Page 169 - War Conflict
Fifty killed in Mali hunter-farmer conflict
Traditional Dogon hunters killed at least 50 people in an attack on a Fulani community village in central Mali on Saturday, security, military and local officials said. "At least 50 Fulani civilians have been killed Saturday in the village of Ogossagou by traditional hunters," a security source told AFP. "They were killed with guns, machetes," he added. Cheick Harouna Sankare, mayor of neighbouring Ouenkoro, confirmed the toll. "There are for the moment about fifty dead in the village. "It is a massacre of Fulani civilians by traditional Dogon hunters". The toll was in danger of rising because they had no news of other civilians and the army was not yet on site to help them, he added. A Malian military source also reported the attack. The attack happened at Bankass, near the border with Burkina Faso, where there has been frequent inter-communal violence. Two witnesses questioned separately by AFP said traditional hunters had burned down nearly all the huts in the village. A statement .
Baloch Republican Army claims responsibility of blowing up gas pipeline in Balochistan
Armed men on Saturday blew up a portion of a gas pipeline in Pir Koh area of Dera Bugti district in Balochistan province, suspending supply from Pirkoh gas filed to several cities of Punjab province.According to Levies sources, the explosive device was fixed with the 28-inch gas pipeline connecting Pir Koh with the Sui plant. The device, detonated by remote control, exploded with a loud noise."As a result of the explosion, a portion of the pipeline had been destroyed and gas supply from Pir Koh to Sui and cities of Punjab was suspended," they said.The attack took place about few hundred meters from a base of Pakistan paramilitary forces.Baloch Republican Army spokesperson Sarbaaz Baloch claimed responsibility for blowing up the gas pipeline.
Delhi Police Special Cell nabs arms trafficker
An inter-state arms trafficker has been arrested from Karkardooma area of the national capital and 25 semi-automatic pistols were recovered from his possession, police said on Saturday.The accused is identified as 25-year-old Kehri, resident of Chauki Banger village in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district and has studied up to Class VIII."In 2018, he came into the contact of firearm traffickers of Mewat region and through them, he came in contact with the criminals of Delhi NCR and also the arms manufacturer in Madhya Pradesh," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Special Cell, Pramod Singh Kushwaha.When he got induced by easy money in illegal firearms trafficking, he got involved the practice, following which he started procuring illegal firearms from Dhulkot in Khargone district in MP and started supplying the same to the criminals of the national capital.A tip-off was received on Thursday that accused Kehri would be coming near the Cross River Mall in Karkardooma to deliver a ...
J&K Guv pays tribute to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik Saturday paid tributes to Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev on their 88th martyrdom anniversary. Saluting the revolutionaries, the Governor observed that the sacrifices made by them in India's freedom struggle will always inspire the youth to serve selflessly towards the better interest of the nation. Their sacrifice and courage will forever be remembered by generations to come, he added. The trio were hanged to death in Lahore Jail (Pakistan) on March 23, 1931. Meanwhile, various political and social organisations held separate functions to pay homage to the martyrs.
BJP diverting attention of popple from real issues: Pilot
Rajasthan Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Saturday said the BJP has coined a new definition of nationalism to divert the attention of the people from "real issues". He said the BJP had made tall promises to the people in the last election but "failed" to deliver. "The BJP is diverting public attention from basic issues of unemployment, inflation and farmers issues to cover up its failures of the last five years. They are manipulating emotions and have coined a new definition of nationalism," Pilot said. It is doing this to get votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, he said. Pilot also said the armed forces should not be dragged into politics. The BJP is hiding behind the acts of armed forces to hide their "failures", he said. Pilot said the UPA was getting bigger and it will form the next government at the Centre. "The UPA is becoming stronger. The number of allies is increasing. The BJP is losing its allies after the party lost three assembly ...
Shabaab raid kills 11 in Somalia, including deputy minister
An attack involving gunmen and bomb blasts on a complex housing government ministries in Somalia's capital killed at least 11 people on Saturday, including the deputy labour minister, officials said. Claimed by the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, the assault was a sign of the insurgency's continued ability to strike at the heart of Somalia's government, despite years of foreign military support for Mogadishu. The fighting began with two blasts at the gates of the complex housing the labour and works ministries. Police say at least four gunmen then stormed the buildings, leading to a shootout as officers rushed to confront the attackers. "The death toll reached eleven, three of them women, and the number of wounded is 15," said Abdukadir Abdirahman Adan, director of Mogadishu's Aamin ambulance service. Senator Ilyas Ali Hassan confirmed that Saqar Ibrahim Abdalla, the deputy minister for labour and social affairs, was also killed. "I cannot elaborate on how he died but I can confirm that ..
