Page 23 - War Conflict
Islamic State in Afghanistan aims to attack US, general says
The Islamic State group in Afghanistan is a "very worrisome" threat to the United States, and US counterterrorism efforts have yet to shrink its extremist ambitions, a senior American general has said. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie said IS would be hard pressed, however, to carry out an attack on the U.S. homeland because it is under strong military pressure. "ISIS in Afghanistan certainly has aspirations to attack the United States," McKenzie said. "It is our clear judgment that as long as we maintain pressure on them it will be hard for them to do that." McKenzie, head of US Central Command with responsibility for managing American military operations across the greater Middle East, spoke in Germany with reporters returning home with him from an eight-day trip that took him to Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. He also spent two days aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the North Arabian Sea. He stopped at Germany's Ramstein air base to refuel .
S Asia has become a perfect breeding ground for religious extremism: SAMAF
South Asia has become a perfect breeding ground for religious extremism and it must be tackled as a global challenge because world's one-fourth population lives in this region, a senior leader of the 'Mohajir' community here has said. Half of the population in the region is under 25 years of age, South Asia Minorities Alliance Foundation chairman Nadeem Nusrat said during a panel discussion at the US Capitol organised by SAMAF. Low literacy rates, proliferation of deadly weapons, rising poverty and ethnic tensions and deprivation make the region a perfect breeding ground for extremist forces and this must be seen and tackled as a global challenge, he said. Pulitzer Prize winner journalist Pir Zubair Shah said that while the militants of banned outfits are freely roaming throughout Pakistan, the elected Pashtun parliamentarians belonging to the PTM are being incarcerated in fabricated charges by Pakistani security forces. He added that the people of the restive north-western region of .
Trump announces 1,000 extra troops for Poland
US President Donald Trump has announced he will send 1,000 more troops to Poland to counter Russia, while criticising Germany for making itself a "hostage" to Moscow by over-relying on Russian energy supplies. Details of the troop boost were thin but they fell far short of Poland's long-running hope for a permanent major US military base. About 5,000 US soldiers already deploy along with NATO forces in Poland as part of a rotating pool, rather than a fixed garrison. At a joint press conference with his visiting Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, Trump said an additional 1,000 troops would be sent. Trump said Wednesday the US troops would be moved to Poland from fellow NATO-member Germany and that Poland was building facilities to accommodate them. The number was half the amount Trump had flagged less than three hours earlier while meeting in the Oval Office with Duda, where he said "they're talking about 2,000 troops." Trump poured cold water on his Polish allies' hopes for a full-blown
EU says Hong Kong rights 'need to be respected'
The European Union said Wednesday the Hong Kong government must respect citizens rights while all sides should exercise restraint after violent protests against plans to allow extradition to mainland China. "Over the past days, the people of Hong Kong have exercised their fundamental right to assemble and express themselves freely and peacefully. These rights need to be respected," a statement issued by the EU's external affairs arm said. "Restraint should be exercised by all sides; violence and escalatory responses must be avoided," it added. Hong Kong was rocked Wednesday by the worst political unrest since its 1997 handover to China as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who tried to storm parliament and blocked roads in the financial hub. The violent protests were the latest expression of widespread public anger over the government's controversial Beijing-backed plan to allow extraditions to China. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who is ...
NIA arrests TN-Kerala ISIS module mastermind, recovers 14 mobiles, 29 SIM cards
National Investigation Agency on Wednesday recovered 14 mobiles, 29 SIM cards and other incriminating materials including 300 air-gun pellets and posters of some proscribed organisation during its searches in Coimbatore in connection with ISIS Tamil Nadu-Kerala case." During the searches, digital devices including 14 mobile phones, 29 SIM cards, 10 pen drives, 3 laptops, 6 memory cards, 4 hard disc drives, 1 Internet dongle and 13 CDs/DVDs besides one dagger, one electric baton, 300 air-gun pellets and a large number of incriminating documents and few pamphlets of Popular Front of India (PFI) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) have been seized from the houses and workplaces of accused persons," the agency said in a statement.The terror crime investigators also arrested Mohammed Azarudeen, the alleged mastermind of ISIS Tamil Nadu module who was a Facebook friend of Sri Lankan suicide bomber Zahran Hashim. "Azarudeen was the leader of the module and was maintaining a Facebook .
54 terrorists killed by Afghan govt. forces in Zabul province
At least 54 terrorists, including a key Taliban commander, were killed and 17 others sustained injuries in an operation carried out by Afghan Special Forces in the country's southern Zabul province, Provincial Governor Rahmtaullah Yarmal said on Wednesday.The operation was carried out on Tuesday in response to a Taliban attack on some security outposts in Daychopan district of the province earlier in the day, reported Xinhua news agency.Six security personnel were also killed during the gunfight.Afghanistan is suffering from an unstable political, social, and security situation due to the activities of the Taliban and Islamic State.The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) regularly conduct joint offensive operations to combat terrorism across the country.
