessary powers with the defense forces" to act against those responsible. Adding to the tension, three
Sri Lanka suspects international link in bombings
A wave of bombings that killed 290 people in Sri Lanka on Sunday was carried out with the support of an international network, officials said.
Identifying Indians killed in Sri Lanka blasts: Sushma Swaraj
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that the process of identifying Indians amongst those killed in the eight consecutive blasts that rattled Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, is underway."I have just spoken to Taranjit S.Sandhu, Indian High Commissioner in Colombo @IndiainSL. We are identifying Indians amongst those killed in the blasts," Swaraj tweeted..
Lanka blasts: Some of the arrested are from rich families
The Sri Lankan police have arrested over two dozen persons in connection with Sunday's serial bomb blasts in churches and hotels that killed 290 people and injured over 500, said a journalist. He also said that some of those arrested belonged to rich families.
8 Indians die in Lanka blasts, highest number among foreigners killed: Lankan Foreign Ministry
Eight Indians have been killed in a string of devastating suicide blasts that struck churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, the biggest casualty figure among the 31 foreigners who died in the attack, according to figures released by the Lankan foriegn ministry on Monday. Seven suicide bombers believed to be members of an Islamist extremist group - the National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) - carried out a series blasts that tore through three churches and luxury hotels on Sunday, killing 290 people and wounding 500 others, including Indians, in the country's worst terror attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but police have so far arrested 24 people - mostly members of the local Islamist extremist group called the National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) - in connection with the blasts. Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said that as of Monday April 22, 2019, the number of foreign nationals who have been killed is 31. "It include, eight from India, six .
EC appoints record number of observers for Tripura East poll
The Election Commission on Monday appointed former Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi as Special Observer for Tripura East Lok Sabha seat, where polling was deferred from the second (April 18) to the third (April 23) stage in view of the unconducive law and order situation, officials said here on Monday.
Another K'taka man loses life in Sri Lanka blasts
A Kannadiga identified as Hanumaiah Shivakumar is the latest Indian confirmed dead in Sri Lanka blasts which rattled the island nation on Easter Sunday, according to Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.This takes the total of Indians killed in the deadly blasts to eight.Chief Minister Kumaraswamy had earlier said that a group of seven JDS workers from Karnataka were reported missing. They were on a tour to Sri Lanka, he had added.Out of the seven, four workers were confirmed dead while a search was on for the rest who were identified as H ShivuKumar, A Maregowda, and H Puttaraju.It is unclear if the latest Kannadiga to have lost his life is a JDS worker."Pained to learn that we lost one more Kannadiga in the #SriLankaBlasts. High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka has confirmed the death of Hanumaiah Shivakumar. The Chief Secretary is in constant touch with the consulate in Sri Lanka," he tweeted on Monday.Kumaraswamy had earlier tweeted that a party from Karanatka was ...
Lanka blasts: Tight security for Velankanni Church
Tight security cover has been provided to the Shrine Basilica at Velankanni and the ancient Danish Fort in Nagapattinam district in the wake of the serial bomb blasts in Sri Lanka, police said Monday. Security has been strengthened in all the 53 coastal hamlets in the district,Superintendent of Police C Vijayakumar told reporters here. District police, coast guard, coastal security group and forest department personnel have commenced patrolling in coastal areas, the official said. The SP said a 'three-tier' security cover has been provided to the Shrine Basilica and the Dansborg Fort at Tarangambadi. "Armed police personnel are on duty at these places. Pilgrims entering the Velankanni church are being thoroughly scanned with bomb detectors," he said. A 24-hour vigil is being maintained in all coastal hamlets, according to him. "Thorough vehicle checking is being conducted through the 19 checkposts in the district. In addition, people of the coastal areas have been ...
Tourists flee Sri Lanka, as travel industry faces uncertainty
Tourists are scrambling to flee Sri Lanka and cancelling holidays after a string of deadly suicide blasts that have sparked concerns the lucrative tourism industry could be sent into a tailspin. The attacks on hotels and churches came as Sri Lanka was emerging as a leading tourist hot-spot, named the world's top destination for 2019 by a major guide book. The Easter Sunday massacre killed nearly 300 people, including 37 foreigners. German schoolteacher Martin Ewest arrived in the island nation two days ago, hoping for a peaceful holiday with his wife and 12-year-old daughter. But all that changed when he heard about the attacks. "We want to leave as soon as possible... but our embassy can't help because they are on holiday, our airline says they can't do anything, and our hotel has not offered us any assistance," the 44-year-old told AFP. "It's a difficult situation... we are like sitting ducks, waiting until we can leave next week." Powerful explosions hit three hotels in the ...
India Thowheed Jamaath condemns Sri Lankan blasts
The India Thowheed Jamaath Monday strongly condemned the serial blasts in Sri Lanka, saying it was an unpardonable attack on the entire humanity and demanded maximum punishment for perpetrators of the attack. The attacks were an onslaught against the entire humanity and not just against the Sri Lankan people, S M Backer, the leader of the city headquartered ITJ said. The attacks unleashed on Easter Sunday, observed as a holy event by Christians, could be only construed "as a well planned and coordinated terror attack," he said in a statement. Expressing his condolences, Backer expressed solidarity with the families of the victims and said he prayed to the Almighty for peace. "The heinous attack in which hundreds, including children and women were killed makes one shudder...whatever form terror may take; be it religion, race, or language, it should be defeated," he added. The perpetrators of the dastardly attack should be brought to book and they must be given maximum ...
