Page 17 - War Conflict
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 ..
Hong Kong protesters call for new demo after demands are snubbed
Hong Kong opposition groups called for another major demonstration on Thursday after the pro-Beijing government did not respond to demands of protesters who have shaken the city with massive rallies. Millions have marched this month to oppose a proposed law that would have allowed extraditions to the Chinese mainland, but the huge protest movement has morphed into a larger rebuke of Hong Kong's administration. Under-fire chief executive Carrie Lam has apologised and suspended the controversial bill, but that has failed to quell the opposition, with protesters demanding she step down and completely withdraw the legislation. A number of protest groups, including student unions, called for supporters to mobilise on Friday, asking people to gather at the city's main government complex to "hold picnics" outside the legislature starting 7:00 am on Friday (2300 GMT Thursday). They also recommended a go-slow protest on roads and public transport, and urged people to gather in other parts of ..
Budget not designed with eye on polls, says Mungantiwar
Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar Thursday trashed the opposition's charge that the state budget for 2019-20 was a populist one and presented keeping an eye on the upcoming Assembly polls. Mungantiwar said the BJP-led state government took decisions in the interest of the people throughout the last five years of its rule. "They (the opposition) feel deterred when we do justice with all sections of the society (through the budget). They keep saying that the announcements were made in view of elections," he said. "Was there any election in 2015? But we abolished LBT (local body tax) then. We exempted light motor vehicles from toll. We provided Maratha reservation," the minister said. To a question, Mungantiwar said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had agreed to relocate a refinery project in Ratnagiri when the BJP forged an alliance with the Shiv Sena for the Lok Sabha polls as that was the condition set by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party for stitching the ...
Two arrested for running interstate gun smuggling racket
Two people have been arrested for allegedly running an interstate gun smuggling racket, police said Thursday. The accused -- Pawan Singh and Chandar Singh, both residents of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh were nabbed on June 18 from from Rohini Sector-3 where they had come to deliver a huge consignment. Around 30 illegal pistols were recovered from them, police said. The seized weapons were manufactured by Pawan Singh. Police said trading illegal firearms has been a hereditary occupation for Pawan. The accused, who learnt the skill of manufacturing firearms, have been involved in the business for over 10 years. "His (Pawan) family members manufacture illegal arms at a cottage industry in a forest near his native village. "Pawan has been supplying consignments of illegal arms to criminal gangs operating out of Delhi, UP, Haryana, MP through his various courier chains," said Manishi Chandra, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell). During interrogation, Pawan disclosed the entire .
Hyderabad: BJP MLA Raja Singh alleges injury in lathicharge; police say not true
BJP MLA Raja Singh inflicted injuries on himself and threatened the police after members of BJP attempted to erect the statue of Rani Avantibai Lodhi here in the early hours of Thursday, police said today.The MLA, however, has blamed police for lathi charging him and his followers after they questioned him when he was replacing an old Rani Avantibai Lodhi statue in Jumeerat Bazar with a new one.The statue of Rani Avantibai Lodhi statue who fought in the 1857 war of independence was established at Jummerath bazar in 2009 and was replaced twice before because of some damages.In a video clip of the incident that has gone viral on the Internet, the BJP MLA is seen picking up a stone and hit himself on his head and then threatening policemen that he would kill himself if they attempted to stop him.Singh's followers, however, claimed that the Hyderabad city police had launched a lathicharge on them due to which BJP MLA got injured.AR Srinivas, DCP West Zone, Hyderabad, speaking to ANI said,
China acknowledges hosting Taliban's chief peace negotiator for talks
China on Thursday for the first time acknowledged that it recently hosted Afghan Taliban's chief peace negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar for talks as part of its stepped-up efforts to enlarge its strategic role in Afghanistan and efforts to restore peace in the war-torn country. Mullah Baradar, one of the four top commanders who formed the Taliban in 1994, was released from jail last year by the Pakistan government. He is believed to be the highest ranking Afghan Taliban prisoner freed so far. After his release from the jail, Mullah Bardar has been holding talks with US Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad. China, a close ally of Pakistan, has been trying to iron out differences between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of providing safe haven to the Afghan Taliban, Haqqani network and other militant groups, which carry out attacks in the war-torn country. The "head of Taliban political office in Doha, Bardar, visited China", Chinese .
Govt working towards modernisation of armed forces: President Ram Nath Kovind
President Ram Nath Kovind said Centre is taking all requisite steps towards modernization of armed forces and announced that the delivery of first Rafale fighter aircraft and Apache helicopters in the offing in the "near future"."My Government is rapidly taking forward the work of modernisation of the army and the armed forces. India is going to receive the delivery of first 'Rafale' fighter aircraft and 'Apache' helicopters in the near future," he said in his address to the joint sitting of Parliament.The President also stated that a special emphasis is being accorded by the Central Government to manufacture of modern armaments under 'Make in India'"The policy of indigenously manufacturing weapons such as modern rifles and cannons, tanks and combat aircraft is being carried forward successfully. Defence Corridors coming up in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will further strengthen this mission. While fulfilling our security requirements, the export of defense equipment is also being ...
Operations in J-K being conducted in professional, dedicated manner: Army
The Army on Thursday said its operations in Jammu and Kashmir are conducted in a professional and dedicated manner and the force has a code of conduct which values human dignity. "We have a very strong code of conduct which values human dignity and the values of the society. So I wish to assure you that all the operations by the Army in Jammu and Kashmir are being carried out in a professional and dedicated manner," Army's northern command chief Lt Gen Ranbir Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function at Wuzur in south Kashmir's Anantnag district. In response to a question, the Army commander said, "Wherever there are actions to be taken, those are taken at appropriate levels." Lt Gen Singh was at Army Goodwill School, Wuzur, which has been renamed after Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, who was awarded Ashok Chakra posthumously in January this year. Wani was killed in an anti-insurgency operation at Batagund in Kulgam district on November 25, 2018. Six militants were killed, ...