Anantnag terror attack: 5 CRPF jawans killed, 3 others injured
Five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed and three others were injured when their patrol party was attacked by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag on Wednesday.Among those dead are ASI Ramesh Kumar (Jhajjar, Haryana), ASI Nirod Sarma (Nalbari, Assam), CT Satendra Kumar (Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh), CT Mahesh Kr Kushwaha (Gazipur, Uttar Pradesh) and CT Sandeep Yadav (Dewas, Madhya Pradesh).Terrorists carried out a stand-off firing attack at K.P Road in Anantnag at about 4:50 pm hours today."In this terror incident, 5 CRPF personnel attained martyrdom while repulsing the said terror attack. Further, in this incident, three security force personnel including SHO Anantnag Inspector Arshid Khan sustained gunshot injuries. In the retaliatory action, the terrorist was gunned down on the spot. From the materials recovered, it is found that the dead terrorist was a foreigner," read a statement from the Jammu and Kashmir Police."The injured security force ...
IS module: NIA finds political links in TN searches (Intro Roundup)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has yet again found a political connection in its investigation into the new Islamic State module in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, officials said.
Delhi BJP demands AAP govt roll-back fixed charges, surcharge
The Delhi BJP Wednesday demanded that the AAP government roll-back fixed charges, power purchase cost adjustment charges, surcharge and pension trust surcharge. Vijender Gupta, leader of opposition in the Delhi Assembly, demanded the Delhi government to compensate electricity consumers for financial loss on account of payment of these charges. "These charges were levied by discoms in connivance with the Kejriwal government. According to conservative estimates, the consumers have already been made to pay Rs 10,000 crore to discom by way of levying of these charges," Gupta said. He criticised Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Power Minister Satyender Jain and other AAP leaders for "projecting a misleading and false picture with regard to power tariff and fixed charges". He also attacked the Congress for "shedding crocodile tears" on the present loot by discoms and said that the grand old party is equally responsible for the public loot during its 15-year rule. Delhi Congress chief .
400 arrested at Moscow police abuse march: monitor
Russian authorities sought Wednesday to crush a new protest wave, arresting more than 400 people at a Moscow march, a day after police suddenly dropped trumped-up drugs charges against a respected journalist. Among those detained on Russia Day, a public holiday, were opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who faces up to 30 days in jail, teenagers and Russian and foreign journalists. As police beat up the protesters and even detained random passers-by, President Vladimir Putin congratulated the nation, saying he would do everything to promote the country's "further prosperity and development." Many Russians had hoped to harness the widespread outrage over last week's arrest of respected reporter Ivan Golunov on trumped-up drugs charges to press for genuine reform of Russia's tainted law enforcement and justice systems. But a much smaller crowd of protesters had turned up in central Moscow amid fierce divisions among liberals. Police in riot gear moved in against the unsanctioned march at .
Massacre toll in Mali revised down to 35
A massacre at a village in central Mali that according to early estimates killed 95 people left 35 dead, the authorities said Wednesday, giving a final toll. Twenty-four of the dead were children, the government said in a statement which added that six people had been detained "following routine checks". Gunmen late Sunday surrounded the village of Sobane Da, in an ethnic Dogon enclave, killing inhabitants and torching homes in a seven-hour assault, survivors said. The killings stirred fears of tit-for-tat violence in the region, an ethnic patchwork where tensions have soared since the emergence of a violent jihadist-led movement in 2015. The government had given a provisional figure of 95 dead and 19 missing. That toll was based on early information from soldiers and the district mayor who visited the village, which is also known as Sobane-Kou. But by Monday night there was some doubt and the revised figure was confirmed the following day, officials said. "This number is based on a ..
Sri Lanka lacks firm political leadership, says Cardinal, as he reconsecrates St Anthony's Church
Sri Lanka's top Catholic leader Wednesday slammed the government over the Easter Sunday suicide attacks, saying the country lacked a "firm political leadership", as he reconsecrated the St Anthony's Church which was severely damaged in the jihadi assault. The 19th century Church was badly damaged in a worst terror attack in Sri Lanka's history on April 21, which was carried out by the suicide bombers of the now banned National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) terror outfit, killing 258 people and injuring over 500 others. The roof, walls and pews of the neo-classical style Catholic church, situated in Kochchikade here, suffered extensive damage in the devastating serial blasts. The Sri Lankan Navy carried out the restoration work of the 185-year-old Church. As a result of suicide bombing, the Church had been desecrated, therefore, there was a need to reconsecrate it by spraying the holy water before re-dedicating it to the God at a special service, the Church officials said. The special service
NIA carries out searches at seven locations in TN
The National Investigation Agency has carried out searches at seven locations in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu in connection with its probe into an ISIS module headed by Mohammed Azarudeen, a Facebook friend of Sri Lankan suicide bomber Zahran Hashim, officials said. During the searches, the agency seized 14 mobile phones, 29 SIM cards, 10 pen drives, three laptops, six memory cards, four hard disc drives, an internet dongle and 13 CDs/DVDs, besides one dagger, an electric baton, 300 air-gun pellets and a large number of incriminating documents, the NIA said in a statement. A few pamphlets of Popular Front of India and Social Democratic Party of India, both under the scanner of security agencies, have also been seized from the houses and workplaces of the accused persons, it said. Based on the recoveries, the agency has started questioning the accused about the material, it added. A case was registered on May 30 this year against the module allegedly led by 32-year-old Mohammed Azarudeen ..
