Page 186 - War Conflict
Afghan soldiers killed in 'friendly fire' gunfight, US airstrike
An apparent case of "friendly fire" between Afghan and US troops led to an airstrike which killed five Afghan soldiers, officials said Wednesday, with the defence ministry citing a "lack of proper coordination". The incident occurred Wednesday when a US and Afghan patrol came under fire near an Afghan army post on the outskirts of Tarin Kot, the capital of Uruzgan province, a NATO spokesman in Kabul told AFP. They called in airstrikes which hit the army post, killing five and seriously wounding a further 10 Afghan soldiers, said Karim Karimi, deputy head of the Uruzgan provincial council. "As the American patrol approached the base, the ANA (Afghan National Army) soldiers probably thought it was the Taliban approaching them," he told AFP. Large parts of Uruzgan province remain under the Taliban control. In recent years the militants have also made repeated incursions into the provincial capital. Seventeen soldiers had been at the post in total, with only two managing to flee unhurt, ..
US Navy flagship visits Manila after sailing in disputed sea
A key US Navy ship sailed through the South China Sea with its commander renewing an American vow to "sail, fly and operate wherever the law allows us to" despite China's objection to a US military presence in the disputed sea. Capt Eric Anduze, commander of the USS Blue Ridge, told reporters on board the US 7th Fleet's command and control ship, which anchored at Manila Bay Wednesday, that the visit was the latest affirmation of the strong U.S.-Philippines alliance. China has opposed US Navy patrols in the disputed waters. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US is committed to ensuring the South China Sea remains open and that "China does not pose a threat" of closing it off.
GOC Rising Star Corps reviews operational preparedness of troops in Jammu
General officer commanding (GOC), Rising Star Corps, Lt Gen J S Nain Wednesday visited 'Tiger Division' headquarters here to review the operational preparedness of the troops in view of the prevailing situation along the borders, a defence spokesman said. The corps commander interacted with soldiers deployed in the forward areas and was appreciative of the high state of morale of the troops on ground, he said. Lt Gen Nain was briefed by General Officer Commanding of Tiger Division on the current operational situation and the security scenario in Jammu sector, the spokesman said.
NSA Doval to review CRPF parade, address its troops on raising day next week
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will review a CRPF parade and address its troops next week when the paramilitary force marks the 80th year of its raising, officials said Wednesday. The NSA will be the chief guest at the event which will be held at the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers training academy and group centre in Gurgaon's Kadarpur on March 19, the officials confirmed to PTI. The force was raised in 1939 under the British. This will be a second time that Doval will attend as the chief guest a martial event conducted by any of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) since he was appointed as the top security officer by the Modi government in 2014. Doval had reviewed an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) parade in 2015 when the force guarding the China border marked the 54th years of its raising. The NSA, during the CRPF event, will pay floral tributes to the martyrs of the force including the 40 personnel killed in a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's .
Woman Maoist killed in encounter with security forces
A woman Maoist was killed in an encounter with security forces in a forest in Odisha's Kandhamal district on Wednesday, police said. The gun battle took place after Special Operations Group (SOG) and District Voluntary Force (DVF) personnel launched a joint operation in Sirla forest following a tip-off, Kandhamal, Superintendent of Police, Prateek Singh told reporters here. As the security personnel approached the rebel hideout, the ultras opened fire which was retaliated. A woman Maoist cadre was killed in the exchange of fire that ensued while some others fled, the SP said. Three grenades, a landmine and other materials were seized from the site. The body of the slain naxal is yet to be identified and it was sent to the Balliguda Sub-Divisional hospital for autopsy, police said. Combing operation and patrolling in the forest area was stepped up to track the fleeing ultras, police added.
Indo-Oman joint military exercise commences Wednesday
A joint military exercise between India and Royal Army of Oman commenced on Wednesday at Jabel regiment headquarters, Nizwa, in the Arab country, a defence spokesman said. A 60-member strong Indian Army contingent, based in northern command headquarters at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, is taking part in the military exercise 'Al-Nagah III', he said. "Indo-Oman Joint Exercise Al Nagah III 2019 commenced this morning with a brief but impressive opening ceremony that saw the unfurling of the national flags of both the countries which saw Omani and Indian soldiers standing side by side signifying the growing cooperation, synergy and understanding between India and Oman," the spokesman said. He said the Omani contingent was represented by Jabel Regiment of the Royal Army of Oman (RAO) while the Indian side was represented by troops of the Garhwal Rifles Regiment. Lt Col Muhammed Al Saidi, SecondinCommand, Jabel Regiment, welcomed the Indian soldiers, and in his inaugural remarks, ...
