Page 246 - War Conflict
Iran arrests 5 after gunmen kill policeman, wound officer
Gunmen killed an Iranian policeman and wounded a police officer in a shootout Wednesday during which a stray bullet hit a fuel tanker, causing it to explode, Iran's state TV reported. Authorities later said five suspects were arrested. State TV quoted Gen. Mohammad Mahdia, police chief in western Lorestan province where the shootout took place, as saying the suspects belong to two different groups. He did not elaborate but said an investigation was ongoing. The report said the shootout occurred near a gas station and that the explosion of the tanker shattered the windows of a nearby building. The killed policeman was identified as Najmeddin Bavi. State TV said the wounded police officer, Lt. Jaber Beiranvand, was in ICU at a local hospital. The report said the gunmen initially opened fire on the tanker and then on the police who were patrolling the area. The assailants later fled in a stolen car. Heavily rural Lorestan has seen occasional tribal-related clashes and many people in the .
Macedonia signs NATO accession accord
Macedonia signed accession papers with NATO on Wednesday, a key step on the way to joining the alliance after resolving a long-running name row with Greece. The Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and representatives of all current NATO members signed the protocol at alliance headquarters in Brussels. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it was a "historic day" which will lead to Macedonia becoming the 30th alliance member once the deal has been ratified by all the other capitals. "All #NATO Allies have signed the Accession Protocol ... which will bring more security & prosperity to the whole region. I look forward to the day when 30 flags will fly outside NATO HQ," Stoltenberg tweeted. The agreement last month with Greece to change the name of the former Yugoslav republic to the Republic of North Macedonia ended one of the world's longest diplomatic disputes and paved the way for Skopje to join NATO and the European Union. Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said
Two Afghan journalists killed in attack on radio station: officials
Two journalists were shot and killed when gunmen stormed their radio station in northeast Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday, underscoring the dangers faced by reporters in the war-torn country. The pair, both men in their 20s, were gunned down inside the studios of Radio Hamsada, a private broadcaster based in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack and an investigation was underway, provincial spokesman Jawad Hejri told AFP. "Two unidentified gunmen entered the radio station's office at around 6pm on Tuesday. They opened fire on two reporters who were behind their mics during a live programme. Both reporters died at the scene," he said. The attack is the second this year in Afghanistan targeting journalists, and comes as diplomatic efforts to end the 17-year war have intensified. Last month, Afghan citizen journalist Jawid Noori was snatched from his car and murdered by the Taliban in Farah province in the country's west. 2018 ...
Terrorists lob grenade at CRPF camp in Kulgam, 1 security personnel injured
Terrorists lobbed a grenade at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp here on Wednesday, injuring one security personnel.The officer sustained splinter injuries after the grenade blasted in the open ground.The injured personnel was immediately evacuated to a government hospital in Kulgam. His condition is said to be stable.Further details are awaited.
Plea in SC on crash of aircraft, choppers of Indian armed forces
A petition was filed in the Supreme Court Wednesday over the "alarming increase" in crash of aircraft and helicopters of the Indian Armed Forces, seeking direction to the Centre to take steps to ensure that such accidents do not occur in future. The public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed after a Mirage-2000 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed on February 1 at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Airport here killing both the pilots -- Squadron Leader Samir Abrol and Squadron Leader Siddhartha Negi, both from Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment. The PIL has sought setting up of a court-monitored committee comprising a retired judge of the apex court and experts from Indian defence services to conduct a thorough enquiry into the Mirage crash. The PIL, filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, said the committee should fix responsibilities of erring government officials and others for the lapses leading to such incidents and also to suggest measures to ensure ...
Ganja worth Rs one crore seized
Ganja worth Rs one crore was seized Wednesday when it was about to be smuggled to Sri Lankaat the Athiaman beach near here, police sources said. They said 196 kg of 'Kerala ganja' was seized in the area. The ganja was to be exchanged for gold. On Tuesday night, 10 kg ganja was seized near Uchipuli here. Police arrested a Sri Lankan national in connection with theseizure.
Security forces, militants clash in Pulwama
A gunfight started on Wednesday between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Top Iraqi cleric rejects Trump's statements on US troops
Iraq's most senior Shiite cleric has expressed his criticism of President Donald Trump's recent statement that US troops should stay in Iraq to keep an eye on neighboring Iran. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is the latest Iraqi official to criticize Trump's remarks made to US media in which he said US troops are needed in Iraq so that America can "watch Iran.' Al-Sistani says Iraq rejects serving as a launching pad to harm any other country. He spoke on Wednesday, during a meeting with UN Iraq envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert at the cleric's base in the city of Najaf. He says Iraq aspires to have good and balanced relations with all neighbouring countries, without interference in its internal affairs. Both Iraq's president and prime minister have hit back at Trump's statements.