Five CRPF men killed in terror strike at busy Anantnag road; one terrorist eliminated
In a daring broad daylight strike, two terrorists, believed to be from Jaish-e-Mohammed group, struck in a busy road in Anantnag district of South Kashmir Wednesday killing five CRPF personnel and injuring three others, officials said. The incident took place in the afternoon when motorcycle-borne terrorists fired at a CRPF patrol party at Khanabal-Pahalgham stretch, famously known as KP Road, killing one personnel on the spot and wounding few others, they said. A joint team of the bravo company of CRPF's 116th battalion and state police were deployed for a picket duty in the area when the attack took place. The patrolling party of the CRPF fought the terrorists and lost its five personnel while the injured were evacuated to 92 Base hospital, they said. Immediately additional forces, led by Station House Officer of Saddar police station in Anantnag Arshad Ahmed, reached the encounter spot but had to face indiscriminate firing from the terrorists who also hurled grenades at them. In ...
NIA searches 7 places in Coimbatore (Roundup)
The NIA on Wednesday searched seven places in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, including the residence of a social media friend of the Sri Lankan terrorist who masterminded the April suicide bombings in the island nation.
Five CRPF men killed in terror strike at bust Anantnag road; one terrorist eliminated
In a daring broad daylight strike, two terrorists, believed to be from Jaish-e-Mohammed group, struck in a busy road in Anantnag district of South Kashmir Wednesday killing five CRPF personnel and injuring three others, officials said. The incident took place in the afternoon when motorcycle-borne terrorists fired at a CRPF patrol party at Khanabal-Pahalgham stretch, famously known as KP Road, killing one personnel on the spot and wounding few others, they said. A joint team of the bravo company of CRPF's 116th battalion and state police were deployed for a picket duty in the area when the attack took place. The patrolling party of the CRPF fought the terrorists and lost its five personnel while the injured were evacuated to 92 Base hospital, they said. Immediately additional forces, led by Station House Officer of Saddar police station in Anantnag Arshad Ahmed, reached the encounter spot but had to face indiscriminate firing from the terrorists who also hurled grenades at them. In ...
5 CRPF troopers, 1 militant killed in Anantnag attack (2nd Lead)
Five Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and one militant were killed while four others, including one civilian and three security men, were injured following a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday.
3 CRPF troopers, 1 militant killed in Anantnag attack
Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and one militant were killed and seven others, including one civilian and six security personnel, were injured following a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday.
5 CRPF personnel killed in terrorist attack in J-K; 1 terrorist gunned down
Five CRPF personnel were killed and four other security personnel suffered injuries on Wednesday when terrorists carried out an attack on a busy road in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, officials said here. A terrorist was killed by security forces personnel and an AK series assault rifle was recovered from him, they said. They said at least two terrorists on a motorcycle attacked a patrol party of the CRPF on the busy K P Road in Anantnag with automatic rifles. They also hurled grenades at the patrol team. Five CRPF personnel have been killed and three others injured have been evacuated to the 92 base hospital, they said. The Station House Officer of Anantnag Police Station, Arshad Ahmed, was also injured in the attack and has been shifted to Srinagar for treatment, they said. A joint team of the bravo company of CRPF's 116th battalion and state police were deployed for a picket duty in the area when the attack took place.
China extradition clashes plunge Hong Kong into historic violence
Hong Kong was rocked Wednesday by the worst political unrest since its handover to China as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who tried to storm parliament and blocked roads in the financial hub. The violent protests were the latest expression of widespread public anger over the government's controversial Beijing-backed plan to allow extraditions to China. Clashes broke out hours after tens of thousands of people seized key arteries in the morning rush hour and surrounded the city's parliament, forcing lawmakers to postpone a debate on the proposed law. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who is championing the law's passage, described the protests as "organised riots" and called for calm to be restored. "The rioting actions that damage peaceful society, ignoring law and discipline is unacceptable for any civilised societies," she said in a video statement. Police earlier used tear gas, rubber bullets and batons to battle crowds of black-clad ...