Page 185 - War Conflict
Assam Rifles rescue woman kidnapped by NSCN(IM)
The Assam Rifles has rescued a woman kidnapped by NSCN(IM) cadres and apprehended two members of the outlawed extremist outfit, an official said here Thursday. A quick reaction team of the paramilitary force rescued the woman from a school building in New Wangparal village in Chandel district of Manipur. She was kidnapped on Tuesday. On receiving specific information that two armed NSCN(IM) cadres were holding a blindfolded woman in the school building, an Assam Rifles battalion immediately launched a search and rescue operation on Wednesday, the official said. "Taken by surprise, the armed NSCN(IM) cadres fired on the troops and fled from the site," the official said. The securitymen chased and captured them. The two cadres were handed over to the Chandel district police. "An FIR was lodged against the cadres for kidnapping, attempt to murder and under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for being in possession of restricted-calibre weapon and ammunition," the official ...
Failure to designate Azhar as global terrorist runs counter to shared interest with China: US
The US shares a mutual interest with China in achieving regional stability and peace, and a "failure" to designate JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist would run counter to this goal, a spokesperson in the American embassy said Thursday. The comments, seen as veiled criticism of Beijing, came a day after China blocked listing Azhar as global terrorist by the sanctions committee of the UN Security Council. The spokesperson said Washington will continue to work with the UN sanctions committee to ensure that the designation list is "updated and accurate". "As the United Nations sanctions committee deliberations are confidential, we don't comment on specific matters, but we will continue to work with the sanctions committee to ensure that the designation list is updated and accurate," the official said. "With respect to China, the United States and China share a mutual interest in achieving regional stability and peace, and a failure to designate Azhar would run counter to this ...
India-Africa joint field training exercise to kick off on March 18
A 10-day long Africa-India Joint Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX-19) between the Indian Army and 16 African nations will be conducted in Pune from March 18 to 27.As many as 10 personnel, each from the participating nations from the African continent and personnel of Maratha Light Infantry of Indian Army, will participate in the joint exercise which will be conducted at two locations in Pune's Foreign Training Node at Aundh Military Station and College of Military Engineering in Kirkee.The aim of the exercise is to train the participating contingents in Humanitarian Mine Assistance (HMA) and Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) under the United Nations Charter. In addition to the participating nations from the African continent, officers from Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Madagascar would attend the exercise as Observers.The joint exercise focuses on incorporating the current dynamics of the United Nations Peace Keeping operations through practical and comprehensive discussions ..
Indian medics from Korean War await memorial
It took several decades for the National War Memorial to come up near India Gate in the heart of New Delhi and now families of Indians who took part in the Korean War in the early 1950s are racing against time to build a monument in the honour of their sacrifices.
'Taliban, Pakistan govt must come clean on scope, scale of their destructive relationship'
The issue of Pakistan Army's support to the Taliban and other terror groups should be included in the Afghan peace talks and they must come clean on the scope and scale of their destructive relationship, a top Afghan leader has said. Earlier this month, a high-powered American delegation led by Special US Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad held marathon meetings in Doha, Qatar with a high-level Taliban team led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. The talks have been going on for several days to finalise a draft agreement on a potential foreign troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and to end the 17-year war in the country. The US and others have long complained that Pakistan provides a safe haven to militant networks, allowing them to carry out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. "There is a pan Afghan demand that the issue of the sanctuaries in Pakistan and the support by the Pakistan Army for the Taliban and other terrorist groups... be included in the ...
Security body urge for proper truce in Ukraine
Key security-oriented intergovernmental body, the OSCE, has urged for ensuring a reliable and stable truce in Ukraine as the March 8 ceasefire was not adhered to, media reported.
India, US reaffirm to work together, to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
India and the United States on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors.The agreement was reached during the ninth round of the India-US Strategic Security Dialogue held here. The Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, while the US delegation was led by Andrea Thompson, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security."The two sides exchanged views on a wide range of global security and non-proliferation challenges and reaffirmed their commitment to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors," according to a statement by the External Affairs Ministry.The US also reaffirmed its strong support of India's early membership in the Nuclear Suppliers ...
