Page 24 - War Conflict
Hong Kong leader calls extradition law protests an 'organised riot'
Hong Kong's leader hit out at protesters who battled police Wednesday calling the clashes "organised riots" in her first comments since violence broke out over her government's unpopular plan to allow extraditions to China. "The rioting actions that damage peaceful society, ignoring law and discipline is unacceptable for any civilised societies," chief executive Carrie Lam said in a video statement, her first comments since the clashes erupted. "Its obvious that these are not peaceful rallies, but openly organised riots," she added.
Israel upgrades its air-raid warning system
The Israeli military says it has overhauled its air-raid warning system in order to minimise disruptions to the general population. The army said on Wednesday that it is has divided the country into 1,700 alarm zones, up from the current 255 zones. Ariel Blitz, head of public preparedness at the military's home front command, says the system will more accurately pinpoint where an incoming rocket is heading. He says that in Israel's southern region near Gaza an area that is a frequent target of Palestinian rocket fire 75% fewer individuals will hear each siren. During past rounds of fighting, nonstop air-raid sirens have heavily disrupted life in the area.
Toll from Boko Haram attack in Cameroon rises to 37
An attack by Boko Haram jihadists in northern Cameroon last weekend left 37 dead, a security official in the region said Wednesday, revising the toll upward. "As of today, we have 21 military and 16 civilian fatalities," the source said. An earlier toll said at least 26 people -- 17 soldiers and nine civilians -- had died, in one of the deadliest attacks in Cameroon by the Nigerian-based group. The jihadists, armed with rocket launchers, attacked military positions on Darak, an island near Lake Chad in Cameroon's Far North region. Fierce fighting broke out with the soldiers, which included the Cameroonian army and troops from the Multinational Joint Task Force, a five-nation anti-jihadist mission. The assailants succeeded in raising their black flag before being repelled. Around 40 assailants were captured, another security source said. "More bodies have been recovered from the water," a source said. Most of the military fatalities were sailors who had been sent to the Lake Chad ...
Didi-BJP face-off: Water cannons greet saffron brigade in Kolkata (2nd Lead)
Hundreds of BJP activists on Wednesday marched towards the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar, only to be stunted midway by the police who fired water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
Clashes between BJP workers, police during protest rally
Clashes broke out Wednesday between BJP workers and the police here on Wednesday during a rally to protest against post-poll violence in West Bengal with the saffron party claiming several of its members were injured. Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy and state BJP general secretary Raju Banerjee were injured during the clashes, the state leadership said. Banerjee was admitted to a nearby hospital while Roy was taken to the party office and his condition is stated to be stable. The 18 newly-elected MPs of the BJP in the state participated in the protest rally. As the BJP activists jostled to reach the Bowbazar crossing in the city, police resorted to firing tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse them, the party claimed. In retaliation, the saffron party workers raised slogans and hurled stones and bottles at the officers, police said. The BJP leadership, however, claimed none of the party workers were involved in stone hurling and it was police which threw stones and bottles at ...
More than 200 arrested at Moscow police abuse march
More than 200 people including opposition leader Alexei Navalny were detained Wednesday as police sought to break up a peaceful Moscow rally against the alleged impunity of law enforcement agencies. Russian police in riot gear moved in against the unsanctioned march of more 1,000 people amid screams of protesters shouting "you are criminals" and "stop police terror." Moscow police said around 1,200 took part in the march and more than 200 people were arrested. AFP correspondents witnessed dozens of arrests which took place on Russia Day, a public holiday. As police dragged protesters into vans the crowd yelled: "Shame, on Russia Day, this is our country's day! Have you forgotten the constitution?" Some of the arrested wore T-shirts in support of Ivan Golunov, an investigative journalist who was last week arrested on trumped-up drugs charges. One detained activist brandished a placard saying, "I am Ivan Golunov" in the window of a police van. At least four journalists were detained ...