Ex-SPO shot dead by militants in J&K's Pulwama
A former Special Police Officer was shot dead by militants in broad day light on Wednesday in a village in Pulwama district of South Kashmir, officials said. The deceased has been identified as Ashiq Ahmed Nayek, they said. The militants, believed to be from Jaish-e-Mohammed, fired at Nayek while he was walking on a road in Pingleena area, where three terrorists were neutralised in an encounter on February 18. The 25-year-old Nayek had joined the Army's Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) but left midway in September last year after he could not cope with the training, the officials said. He was rushed to a local hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, they said.
Explosives seized from naxal dump in C'garh forest
A pipe bomb and some electric detonators were recovered by security forces from a Maoist dump in the forests of Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district during anti-naxal operations ahead of Lok Sabha polls, police said Wednesday. The seizure also includes firecrackers, Maoist bags, uniforms, medical kits and other naxal-related items, an official said. The recovery was made Tuesday in Naktighati forest, which falls on the tri-junction ofRajnandgaon, Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh) and Gondia (Maharashtra) under Gatapar police station limits, around 170 kms from here, the official told PTI. Based on the input provided by a surrendered naxal, a joint team ofChhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF), District Reserve Guard (DRG) and District Force unearthed two drums in the forest containing a pipe bomb, ten electric detonators and other materials, including huge quantity of firecrackers, he said. Firecrackers are used by naxals to distract security forces during encounters, the officials ...
Afghan journalist wounded in bombing;10 troops killed
An Afghan journalist who has long received death threats was seriously wounded in a bombing in the country's south, while in the western province of Farah, the Taliban stormed an army checkpoint and killed 10 soldiers, officials said Wednesday. Also in Farah, a local official was gunned down outside his home on Wednesday, a councilman said. The attacks were the latest violence in war-torn Afghanistan even as the Taliban and the US concluded another round of negotiations held in Qatar, with both sides reporting progress in the talks. Radio and TV journalist Nesar Ahmad Ahmadi was wounded when a sticky bomb attached to his car exploded as he was heading to work in Helmand province. Omar Zwak, the governor's spokesman, said the attack happened on Tuesday in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. Ahmadi had a leg wound and was transferred to Kabul for further treatment, the spokesman said. He runs the Sabahoon radio station and is also a reporter for Sabahoon TV in Helmand. No one ...
UN chief heads to Washington to plug peacekeeping budget hole
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres heads to Washington on Wednesday for talks on the UN peacekeeping budget after the United States drilled a hole in the world body's finances by capping its share. The US, which is the number one financial contributor to the UN, said in December that it would cover no more than 25 per cent of the UN's multi-billion-dollar peacekeeping budget, down from 28.47 per cent. Guterres will be meeting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton for talks that are also expected to touch on Yemen and Venezuela. On Thursday, the UN chief heads to Congress for meetings on the budget, hoping to make allies in his campaign to keep the world's peacekeeping operations afloat. The US cost-cutting has created a hole of about USD 220 million in this year's USD 6.7 billion budget, but the shortfall has been compounded by arrears that have pushed peacekeeping finances further into the red. In January, unpaid contributions to the ...
Again a Kashmiri dad shoulders his son's coffin
For a father to shoulder the coffin of his son is believed to be the heaviest and the most painful load in the World, but for Farooq Ahmad Khan, the father of slain militant Mudasir Ahmad Khan, the tragedy has been even more painful.
Muzaffarnagar riots: Eyewitness shot dead
A man, who witnessed the killing of his two brothers during the Muzaffarnagar riots, was shot dead at Khatoli here, police said Wednesday. The communal clashes in Muzaffarnagar and its adjoining areas in August and September 2013 had claimed more than 60 lives while over 40,000 people were displaced. Ashfaq, a witness in the case, was shot dead in Khatoli on Monday, Circle Officer Ashish Kumar said. Eight people are facing trial for allegedly killing Ashfaq's brothers and the next hearing was scheduled for March 25. Police are examining CCTV footage to identify the shooter, Kumar said, adding that Ashfaq was killed when he was going to deliver milk. He had witnessed the killing of his two brothers -- Nawab and Shahid -- during the riots and earlier, had also been threatened with dire consequences if he did not withdraw his case, police said. Reportedly, Ashfaq had also sought police protection following the threats.
Police: Wife and child of arrested militant die in explosion
The wife and child of an arrested Islamic militant who was plotting attacks in the Indonesian capital have died in an explosion during a siege of their home in North Sumatra, the national police chief said Wednesday. The woman is believed to have blown herself up hours after throwing a home-made bomb that injured an officer as police tried to search the house in Sibologa district on Tuesday, Dedi Prasetyo, the police chief, told The Associated Press that the . Police officers at the location said there were two explosions and smoke at the house about 1:30 a.m., Prasetyo said. "Police are now still conducting sterilization at the crime scene and finding a safe way to evacuate the bodies of the woman and her child," he said. Prasetyo said the woman's husband, known as Husein, was arrested on Tuesday after the interrogation of another suspected militant, Rinto Sugiharto, who was apprehended in Lampung on Saturday, uncovered plans for attacks in Jakarta Both men were members of Jemaah ...