Russian air raids kill 13 civilians in Syria: monitor
Russian air strikes killed at least 13 civilians, including six children, Wednesday in Idlib province, in the first such raids since a September truce deal, a monitor said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said around 60 people were also wounded in the air strikes that struck several areas in the northwestern province, which is Syria's last major rebel bastion. "Over the past 24 hours Russian aircraft have carried out dozens of raids targeting several regions in Idlib province, including the city of Idlib and the town of Saraqeb," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. "These are the first Russian air strikes against the province" since an accord struck by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in September last year. The truce deal was meant to stave off a planned offensive by the regime and its Russian backers that aid groups feared could spark the eight-year-old Syrian conflict's worst humanitarian crisis to ...
India, US to work to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
India and US have reaffirmed their commitment to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors.
China once again blocks UNSC from proscribing JeM chief
This is the fourth time that China has used the technical hold to block the proposal, which is being pushed by other permanent members of the UNSC, particularly the US, Britain and France.India expressed disappointment over the development but vowed to continue to pursue "all available avenues to ensure that terrorist leaders who are involved in heinous attacks on our citizens" are brought to justice."The ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee (1267 Sanctions Committee), upon completion of the no-objection period on 13 March 2019, was not able to come to a decision on the proposal for listing Mohammed Masood Azhar Alvi under the UN Sanctions regime, on account of a member placing the proposal on hold," said a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry.The statement did not identify the "member" of the UNSC which put the proposal on hold but sources said it was China.According to sources, more than 10 countries supported as co-sponsors India's bid to designate Azhar as a
We're disappointed, says India after China blocks move to designate Masood Azhar as global terrorist
India Wednesday night expressed "disappointment" after China blocked yet another move at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar as a "global terrorist". In its reaction, the External Affairs Ministry, without naming China, said the UN's 1267 Sanctions Committee was not able to come to a decision on the proposal to list Azhar on account of a member country placing the proposal on hold. The proposal was a fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. China has been blocking the moves. The External Affairs Ministry said India will continue to pursue all available avenues to ensure that leaders of terror groups involved in heinous attacks on Indian citizens are brought to justice. "We are disappointed by this outcome. This has prevented action by the international community to designate the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a proscribed and active terrorist organisation which has claimed ...
China again blocks move against JeM chief
China on Wednesday again blocked a move by three permanent members of the UN Security Council to declare Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist.
Returning Italian jihadis 'constantly tracked'
Rome, March 13 (IANS/AKI) Police are "constantly" monitoring the 11 jihadis who are known to have returned to Italy from war zones abroad, Interior Minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini said on Wednesday.
China again blocks bid at UN to list JeM chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist
In yet another setback to India's bid to designate Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed's chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, China on Wednesday put a technical hold on a proposal in the UN Security Council to ban him following the Pulwama terror attack. The proposal to designate Azhar under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council was moved by France, the UK and the US on February 27, days after a suicide bomber of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) killed 44 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, leading to a flare-up in tensions between India and Pakistan. The Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee members had 10 working days to raise any objections to the proposal. The no-objection period deadline was scheduled to end at 3 PM local time (New York) Wednesday, (12:30 AM IST Thursday). The proposal was the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist. The Committee makes its decisions by consensus of its members. All ...
Baloch protesters demand UN to act against Pakistan for human rights violations
Held under the aegis of the Baloch Voice Association, the demonstrations highlighted the crimes committed by the Pakistani security agencies and blamed them for kidnapping and brutally killing Baloch political activists.Head of Baloch Voice Association, Munir Mengal said, "We intend to get the attention of the United Nations and its rapporteur about the human rights abuses in Pakistan. Unfortunately, the people in Balochistan are facing military operations, they are facing enforced disappearances, our identity is under threat, our land is occupied".He added, "So, we are requesting from this organization that they have to play a role with respect to helping those people who are facing military operation from the state bodies from a country which is a member state of UN. So this has a big responsibility to play a role to at least ask its member state to stop those military operations and its an obligation to help those people who are asking for their right to self-determination". ...
