Page 23 - War Conflict
Advisor to J-K Guv K Vijay Kumar pays floral tribute to SHO Arshad Khan
Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel have laid down their lives for peace and tranquility in the state and the attrition will only steel our resolve, Advisor to the governor K Vijay Kumar said here on Monday. He paid floral tributes to police officer Arshad Khan who was injured in a militant attack in Anantnag on June 12. He was admitted to AIIMS in New Delhi, where he succumbed to injuries on Sunday. The advisor to the governor said the officer had shown exemplary bravery by rushing to the spot of the attack to rescue CRPF men who had come under firing by the militants. "The J&K Police and all of the security forces have made enormous sacrifices. This attrition will steel our resolve. More than 1,600 SPOs (special police officers) and policemen of the J&K Police have laid their lives down fighting for peace and tranquility. So, we will be at it with all resolve," Kumar told reporters. "We are all comrades in arms. There is no difference between the CRPF, ITBP, SSB, the Army, ...
30 dead in Nigeria triple suicide bombing: emergency services
Thirty people were killed in a triple suicide bombing attributed to Boko Haram jihadists in northeast Nigeria late Sunday, emergency services reported. "The death toll from the attack has so far increased to 30. We have over 40 people injured," Usman Kachalla, head of operations at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said on Monday, raising the tally from 17 dead and 17 wounded. Three bombers detonated their explosives outside a hall in Konduga, 38 kilometres (24 miles) from the Borno state capital Maiduguri, where football fans were watching a match on TV.
Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Rani Laxmibai on death anniversary
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday paid rich tributes to Queen of Jhansi Rani Laxmibai on the occasion of her death anniversary, calling her one of the leading figures of the 1857 freedom struggle."On the occasion of her death anniversary, I pay my heartfelt tribute to Rani Laxmibai, one of the leading figures of the 1857 freedom struggle," Gandhi wrote in a Facebook post.Born on November 19, 1828, in Varanasi, Rani Laxmibai, also known as Manikarnika, was an embodiment of courage at the time of British Raj.Known for her courage and bravery, Rani Laxmibai was considered as a symbol of resistance to British rule.She got married to Raja Gangadhar Rao, the King of Jhansi in 1842.However, Rani Laxmibai's husband passed away a few years later and took over as the Queen of Jhansi, much to the annoyance of the British, who wanted to annex the princely state by applying the 'Doctrine of Lapse.'In March 1858, Jhansi came under siege by the forces of the British East India company and a .
Jihadist rocket fire kills 12 civilians in Syria: state media
Rocket fire has killed 12 civilians in a regime-held village in northwestern Syria, state news agency SANA has said blaming former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham for the attack. SANA said 15 people were also wounded late Sunday in the attack on Al-Wadihi village south of Aleppo city and said HTS, which controls parts of Aleppo's countryside as well as most of neighbouring Idlib, was responsible. It published graphic pictures purporting to show some of the victims in a hospital in the aftermath of the attack, including of bandaged men and children lying on stretchers, thick blankets covering their bodies. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the same death toll -- saying five children were among those killed - and also blamed jihadists based in rural Aleppo for the attack. But the Britain-based monitor did not specify whether HTS or other allied jihadist groups were responsible. The attack came as Syrian government forces have been locked in clashes with HTS ...
Lanka media watchdog slams attempt to arrest noted journalist for remarks on anti-muslim riots
A media watchdog in Sri Lanka has condemned the attempt by the authorities to arrest a veteran journalist for his remarks on the anti-Muslim riots following the devastating Easter Sunday bombings that claimed nearly 260 lives. Nine suicide bombers carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels on April 21, killing 258 people and injuring 500 others. Mosques and Muslim-owned shops were vandalised or set on fire and one Muslim man was slashed to death in the violence that broke out across Sri Lanka following the Easter bombings. The Free Media Movement (SLFMM) has said police were trying to prosecute Kusal Perera, a senior journalist who wrote a column in Sri Lanka's Daily Mirror newspaper over the anti-Muslim violence. It condemned the government for misusing the UN-backed International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) law to suppress media, journalists and free expression and called on all stakeholders to intervene. "Kusal ...
Hong Kong police clear streets as protesters move to park
Protesters in Hong Kong left the streets, averting possible clashes Monday after haggling for hours with police by moving to areas near the city's government headquarters. The demonstrators who stayed after a massive protest march the day before, demanding that Chief Executive Carrie Lam abandon a proposed extradition bill, were seen streaming Monday morning into a space outside Hong Kong's Legislative Council after police who had cleared it reopened the area. Their decision to move allowed police to reopen streets to traffic. The activists have rejected an apology from Lam for her handling of the legislation, which has stoked fears of expanding control from Beijing in this former British colony. "We are very angry that Carrie Lam has not responded to the demands of all the protesters, but now is the time to talk about strategy, and talk about strategy is to how about how to make the whole struggle into a long-term struggle and not a day struggle, so if Carrie Lam does not respond to .