Several suicide bombers detonated themselves: Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan government said on Monday that several suicide bombers had detonated themselves during a series of attacks against three churches and three luxury hotels in the country on Easter Sunday that left nearly 300 dead and 500 wounded.
At least 6 JDS workers killed in Colombo blasts, Karna govt
At least six JD(S) workers from Karnataka, who were on a visit to Sri Lanka after a gruelling campaign for the Lok Sabha polls, were killed in the multiple blasts in the island nation, the State government said Monday. A leisure trip to Sri Lanka proved fatal for JD(S) workers when the blast took place very close to the dining table as they sat for breakfast at Shangri-La hotel in Colombo, one of the major targets of the deadliest terror strikes in the island nation's history, family members said. Out of seven staying at Shangri-La hotel, the state government has received information about the death of five- Ramesh, K M Lakshminarayan, M Rangappa, K G Hanumantharayappa and Narayan Chandrashekar, Karnataka Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar said. Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry later in the evening confirmed the death of one more --Shivakumar. "Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry has confirmed the death of one more individual - H Shivakumar - in the blasts yesterday, taking the total .
Israel army to probe shooting of fleeing Palestinian teen detainee
Israel's military said Monday it would investigate the shooting by troops in the occupied West Bank of a fleeing 16-year-old Palestinian detainee who said he was cuffed and blindfolded at the time. An army statement confirmed the teenager was shot and wounded on Thursday while attempting to escape but did not address the other allegations. It said that he was seized by troops near the Palestinian village of Tuqoa near Bethlehem as part of a group involved in a "violent disturbance ... which included massive stone throwing" at Israeli troops. It added that he twice tried to flee but on the second attempt troops fired "at his lower body" then administered first aid. "The incident is to be investigated," it said. The wounded youth, Osama Ali al-Badan, alleged that he was shot twice, beginning while he was still sitting in the soldiers' custody. Israel's military said it could not provide further details for now beyond its statement. "They shot me the first time while I was trying to ...
Little-known National Thowheed Jamath behind Lanka massacre?
The Sri Lankan government on Monday accused a previously little-known outfit called the National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) of having carried out the Easter Sunday attacks, the worst in the country's history. However, neither the NTJ, nor any other group, has admitted carrying out the wave of bombings which tore through the island nation, killing 290 people and injuring nearly 500 others. Until Monday, when the Sri Lankan government spokesman mentioned their name, very few people had heard of the NTJ. Rajitha Senaratne, also the health minister, said that all suicide bombers involved in the blasts are believed to be Sri Lankan nationals. A total of seven suicide bombers carried out a series of eight devastating blasts that tore through three churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, the Government Analyst's Department said on Monday. The group is believed to have splintered off from another hardline Islamist group in the country, the Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath (SLTJ), the ...
HC directs Centre to accord financial sanction for transponders for TN fishermen
The Madras High Court Tuesday directed the Centre to accord financial sanction for installation of transponders in fishing boats that would help track their movement and prevent fishermen from crossing into Sri Lankan waters. A bench of Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad, in an interim order on a PIL by NGO "Fishermen Care", said the transponders should be installed in about 5,000 vessels of fishermen from Tamil Nadu in a phased manner within two months. During the earlier hearing, the court was informed by officials that fixing the transponders in fishing boats would help the fishermen know their location in realtime and not cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Impleading the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department as respondents in the petition, the court directed the secretary of the ministry to accord financial sanction, release funds for development of necessary software and procurement and installation of transponders. The ..
S Africa condoles Lanka killings, pledges to intensify fight against global terrorism
Expressing condolences over the killing of 290 people in Sri Lanka's worst terror attacks, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday pledged to intensify the fight against global terrorism. Seven suicide bombers believed to be members of an Islamist extremist group on Easter Sunday carried out a string of blasts that rocked churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, killing 290 people in the country's worst terror attack. In a statement, Ramaphosa said the people of South Africa were joined with the people of Sri Lanka during this difficult time. "The President condemns the attacks in the strongest terms and emphasises that in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka, South Africa will continue to use its non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council to prioritise the fight against terrorism and extremist groups across the world," the statement said. Meanwhile, the Tamil Federation of Gauteng (TFG) also expressed its condolences over the devastating blasts. "We ...
Armed men loot Rs 65 lakh from cash van in Rajasthan
Five unidentified men allegedly looted Rs 65 lakh from a cash van en route to deposit the money in an ATM in Rajasthan's Nagaur district on Monday, police said. The armed men intercepted the van on Biriyad-Borawad road and looted the cash, Makrana police station in-charge Jitendra Singh said. The search is on for the accused whose description was given to the police by employees of the cash dispenser company, Singh added.
Trump calls Sri Lankan PM to express condolences
US President Donald Trump Monday telephoned Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and pledged support in bringing to justice the perpetrators of the country's worst terror attacks that killed 290 people. Expressing his condolences over a series of devastating blasts at churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday which also wounded 500 people, Trump and Wickremesinghe discussed the ways to combat the issue of global terrorism. Seven suicide bombers believed to be members of an Islamist extremist group carried out a string of blasts that rocked churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, killing 290 people in the country's worst terror attack. Trump called Wickremesinghe "this morning" to express condolences to the people of Sri Lanka for the Easter day terrorist attacks that killed nearly 300 and wounded hundreds of others, White House said Monday. "The near simultaneous attacks on Sri Lankan churches and hotels constitute one of the deadliest terrorist events since .