Sri Lanka to implement UN Security Council's measures on counter-terrorism
Sri Lanka on Wednesday said it will implement the United Nations Security Council's resolution to curb terrorism and violent extremism in the country, weeks after the country saw the worst jihadi attack. The announcement came days after the visit by the UN Assistant Secretary General (ASG) and Executive Director of the Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) Michele Coninsx, during which both sides discussed measures needed to be taken by Colombo to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and counter violent extremism, in compliance with the international counter-terrorism obligations. "Sri Lanka expressed its commitment to the 'Whole of government' approach in counter terrorism and violent extremism," the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry said in a statement. During her talks with the Sri Lankan officials, Coninsx also discussed terrorist financing and asset freezing, dealing with foreign terrorist fighters, the counter terrorism legislation, countering radicalisation and ...
Indian woman among 26 injured as Yemeni rebels attack Saudi airport
An Indian woman was among 26 civilians injured in a missile attack carried out by Yemeni rebels on an airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, a media report said. The attack came a day after Riyadh said it intercepted two drones fired by the Houthi rebels, which controls a large part of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. The attack on Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia took place in the early hours of Wednesday, the Arab News reported. The attack resulted in the injury of 26 civilians of different nationalities, the report said, adding that the wounded included one Indian woman and two Saudi children. Eighteen of those injured were admitted to hospital for treatment of minor injuries and at least six have been discharged. Airport operations and air traffic also resumed after being disrupted for few hours. Claiming full responsibility for the attack, the rebels through an announcement on a Houthi-affiliated television channel said a cruise missile was used to carry out the ...
2 CRPF personnel, 5 others killed in terrorist attack in JK
Terrorists Wednesday carried out an attack on a busy road in Anantnag district of South Kashmir killing at least two CRPF personnel and injuring five others including an inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police, officials said here. They said at least two terrorists attacked a patrol party of the CRPF on the busy KP Road in Anantnag with automatic rifles followed by hurling of grenades. Two CRPF personnel died and five others injured, they said, adding the firing is still going on. One terrorist and an unidentified person were also killed in the gunfight. Station House Officer of Anantnag Police Station, Arshad Ahmed, was injured in the attack and has been shifted to Srinagar for treatment, they said.
Afghanistan: 5 security personnel kiiled in erroneous airstrike
At least five Afghan security personnel were killed and seven others sustained injuries in an erroneous airstrike on a military base in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province on Wednesday.The airstrikes were carried out in the Imam Sahib district at around 2 am (local time) to target terrorists in the region, but they instead struck an army base situated in the Ismael Qushlaq area, said district governor Mahboubullah Sayedi.It is unclear whether the attacking planes belonged to the US-led coalition troops or the Afghan Air Force, reported Xinhua news agency.This is not the first time that an erroneous airstrike claimed lives of Afghan security personnel.A similar scenario had played out in Nahr-e-Saraj district on May 16, this year, where 17 police personnel were killed and 11 others sustained injuries in an airstrike carried out by US-led forces.Afghanistan is facing an unstable political, social, and security situation due to the activities of the Taliban and Islamic State.
4 arrested for suspected cattle smuggling in J-K
Four people were arrested for suspected cattle smuggling and 15 bovines were rescued in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Wednesday. A police team intercepted a vehicle in the Dessa area in Doda on Tuesday night and rescued the cattle. Four people, identified as Mohd Qasim, Maneer Ahmed, Mohd Sharief and Bashir Ahmed, all residents of Kastigarh in Doda district, they said. In a separate incident, five bovines were rescued from the Sakhi Maidan area in Poonch district, the police said, adding that no arrest has been made so far in this connection.
Andhra Pradesh: Police, Maoists exchange fire
An exchange of fire took place between police and Maoists at Gummarevula village in Visakhapatnam Rural area on Wednesday.The encounter broke out when the police were conducting combing operations at the area along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, police sources said.Three rifles, 15 kit bags and a landmine were recovered from the spot, they said.No police personnel was injured.
