Page 159 - War Conflict

Afghan officials: Taliban attacks on checkpoints kill 8

The Taliban stormed checkpoints in northern and western Afghanistan, killing at least eight members of the country's security forces and in one attack, setting off an hours-long gunbattle, provincial officials said as a US envoy arrived in Kabul on Monday to push for peace talks. According to Zabihullah Amani, spokesman for the provincial governor in northern Sari Pul province, five security forces were killed in an attack there in Sozma Qala district that started late on Sunday night. The fighting lasted until Monday morning and also left two troops wounded. The insurgents captured six soldiers before fleeing the scene and their fate remains unknown, Amani said. The checkpoints were later retaken and the area was brought under control once reinforcements arrived. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Amani blamed the Taliban who are active in the province and have stepped up their attacks on Afghan security forces. Separately, the Taliban on Monday overran an .

Close aide of CPI (Maoist) commander Hidma held: Police

A key maoist cadre and close aide of top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, head of the Maoistss 'Battalion-1', has been arrested in Bhadradri-Kothagudem districtalong with two couriers, police said Monday. S Soma, 22, hailing fromChhattisgarh,who is working as a deputy section commander in the headquarter platoon of the Hidma Battalion', used to maintain and monitor all supplies ofexplosive materials, guns and items used for grenade launchers,Bhadradri-Kothagudem district Superintendent of Police Sunil Dutt said. Soma, also a gunman of Hidma since 2014, had also participated in maoists ambushes and firing on police personnel and paramilitary forces in Chhattisgarh in which several of the personnel were martyred, the official said. "He (Soma) is a big catch.. he has revealed the plans of the Battalion-1s movement, stay and the kind of weapons and ammunition they have besides their action plan. Accordingly, we will plan counter action and it will have lot of impact on them ...

BSF officer, girl killed, 14 injured in Pakistani shelling (Fourth Lead)

A BSF officer and a 6-year old girl were killed and 14 persons, including five other security personnel, were injured on Monday in Pakistani shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Taliban key commander among 10 killed in Afghanistan

Ten militants, including a key Taliban commander were killed as government forces stormed the militant group positions in Afghanistan's Baghlan province, officials said on Monday.

Four militants killed, three Army jawans, cop injured in encounter in J-K's Pulwama

Four militants belonging to a combined group of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfits, were killed, while three army jawans and a policeman injured in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district Monday, police said. Acting on a credible input about the presence of militants in Lassipora area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there this morning, a police spokesperson said. He said during the searches, the militants fired upon the search party of the forces, who retaliated. In the ensuing encounter, four militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter, the spokesperson said. He said in the initial exchange of firing, three army jawans and one policeman sustained injuries. The injured were hospitalised and are stated to be stable, he added. The spokesperson said it was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the encounter. He identified the slain ...

Girl killed, 15 injured in Pakistani shelling on LoC (Third Lead)

A 6-year old girl was killed and 15 other persons, including nine civilians and six security personnel, were injured on Monday in Pakistani shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Pakistani shelling injures 3 civilians, 2 soldiers

Three civilians and two soldiers were injured on Monday in Pakistani shelling in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Soldier among four injured in Pak shelling along LoC in J-K's Poonch

Four persons, including a soldier, were injured and three houses suffered damages Monday as Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling on forward areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, sparking panic among border residents, officials said. This is for the fourth consecutive day that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri. Three civilians - Mohammad Sharief Magray, Haniefa Bi and Shoukat Hussain - and an army man, guarding a forward post in Mankote, were injured in the intense shelling, the officials said. They said three houses were damaged in the cross-border shelling which was going on in different sectors of Shahpur, Kerni and Krishna Ghati. A defence spokesperson said Pakistan violated the ceasefire around 7.40 am by shelling mortars and firing with small arms along the LoC in Shahpur and Kerni sectors of Poonch district. "The Indian Army is retaliating," the spokesperson said. The officials said panic ...

2 IS-linked men arrested far from Philippine militant bases

Philippine police say two Muslim militants have been arrested with guns, explosives and Islamic State group-style black flags in a northern province far from the traditional lairs of Muslim militants in the volatile south. National police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said Monday the arrest last week of the two militants in Baggao town in Cagayan province in the northern tip of the main Luzon island was not an indication that IS-linked militants have been able to expand their presence far beyond their traditional southern bases. Police say the militants, Altero Bello and Greg Bello, belonged to an IS-aligned jihadist group called Syuful Khilafa Fi Luzon, which was established in 2016 but does not have a record of involvement in any violent attack in the largely Roman Catholic northern region.

Afghan official: Taliban strike checkpoints in north, kill 5

An Afghan official says the Taliban stormed two checkpoints in northern Sari Pul province, killing at least five members of the security forces and setting of an hours-long gunbattle. Zabihullah Amani, spokesman for the provincial governor, say the attack in the province's Sozma Qala district started late on Sunday night. The fighting lasted until Monday morning and also left two troops wounded. Amani says the insurgents captured six soldiers before fleeing the scene. Their fate remains unknown. The checkpoints were retaken and the area was brought under control once reinforcements arrived. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Amani blamed the Taliban who are active in the province and have stepped up their attacks against Afghan security forces.