UN Security Council in talks on saving Yemen truce deal
The United Nations Security Council met behind closed doors with the world body's envoy for Yemen on Wednesday in an attempt to salvage a stalled truce deal seen as crucial to diplomatic efforts to end the war. Yemen's government and its Saudi and Emirati allies agreed in talks with Huthi rebels nearly a month ago to begin a redeployment of forces from the flashpoint city of Hodeida, but nothing has happened on the ground. UN envoy Martin Griffiths had told the council on February 19 that the initial stage of the pullback would happen in the following days, marking the first concrete step toward de-escalation. The redeployment was initially agreed in December under a ceasefire deal reached in Sweden seen as a breakthrough toward ending the devastating war that has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. UN diplomats said the Huthis were refusing to pull away from the ports of Saleef and Ras Issa as agreed due to fears that forces linked to the Saudi-led coalition will move in to take ...
Police nab three criminals after exchange of fire in Ghaziabad
Three bike-borne men, on their way to allegedly loot a businessman, were nabbed on Wednesday following a brief exchange of fire in which one of the accused and a constable suffered bullet injuries, police said here. Afsaar, Muzahid and Hashmat from Tyodi village under Bhojpur police station area were going to Hapur when a police team signalled them to stop in Patel Nagar area here, Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said. The accused sped away and the police team flashed alert on the wireless, for other patrol units in the city, he said. When they reached Nand Gram area police teams surrounded them. Finding no way to escape, one of them opened fire at a police team, which retaliated in self defence, Kumar said. Afsaar, and constable Pravesh Kumar were injured in the firing, and they have been admitted to hospital, the police officer said. During interrogation, the accused confessed they they were on their way to loot a businessman in Hapur's Pilkhuwa town, the SP said, adding ...
U.S. spl Ops Forces hold exercise with NSG in Hyderabad
The United States Special Forces Group stationed in Japan is involved in a joint exercise with India's National Security Guard here, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the armed forces of the two countries. The US forces are from the 1st Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) stationed out of Okinawa in Japan, a release from the US Consulate General said Wednesday. The Hyderabad-exercise would help build interoperability and comradeship between the two forces and was designed to enhance the capabilities of both Indian and U.S. armed forces, it said. The training focuses on mutual defense operations so both nations can more effectively employ forces and assist in the event of crises that may endanger public health and safety. The exercise will be overseen from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and U.S. Special Operations Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii, the release said. The U.S.-India security partnership is strong, and growing stronger. This Special .
Kashmir's Lt Ummer Fayaz ran cross-country race in summer while observing 'roza' at NDA: Book
Young Army officer Lt Ummer Fayaz, who was abducted and killed by terrorists nearly two years ago, in his NDA days had once ran a cross-country race with an injured leg in the searing heat of July while observing fast during Ramzan, according to a new book. After the launch of 'Undaunted: Lt Ummer Fayaz of Kashmir', author Bhaavna Arora announced that royalty earned from the book will be used for an annual scholarship named after Fayaz, which will benefit students of the high school he attended. "We all lost a soldier... Ummer was loved by his fellow cadets, and now as officers they still recall him, and the time spent with him in the NDA. They still remember the time when Ummer had run a cross-country race while observing 'roza' (fast) during the month of Ramzan," she said. Arora said not only he finished the race in the scorching summer, but he did that nursing a "stress fracture" in his leg. "In the NDA (National Defence Academy), his instructor, batchmates and seniors encouraged ..
Indonesian terror suspect's wife, children die in blast: Police
The wife and two children of a suspected Indonesian militant are believed to have died in a suicide bombing at their home following an hours-long standoff with authorities, police said Wednesday. The suspect, who is in police custody, was identified as a member of Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD), an Islamic State-linked jihadist network blamed for a series of deadly suicide bombings in Indonesia's second-biggest city last year. In May, two families carried out attacks at churches in Surabaya, killing a dozen people and children of the attackers, including two young girls whose parents brought them to the bombings. The explosion early Wednesday morning came after police had arrested the militant who was suspected of planning terror attacks. Officers then surrounded the man's home in Sibolga on Sumatra island when the confrontation began. During a nearly 12-hour standoff, the woman lobbed an explosive device at security personnel, wounding a police officer, said national police spokesman ..