Official: Threatened Afghan journalist wounded by bomb blast
An Afghan official says a journalist who has long been threatened has been wounded in a bomb blast in southern Helmand province. Omar Zwak, spokesman for the Helmand governor, says TV and radio journalist Nesar Ahmad Ahmadi was wounded by a sticky bomb that exploded as he was heading to the office in his vehicle. It happened in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, on Tuesday. Zwak said Ahmadi had a leg wound and was transferred to Kabul for further treatment. He is the director for Sabahoon radio and also a reporter for Sabahoon television broadcaster in Helmand. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban insurgents are active in southern Afghanistan especially in Helmand. The Taliban have been carrying out near-daily attacks across Afghanistan.
Militant hideout busted in J&K's Kulgam district, one arrested
One person was arrested and arms and ammunition, including grenades, were seized by security forces from a militant hideout in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, police said Wednesday. "On credible input, a joint party of police and other security forces busted a hideout in a residential house at Kulgam district's Yaripora area, and recovered arms and ammunition, including grenades and live rounds, last night," a police spokesman said here. Mohammad Ayoub Rather, a resident of Yaripora, was arrested, he said. Police have registered a case and an investigation has been initiated, the spokesman said.
J-K: Police bust terrorist hide-out in Kulgam, one held
In a joint operation, police and security forces busted a terrorist hide-out in a house here in Kulgam district and recovered a heavy cache of arms and ammunition."On a credible input, a joint party of police and security forces busted a hide-out in a residential house at Yaripora area of District Kulgam and recovered arms and ammunition including grenades and live rounds," read a statement issued by the state police.In addition to the recovery of arms, police arrested one Mohammad Ayoub Rather, a resident of Yaripora.Police have registered a case in the matter.Further investigation is underway.
Guaido vows to oust Maduro from office as thousands of Venezuelans protest
Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido vowed Tuesday to take Nicolas Maduro's place in the presidential palace "very soon," as thousands of people took to the streets of Caracas to protest. "We need an office to work in, so very soon, and when we have the armed forces totally on our side, we'll go to find my office there in Miraflores. Very soon," Guaido told supporters, who chanted back: "Yes, you can!" Demonstrators banged pots and sounded car horns at the protest in a square in the east of the capital. Many waved large banners calling on Maduro to go. "The situation is very difficult, we are hoping that this government will change. We've had enough of this chaos!" said one of the demonstrators, Miguel Gonzalez. "With courage and strength I asked you to believe in yourselves, that Venezuela would emerge from the darkness, that the end of the usurpation is very close," said Guaido, who is recognized as interim president by more than 50 countries. Venezuela's state prosecutor, ...
At least six Mali troops killed by landmines: Army
Six Malian troops were killed on Tuesday when their vehicles drove over improvised land mines in the centre of the country, the army said. Two army escort vehicles hit improvised explosive devices (IEDs) "leaving two dead in Dialloube and four dead in the Hombori area," in the central Mopti region, the army said in comments online. Security sources put the toll at seven soldiers dead.
US envoy says 'real strides' made in longest Taliban talks
US and Taliban negotiators wrapped up their latest round of marathon peace talks on Tuesday with "real strides" made but no agreement on a timetable for troop withdrawal, the US special envoy said. "Just finished a marathon round of talks with the Taliban in #Doha. The conditions for #peace have improved. It's clear all sides want to end the war. Despite ups and downs, we kept things on track and made real strides," Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted. Khalilzad said the next step would be discussions in Washington, adding that "there is no final agreement until everything is agreed". The talks focused on the withdrawal of US troops and assurances that insurgents would not use Afghanistan's territory to stage future terrorist attacks -- one of the initial aims of American policy in the wake of the 9/11 attacks back in 2001. "Progress was achieved regarding both these issues," said a Taliban spokesman. "For now, both sides will deliberate over the achieved progress, share it with their respective
US envoy says 'real strides' made in Taliban talks
US and Taliban negotiators wrapped up their latest round of marathon peace talks on Tuesday with "real strides" made but no agreement on a timetable for troop withdrawal, the US special envoy said. "Just finished a marathon round of talks with the Taliban in #Doha. The conditions for #peace have improved. It's clear all sides want to end the war. Despite ups and downs, we kept things on track and made real strides," Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted. Khalilzad said the next step would be discussions in Washington, adding that "there is no final agreement until everything is agreed." The talks focused on the withdrawal of US troops and assurances that insurgents would not use Afghanistani territory to stage future attacks. "Progress was achieved regarding both these issues," said a Taliban spokesman. "For now, both sides will deliberate over the achieved progress, share it with their respective leaderships and prepare for the upcoming meeting." It is unclear as yet when the next round of talks .