20,000 arms surrendered, 32 seized in Assam

More than 20,000 licensed arms have been surrendered to the authorities while police have seized 32 illegal arms across Assam since the model code of conduct took effect on March 10, Director General of Police Kula Saikia said on Monday.

Civilian injured in J&K LoC firing

A civilian was injured on Monday as heavy firing exchanges took place between Indian and Pakistani troopers on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, police said.

Delhi: Wanted JeM Terrorist Faiyaz Ahmed Lone arrested

Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a wanted terrorist affiliated with Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) from Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, officials said on Monday.Identified as Faiyaz Ahmed Lone, the terrorist was evading arrest since 2005 and was carrying a bounty of Rs 2 lakh on his head, Delhi Police said.A non-bailable warrant had been issued against him.On March 21, Delhi police had arrested Sajjad Khan, an alleged associate of Pulwama terror attack mastermind Mudassir Ahmed Khan. He was arrested from the Red Fort area on Thursday night. He was later to handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

4 LeT terrorists neutralised in Pulwama Encounter

Four terrorists of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were eliminated in an encounter between terrorists and security forces here in Lassipora area in the early hours of Monday."On a credible input a cordon and search operation was launched in Lassipora area of Pulwama district by police and security forces. During the searches, terrorists fired upon the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter," the police said in a statement.Incriminating material including arms and ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter.In the ensuing encounter, four terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. However, their identities and affiliations are being ascertained.Three army jawans and one policeman also sustained injuries, they have been shifted to a nearby hospital for medical care."It was a clean operation and no collateral damage happened during the encounter," the statement read further.A case has been registered

Four militants killed, three Army jawans injured in Pulwama encounter

Four militants were killed while three Army jawans and a police personnel were injured in an encounter in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, police said. On a credible input about presence of militants in Lassipora area of south kashmir's Pulwama district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there this morning, a police spokesman said. He said during the searches, militants fired upon the search party of the forces. The fire was retaliated, leading to an encounter, the spokesman said. In the ensuing encounter, he said, four militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter. The identities and affiliations of the slain militants are being ascertained, the spokesman said. He said in the initial exchange of firing, three Army jawans and one policeman sustained injuries. The injured were hospitalised and are stated to be stable, he added. The spokesman said it was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place ...

Pakistan shells forward areas in Poonch

Pakistani troops Monday fired mortar shells on forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, sparking panic among border residents, officials said. This is for the fourth consecutive day that Pakistan has violated the ceasefire in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri. A defence spokesman said Pakistan violated the ceasefire around 7.40 am by shelling mortars and firing with small arms along the LoC in Shahpur and Kerni sectors of Poonch district. "The Indian Army is retaliating," the spokesman said. Official sources said panic gripped the residents as Pakistan heavily shelled forward areas and targeted civilian areas. Mortar shells have landed in different villages of Qasba, Kerni, Guntariyan and Shahpur, forcing the people to stay indoors and take precautionary measures to avoid any casualty, they said. Intense shelling is going on but there was no report of any casualty on the Indian side so far, the officials said, adding all schools in .

Four LeT militants killed in Jammu and Kashmir

Four Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed on Monday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

Four militants killed in encounter in J-K's Pulwama

Four militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, a defence spokesman said. "Four terrorists have been eliminated in Pulwama operation," Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said. He said weapons and war-like stores have been recovered from the site of the encounter. A police official said security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Lassipora area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir following specific information about the presence of militants there. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon the security forces. The identification and group affiliation of the slain militants is being ascertained, the official said.

Encounter breaks out between militants, security forces in J-K's Pulwama

An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Lassipora area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir following specific information about the presence of militants there, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon the search party of the forces. The official said the exchange of firing is going on and further details are awaited.

Afghans recruited to fight in Syrian war struggle back home

Too poor to even buy pens and notebooks for school, Mehdi left his home in Afghanistan soon after his 17th birthday and headed to Iran, hoping to make his way to Europe and find work. Instead, Mehdi ended up fighting in Syria's civil war, a conflict he had nothing to do with, 2,000 kilometers from home. He was one of tens of thousands of Afghans recruited, paid and trained by Iran to fight in support of Tehran's ally, Syrian President Bashar Assad. There, he found himself thrown into one of the war's bloodiest front lines, surrounded by the bodies of his comrades, under fire from Islamic militants so close he could hear their shouts of "Allahu akbar" ("God is greatest") before each mortar blast. Iran ran an extensive drive to bring Shiites from across the region and create a network of militias to help save Assad from the uprising against his rule not only Afghans but also Pakistanis, Iraqis and Lebanese. Now with the 8-year war in Syria winding down, the question is what will ...