'SL attacks hint at new type of terrorism threat in South Asia'
Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokhrel has said that the April 21 Easter Sunday suicide attacks in Sri Lanka had sent a clear and strong message that a new type of terrorism threat has arrived in South Asia.
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong walks free, calls on leader to resign
Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong called on the city's pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam to resign after he walked free from prison on Monday, as historic anti-government protests rocked the city. "She is no longer qualified to be Hong Kong's leader," Wong told reporters. "She must take the blame and resign, be held accountable and step down." Wong was sent to prison in May after he lost an attempt to quash a jail sentence over the huge democracy protests he helped lead in 2014. His release comes as Hong Kong is rocked by historic anti-government protests. They were initially sparked by mass public opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to China. But the movement has since morphed into the latest expression of public rage against both the city's leaders and Beijing. Speaking to the media outside Lai Chi Kok Correctional Institute, 22-year-old Wong called on protesters to continue their protests and civil disobedience campaign. "We demand Carrie Lam to step down, completely ...
Encounter under way between security forces, militants in Anantnag
An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, a police official said. Acting on credible inputs about the presence of militants in Achabal area of the south Kashmir district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there this morning, the official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired on the forces, who retaliated. The exchange of firing was going on when last reports came in, the official said. There were no reports of any casualties on either side so far, the official said, adding further details were awaited.
Hong Kong leader apologises as rally chokes city
About two million protesters choked Hong Kong's streets in a powerful rebuke of a reviled extradition law, organisers said Sunday, piling pressure on the city's embattled pro-Beijing leader who apologised for causing "conflict" but refused to step down. The show of force saw vast crowds marching for hours in tropical heat, calling for the resignation of chief executive Carrie Lam, who was forced to suspend the bill as public anger mounted. Throngs of largely black-clad protesters snaked their way for miles through the streets to the city's parliament -- with the organisers' estimate for the crowd size doubling an already record-breaking demonstration the previous Sunday in the city of 7.3 million. The estimate has not been independently verified but if confirmed it would be the largest demonstration in Hong Kong's history. Hong Kong's biggest protest to date was a massive rally in support of Tiananmen protesters in May 1989, before Beijing's deadly crackdown, which sources at the time
India, Myanmar forces coordinate to target NE militant camps
In a coordinated operation between the armies of India and Myanmar, several camps of militant groups operating in some north-eastern states have been destroyed inside Myanmar's territory, defence sources said here on Sunday.
Sudan's Bashir appears before prosecutor
Fallen Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir was Sunday seen in public for the first time since being ousted, as he was driven in an armed convoy to the prosecutor's office. The former strongman, who ruled his northeast African nation with an iron fist for three decades, was toppled on April 11 after weeks of protests against his reign. Dressed in a white traditional robe and turban, Bashir rode in a heavily-armed convoy from the notorious Kober prison in the Sudanese capital Khartoum to prosecutors' office to face charges of alleged corruption. Prosecutor Alaeddin Dafallah told reporters after Bashir left the office that the ousted president had been informed that he was facing charges of "possessing foreign currency, corruption and receiving gifts illegally." Meanwhile, a top general from the country's new ruling military council vowed that those who carried out a deadly crackdown on an iconic protest site that left dozens dead earlier this month would face the death penalty. "We are ...
Ganjachocolatesseized from 'paan' shops, two held
: As many as 1,480 chocolates laced with ganja have been seized here and two people arrested in this connection, prohibition and excise officials said Sunday. Based on specific information, the Excise sleuths raided 'paan' shops Saturday and found theganja chocolates in two of the shops before arresting the duo, a press release said.
Dutch armed forces personnel take part in largest ever yoga day celebrations in Amsterdam
A large number of people, including the representatives of Dutch armed forces, gathered in front of the Royal Palace on the prestigious Dam Square in Amsterdam on Sunday to participate in the largest ever yoga celebrations in the Netherlands. The event was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur, a statement issued by the Indian Embassy said. Himachal Industries Minister Bikram Singh, India's Ambassador to the Netherlands Venu Rajamony, cricketer Suresh Raina, Dutch actor, model and photographer Micky Hoogendijk, among others took part in the opening ceremony. This is the first time the Dam Square is host to a public event related to India. The Square is the historical centre of Amsterdam with the neoclassical Royal Palace, the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church), the Madame Tussauds Amsterdam and the National Monument erected in 1956 for the victims of World War II. Special permission for the event was provided by the City of Amsterdam at the ...