Guns, IEDs seized from Maoist hideout in Jharkhand
Weapons and explosives were seized from a Maoist hideout in Jharkhand's Palamau district on Saturday, police said.
French police out in force to prevent 'yellow vest' violence
Thousands of police fanned out across central Paris and other French cities Saturday for the 19th consecutive week of "yellow vest" protests, with officials vowing to prevent a repeat of the rioting and looting that marred last week's rally in the capital. Several hundreds of demonstrators began marching shortly after midday from a square in the south of Paris towards the Sacre-Coeur basilica at Montmartre in the north, with banners calling for President Emmanuel Macron to "Get Lost!" Authorities banned demonstrations in a large area in the west of the city, including the Champs-Elysees, the scene of last Saturday's rampage by hundreds of black-clad agitators. Dozens of police vehicles, including armoured trucks and water cannons, encircled the Arc de Triomphe at the top of the iconic avenue, with officers searching people's bags and patrolling in front of boarded-up storefronts. At the opposite end of the avenue access was completely blocked to the Place de la Concorde, near the ...
2 held for looting, stealing ATMs
Two men were arrested for allegedly looting Automated Teller Machines in the outskirts of Delhi, Gurgaon and Rohtak, police said Saturday. The accused would dislocate the entire ATMs and flee with them, officials said. The accused have been identified as Narender (30) and Deshraj (25), all residents of Rohtak district in Haryana. The accused were allegedly involved in six cases of ATM loot in Haryana and Delhi, they said. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Ram Gopal Naik, a trap was laid on March 23 based on a tip-off that Narender and Deshraj were going to meet their friend in Delhi's Nasirpur village. During interrogation, the accused confessed to their involvement in the recent ATM loot at Nasirpur village. The accused said they had committed the crime along with their friends Rohit and Ajay. Since ATMs are usually not well guarded and have a lot of cash, the accused started targeting them, the DCP said. In September and October 2018, the accused had targeted these .
Indian, Pakistani armies clash on LoC in Poonch
The Indian and Pakistani armies exchanged heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.
Arms smuggler held, 25 pistols seized
The Delhi police's special cell arrested a suspected arms smuggler here on Saturday, police said. Acting on a tip-off, the accused, Kehri, was nabbed near Karkardooma in Anand Vihar. Twenty-five countrymade semi-automatic pistols were recovered from Kehri's possession, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwaha said. During interrogation, the 25-year-old revealed that he procured illegal firearms from Dhulkot area in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district, the DCP said. Police have identified the source and receiver of the firearms. Efforts are on to identify the trail of the arms network, the officer added.
No grand IPL opening ceremony, funds donated to armed forces
The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) administering the BCCI has decided to cancel the opening ceremony of the 12th edition of the IPL and allocate the money budgeted for it to the armed forces in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack.Throwing light on the matter, CoA Chairman Vinod Rai said: "As a federation, we felt it was best not to hold a regular IPL opening ceremony. Instead, we decided to contribute the amount towards a cause that is so important and close to everyone's heart."The estimated cost of hosting an IPL opening ceremony, a traditional grand spectacle, is Rs 20 crore. It was unanimously decided that a sum of Rs 11 crore be contributed to the Indian Army, Rs 7 crore to the CRPF and Rs 1 crore each to the Navy and Air Force respectively.Diana Edulji, a member of CoA, said: "This comes as a welcome move and as a mark of respect to the ones who lost their lives in the terror attack. The BCCI has always been sensitive towards issues of national ...
Somalia attack kills five, including deputy minister: government, witness
Five people were killed including a deputy minister on Saturday after Al-Shabaab militants stormed government buildings in Somalia's capital, a witness and a senator told AFP. "I saw the dead bodies of four people, one of them in police uniform," said witness Abdulahi Mohamed. Senator Ilyas Ali Hassan named the deceased minister as Saqar Ibrahim Abdalla, who was killed separately. The attack began with twin bombings of the complex housing Somalia's ministries of works and labour, which were then stormed by the Shabaab. Police official Ibrahim Mohamed said the attack ended after police killed four gunmen. "There were some other casualties including members of the police," he said, without elaborating. The attack also left at least 11 people wounded, according to Abdukadir Abdirahman Adan, director of the Aamin ambulance service in the capital Mogadishu. Shortly after the assault began, Al-Shabaab issued a statement claiming credit. Attacks that combine bombings with gunmen have become .