Hong Kong protests: Police fire rubber bullets, use batons to disperse agitators
Local police wearing anti-riot gear on Wednesday used a range of weapons, including rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray, and batons, on protesters who intensified demonstrations against a controversial extradition bill which would allow criminal suspects in the city to be sent to mainland China for trial.Swathes of protesters blocked roads leading to the Hong Kong's Legislative Council building, resulting in the rescheduling of a council meeting that was to be held today.Commissioner of Hong Kong Police Steven Lo Wai-chung defended the use of the emergency weapons by calling the protests a "riot," according to CNN.He claimed that the protesters attacked police lines with sharpened iron rods and bricks, leading to several officers sustaining injuries.Major protests against the bill have rocked the region since Sunday. Several offices shut early on Wednesday to aid their workers in attending the agitations.All demonstrators have demanded that the bill be shelved as concerns regarding
Didi-BJP face-off: Water canons greet saffron brigade at Lalbazar
Hundreds of BJP activists on Wednesday marched towards Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police headquarters, only to be stunted midway by the police force who fired water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
BJP's march to Kolkata Police Headquarter curtailed
Hundreds of BJP activists on Wednesday took part in the party's march to Kolkata Police Headquarters in West Bengal but were stopped midway by the police who fired water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
Some shops open but residents wary as Sudan strike ends
Shops began to reopen in Sudan's capital on Wednesday but many residents stayed indoors after demonstrators called off a nationwide civil disobedience campaign that had brought Khartoum to a standstill. The slow return to normalcy came after an Ethiopian mediator announced that the protest leaders and the ruling military council had agreed to resume talks following a deadly crackdown on a weeks-long sit-in. The negotiations collapsed last month because the two sides disagreed about whether a civilian or soldier should head a new governing body. The launch of the civil disobedience campaign on Sunday came nearly a week after a raid on the sit-in outside the army headquarters in Khartoum on June 3 left dozens dead and hundreds wounded. On Wednesday morning an AFP correspondent who toured parts of the capital saw buses waiting for passengers at their stations, while shops in some districts opened. The main gold market in central Khartoum remained shut, and many residents still preferred .
NIA searches 7 places in Coimbatore (2nd Lead)
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.
Clashes between BJP workers, police in Kolkata
Clashes broke out between BJP workers and police personnel here on Wednesday during a massive rally organised by the party in protest against post-poll violence and alleged attack on its workers and supporters. As the BJP activists jostled to reach the Bowbazar crossing in the city, police resorted to firing tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse them. In retaliation, the saffron party workers raised slogans and hurled stones and bottles at the officers. Some of the party workers were seen holding a sit-in demonstration in the area in protest.
Hong Kong police use tear gas as protesters try to storm parliament
Violent clashes broke out in Hong Kong on Wednesday as police tried to stop protesters storming the city's parliament, while tens of thousands of people blocked key arteries in a show of strength against government plans to allow extraditions to China. Police used tear gas, pepper spray and batons to disperse crowds of black-clad demonstrators -- most of them young people and students -- calling for authorities to scrap the Beijing-backed law. Clashes broke out shortly after 3:00 pm (0700 GMT) -- the deadline protesters had given for the government to abandon the controversial bill. Rows of riot police were quickly outnumbered by protesters -- many wearing face masks, helmets or goggles -- who gathered in the centre of the city ahead of a scheduled debate in the city's legislature. By late morning, with crowds swelling and major roads blocked by throngs of protesters, officials in the Legislative Council (Legco) said they would delay the second reading of the bill "to a later ...
Clashes break out as Hong Kong protesters try to reach parliament
Police used pepper spray and batons Wednesday to beat back umbrella-wielding protesters who tried to reach Hong Kong's parliament as demonstrations against a controversial extradition bill turned violent. Clashes broke out shortly after 3:00 pm (0700 GMT) -- the deadline protesters had given for the government to abandon a controversial bill that would allow extraditions to China. Protesters using umbrellas as shields could be seen trying to get closer to riot police protecting the Legislative Council building, with projectiles thrown at officers who responded with pepper spray and baton charges.