Hong Kong leader apologises as massive rally chokes city
Hundreds of thousands of protesters choked Hong Kong's streets for a second straight Sunday in a defiant rebuke of a reviled extradition law, piling pressure on the city's embattled pro-Beijing leader who apologised for causing "conflict" but refused to step down. The show of force saw huge crowds marching for hours in tropical heat, calling for the resignation of chief executive Carrie Lam, who was forced to suspend the bill as public anger mounted. Throngs of black-clad protesters snaked their way for miles through the streets to the city's parliament -- a repeat of a record-breaking demonstration last Sunday that organisers said more than a million people attended. As night fell the huge crowds had once more taken over multiple major thoroughfares, including outside the legislature, with the police seemingly ceding the streets to the jubilant masses. Critics fear the Beijing-backed law will entangle people in China's notoriously opaque and politicised courts and damage the city's ..
J&K policeman injured in 'fidayeen' attack succumbs
A Jammu and Kashmir Police officer, who was critically injured in a 'fidayeen' attack in Anantnag last week, succumbed at the AIIMS Delhi where he was flown to for treatment on Sunday, police said.
J-K Police officer injured in Anantnag terror attack dies at AIIMS
Jammu and Kashmir Police inspector Arshad Ahmed Khan, who suffered injures in Wednesday's terrorist attack in Anantnag, died at the premier AIIMS here on Sunday, officials said. Forty-year-old Khan was flown to Delhi earlier in the day after his condition deteriorated. Five CRPF personnel were killed in the terror attack, in which a lone Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist targeted a patrol team of the paramilitary force. Khan, the SHO of Saddar Police station in Anantnag, reached the site soon after. The moment he stepped out of his official bulletproof vehicle, along with his service rifle, a barrage of bullets were fired by the terrorist. One ricocheted from the butt of his service rifle and hit his liver and duodenum, the officials said. He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) this afternoon, but died soon after, they added.
Damaged tankers reach safe waters after Gulf attacks
Two damaged tankers arrived safely Sunday to locations off the Emirati coast after they were rocked by explosions in Gulf waters, in an incident Saudi Arabia blamed on its regional arch-rival Iran. The Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous was carrying highly flammable methanol through the Gulf of Oman on Thursday when it came under attack along with the Norwegian-operated Front Altair -- the second assault in a month in the strategic shipping lane. US President Donald Trump has said the operation had Iran "written all over it" -- rejecting Tehran's vehement denial -- and its key Gulf ally Saudi Arabia has also lashed out against Tehran. In his first public comments since the attacks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in remarks published Sunday that he would not hesitate to tackle any threats to the oil-rich kingdom. "We do not want a war in the region... But we won't hesitate to deal with any threat to our people, our sovereignty, our territorial integrity and our vital ...
Guj govt to recruit over 10,000 police personnel: Minister
The Gujarat government will recruit over 10,000 police personnel in the state, a minister said on Sunday. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has cleared a proposal to this effect, Gujarat Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said. He was speaking after reviewing the passing-out-parade of the Lokrakshak Dal jawans at the Police Training School here. "About 50,000 police personnel were recruited in the state over the last 10 years. But the Gujarat police department requires more personnel and CM Vijay Rupani has given his consent to a proposal for recruitment of over10,000 personnel," Jadeja said. According to the minister, the efficiency and functioning of the state police department has gone up in the past several years due to the induction of educated personnel. "Efforts are being made for accurate investigations and increasing rate of detection of crimes in the state, for which the police training schools are being equipped with modern weaponry and latest ...
JK Police smashes 'governance infrastructure' of militants inside jails
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has busted 'Shuara-e-Zindan' (supreme council for jail), a term used by militants for governance inside prisons, and restored the prison manual completely, officials said here. After the escape of Naveed Jhatt, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, last February, the Jammu and Kashmir prison department under the leadership of Dilbagh Singh took a series of measures to sanitise prisons, including shifting all hardcore terrorists from the Srinagar Central Jail. "A complete analysis of the prisoners was carried out and the message was loud and clear that the hold of terrorists inside the prison needs to be broken and rule of law needs to be implemented," says Singh, who recently relinquished the post of Director General of Prisons, said. However, he did not elaborate further on the measures carried out and said "we have only ensured that hardened terrorists and separatists are segregated from those who are first-timers and have a scope of improvement." However, the ...