Pak army violates ceasefire along LoC in J-K's Poonch
Pakistan army Saturday resorted to unprovoked firing on forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said. The small arms firing from across the border in Poonch sector started at around 5.30 pm, he added. The Indian Army retaliated befittingly, the spokesman said. He said there was no report of any casualty on the Indian side in the latest ceasefire violation by Pakistan. Official sources said Pakistani troops targeted Shahpur and Kerni areas, forcing people to take shelter inside their homes. The skirmishes between the two sides witnessed a spurt after India's preemptive air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Balakot on February 26 following the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. Five persons - four civilians and a soldier - were killed and several others injured as Pakistan army targeted dozens of villages in over 125 incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC in the ..
Lanka preserved its sovereignty by rejecting proposal for OHCHR country office: PM
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that Sri Lanka preserved its sovereignty by not agreeing to set up an office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the country even as main Tamil party TNA called for allowing foreign judges and prosecutors to probe the alleged war crimes. "We told that an office was not required, the High Commissioner is welcome to visit the country if she so wished. We have preserved Sri Lanka's sovereignty and the world has come to accept it," Wickremesinghe said at a public gathering on Friday. The Tamil and international rights groups had demanded that UN Human Rights High Commissioner's office be set up here in order to keep monitoring Sri Lanka's human rights accountability process in terms of the UN rights resolutions adopted since 2012. They cited Sri Lanka's snail paced action and its lack of political will to deliver justice to the victims of three-decade long civil war with the LTTE. Wickremesinghe said former president Mahinda ...
IPL opening ceremony funds donated to armed forces
In the wake of the Pulwama terror attacks and keeping in mind the sentiments of the people, the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), administering the BCCI, has decided to cancel the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and donate the money budgeted for it to the armed forces.
Twin bombing at Afghan ceremony kills 4, including official
A twin bombing at a public ceremony in southern Afghanistan on Saturday killed at least four people, including a provincial official, and wounded more than 30, officials said. Omar Zwak, spokesman for the governor of Helmand province, said the bombings targeted a celebration of Farmer's Day in a sports stadium in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. Mohammad Khan Nasrat, the economic director of Helmand, was among those killed in the attack, the government said in a statement. Zwak said 31 other people were wounded in the blasts, including provincial council members and provincial security officials, but he said none were in critical condition. The Taliban, who effectively control half the country, including large parts of Helmand province, claimed the attack. The insurgents have kept up their daily attacks on Afghan security forces and government targets even as they have held several rounds of talks with the United States in recent months aimed at ending the 17-year war. Elsewhere ..
At least 11 wounded in Somalia Al-Shabaab claimed attack
At least 11 people were wounded when gunmen set off explosions and stormed government ministries in Somalia's capital on Saturday in an attack claimed by the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, police said. "There can be others inside but we have so far collected eleven people wounded in the attack," said Abdukadir Abdirahman Adan, director of the Aamin ambulance service in the capital Mogadishu. Police say the assault began when two explosions were set off near the ministries of public works and labour. Gunmen entered the buildings following the blasts. "The security forces rescued many of the staff from the buildings and they are still engaging some gunmen who managed to enter the building after the blast," said security commander Ahmed Adan. It remained unclear if there were any deaths in the attack. The attack was claimed by the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, which is fighting an armed insurrection in Somalia against what it sees as heretic and foreign influence. Attacks that use a combination
France: Army deployed ahead of 19th weekend of Yellow Vests protests
French authorities early on Saturday deployed its military on the streets of Paris in order to assist police as the country prepares for fresh ' Yellow Vest' protests.Sputnik quoted Paris military governor, General Bruno Leray, as saying that the military can go as far as opening fire if their lives or the lives of people they defend are threatened.However, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that the soldiers would not be involved in keeping public order."Their [soldiers'] mission is to fight against terrorism and to protect vulnerable sites, this is for policemen and military police to get to the operational ground. In our country, the army is not in any way in charge of public order or law enforcement," Macron was quoted as saying.The decision to deploy the army was undertaken to curb the violence and rampages caused last week when a large group of masked protestors looted and vandalised shops and restaurants located along the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, as the ...
Australian ships in Sri Lanka for defence engagement programme
Australia and Sri Lanka have pledged to deepen maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean as an Australian Joint Task Group comprised of Navy, Army and Air Force arrived here on Sunday to take part in a defence engagement programme. HMAS Canberra, the flagship vessel of the Royal Australian Navy, and HMAS Newcastle arrived at the Colombo port on to take part in a defence engagement programme with Sri lanka under the Indo Pacific Endeavour 2019 (IPE -19). This is Australia's largest ever defence engagement with Sri Lanka. The Australian embassy officials here said over 1,000 personnel on four vessels have arrived in Colombo and the eastern port of Trincomalee. Australian and Sri Lankan defence forces will work together on disaster assistance planning, naval manoeuvres and military training activities to improve cooperation, familiarity and interoperability before the ships depart on March 30, sailing for India. Jon Philp, the acting Australian High Commissioner said, Australia ..