World stands with India on issue of terror: President Kovind
The entire global community stands with India on the issue of terrorism and designation of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist is a testimony to this fact, President Ram Nath Kovind said Thursday. In his address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, Kovind said the world community supports India's position on various issues such as climate change, economic and cyber-crime, action against corruption and black money and energy security. "Today, the whole world stands with India on the issue of terrorism. Designation of Masood Azhar, responsible for dastardly terrorist attacks on our soil, as a global terrorist by the United Nations, is a major testimony to this fact," he said in his customary address after the formation of the 17th Lok Sabha. Last month, the United Nations had designated Pakistan- based Azhar as a "global terrorist" after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist him. A UNSC designation will subject Azhar to an ...
Terrorists attacking Afghan cannot be allowed to negotiate from 'place of advantage': India tells UN
India has told the UN that militant groups enjoying "support and safe havens" to carry out terrorist activities in Afghanistan from across the borders cannot be allowed to negotiate from a "place of advantage" as the US and the Taliban are planning to meet for the next round of crucial peace talks in Qatar. Calling for a need to end the activities of Pakistan-based terrorist groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said that the "sanctuaries and safe havens" provided to terror networks have to be addressed for a genuine and sustainable peace in Afghanistan. "As the way forward is chalked out, we cannot ignore that groups enjoying support and safe havens carry out violent and terrorist activities from across borders. They cannot be allowed to negotiate from a place of advantage," he said during an open debate here on the situation in Afghanistan on Wednesday. The terrorist activities of the Taliban, .
WB's Bhatpara on boil; 1 killed, three injured in clashes
One person was shot dead and three others were seriously injured in Bhatpara area of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district as clashes broke out between two groups on Thursday, a police officer said. The deceased has been identified as Rambabu Shaw, while the details of those injured in the incident were yet to be ascertained, he said. According to reports, bombs were hurled and several rounds of bullets fired in the air by the members of the two warring groups near a newly constructed police station, which was scheduled for inauguration on Thursday. A team of police officers along with Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel has been deployed in the area, with shops, market places and business establishments seen downing shutters following the unrest. Bhatpara has witnessed a series of clashes since May 19, when bypoll was held in the Assembly constituency.
India supports Afghan-led inclusive peace process: Syed Akbaruddin
While Afghanistan gears up to have its fourth Presidential elections in September this year, India has reiterated its support for an "Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled" inclusive peace and reconciliation process in the war-torn country.India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin speaking at an open debate on the situation in Afghanistan at United Nations Security Council said on Wednesday that India stands committed to support the peace process, which promotes and protects unity, sovereignty, democracy, inclusiveness and prosperity of the country.Akbaruddin said that while the country may be perceived as a "threat of transnational terrorism," it is the people of Afghanistan who have long been its victims."While there may be perceptions of threats of transnational terrorism from Afghanistan, in reality, it is the Afghan people who have been, for long, victims of transnational terrorism," said Akbaruddin.Afghanistan is suffering from an unstable ...
Syrian refugee in US arrested for plotting church attack
A Syrian refugee in the US was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of planning an attack against a Pennsylvania church in the name of the Islamic State group, the Justice Department said. Mustafa Mousab Alowemer, 21, who arrived in the country as a refugee from Syria in August 2016, intended to target a church in the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh, assistant attorney general John Demers and Pittsburgh federal prosecutor Scott Brady said in a statement. "Court documents show Mustafa Alowemer planned to attack a church in the name of ISIS, which could have killed or injured many people," Michael McGarrity, of the FBI's counter-terrorism division, said in the statement. "The FBI takes threats to churches and other religious institutions extremely seriously and will use all our resources to stop potential terrorist attacks against them," he said. The suspect allegedly passed on documents about the construction and the use of explosives to a man he believed to be an IS group ...
New Zealand opens gun buyback after mosque killings
New Zealand opened a gun buyback scheme Thursday aimed at ridding the country of semi-automatic weapons similar to those used in the Christchurch mosque attacks that killed 51 Muslim worshippers. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern vowed in the hours after the March 15 killings that New Zealand's gun laws would be tightened and her government has expedited the change in just three months. "The buyback and amnesty has one objective -- to remove the most dangerous weapons from circulation following the loss of life at Al Noor and Linwood mosques," Police Minister Stuart Nash said. The Australian man accused of the killings, Brenton Tarrant, is alleged to have used an arsenal of five weapons, including two military style semi-automatic rifles (MSSAs), in the attacks on two Christchurch mosques. Lawmakers voted to outlaw MSSAs, which allow the rapid fire of high-calibre bullets, by a margin of 119-1 in the wake of the worst massacre in modern New Zealand history. Licenced firearms owners will ..
Regime attacks kill 28 in Syria's Idlib: monitor
Regime attacks killed 17 civilians and 11 combatants in Syria's jihadist-run northwest on Wednesday, a war monitor said, the latest violence to rattle a region housing three million people. Twelve civilians were killed in regime air strikes on a village in the Jabal al-Zawiya region of southeastern Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The bombardment destroyed shops and ripped apart bodies, according to an AFP photographer, who found human remains more than a hundred metres away from the site of the strike. Rescue workers were seen pulling bodies from under the rubble. Four other civilians were killed in air raids on nearby towns and villages in southern Idlib, while one civilian died in air strikes on the edges of Idlib's eponymous provincial capital, the Britain-based Observatory said. In the north of nearby Hama province, regime rocket fire killed 11 jihadists, a day after fierce clashes in the area left at least 55 combatants dead, including 14 regime ...