Taliban sit for second day with Afghan leaders in Moscow
The Taliban entered a second day of unprecedented talks Wednesday with powerful Afghan politicians in Moscow, sidestepping the Kabul government as it pursues a leading stake in the war-torn country. The rare public appearance that kicked off a day before saw Taliban officials spell out their vision for Afghanistan in front of rolling cameras and a host of political heavyweights, including former president Hamid Karzai. The insurgents went around President Ashraf Ghani and sat down with his chief rivals for an extraordinary meeting that saw Karzai and other sworn enemies of the Taliban praying with the militants. No government official was invited, despite Ghani's offers to talk peace, underscoring the Taliban's hostility toward the increasingly marginalised Kabul administration. The Moscow meet comes a week after the Taliban held separate talks toward ending 17 years of fighting with American negotiators in Doha, where Ghani was again not invited to the table. President Donald Trump ..
Taliban not seeking to seize whole of Afghanistan: Official
The Taliban do not want to seize the entire Afghanistan by "military" power as it will not bring peace to the war-torn country, the militant group's key official who led the peace negotiations with the US has said.
Gold worth Rs 10 crore looted in Bihar
Five bags full of gold, said to be worth about Rs 10 crore, were looted by a group of armed robbers from the premises of a private finance company here on Wednesday. Senior Superintendent of Police, Manoj Kumar, said "we are investigating the matter. The employees of the company whose statements are being recorded, have claimed that all the robbers were armed with pistols and they took the manager at gun-point forcing him to hand over the keys to the safe". The SSP said "The company officials say that the value of the gold looted is nearly Rs 10 crore." . The robbers, about six in number, were all armed with pistols and they barged into the office of Muthoot Finance in Bhagwanpur locality, after one of them hit the guard Manoj Kumar Jha with the butt of his firearm. "They came posing as customers, seeking a loan in exchange of gold. As I began guiding them inside, one of them struck the back of my head after which I fell down. I noticed them, while in a semi-conscious ...
Bangladesh protests to Myanmar over new arrivals from troubled state
Bangladesh has protested to Myanmar over a new influx of refugees fleeing troubled Rakhine state after clashes between security forces and an insurgent group, an official said Wednesday. Bangladesh's foreign ministry summoned Myanmar's ambassador late Tuesday to protest over the arrivals from Rakhine, already notorious following a military clampdown on Muslim Rohingya in August 2017 which sent more than 700,000 people across the border. The new arrivals are from Rakhine Buddhist and other tribal groups, a senior foreign ministry official told AFP on condition of anonymity, without giving a figure. "The number is increasing. Some people are already waiting on the border and they may also enter. We have asked them (Myanmar) to take effective and urgent steps so that violence is stopped," the official said. A Bangladesh border guard official said the refugees had crossed in a remote hill area of Bandarban district in the southeast of the country. Bangladesh is already struggling to cope .
China to build four nuclear-powered aircraft carriers
China plans to build four nuclear-powered aircraft carrier by 2035 in order to catch up with the world's strongest US Navy, says a report.
3 soldiers being questioned over abduction, killing of soldier Aurangzeb
Three soldiers are being questioned over their possible involvement in leaking information about the movement of their colleague Aurangzeb, who was abducted and killed by militants in south Kashmir last year, army sources said Wednesday. The three soldiers are being quizzed on suspicion that they might have knowingly or unknowingly leaked information about Aurangzeb's movements, the sources said. However, they made it clear the soldiers in question have neither been detained nor arrested so far. While the police are investigating the case, the army is providing all possible cooperation so that those involved in killing of Aurangzeb are brought to justice, they said. One of the soldiers under the scanner is brother of Tauseef Wani -- who was allegedly tortured by an army officer in Shadimarg camp -- where Aurangzeb was posted, the sources said. Wani is currently undergoing treatment at SMHS hospital here. Aurangzeb, who was proceeding on leave for Eid on 14 June 2018, was abducted and .
Gunmen kill policeman, blow up fuel tanker in Iran
Iran's state TV says gunmen have killed a policeman and wounded a police officer in a shootout in which a stray bullet hit a fuel tanker, causing it to explode. It said Wednesday that the shootout erupted near a gas station in the western province of Lurestan. It says the explosion shattered the windows of a nearby building. State TV says the wounded police lieutenant is in "satisfactory" condition after being transferred to a local hospital. It says the assailants fled in a stolen car. It was unclear what sparked the shootout. Heavily rural Lurestan has seen occasional tribal-related armed clashes. Many people in the area keep private firearms. In November, authorities confiscated some 150 guns from smugglers in the province.
Trump says talks with Taliban 'constructive', hopes to reach political settlement in Afghan
Informing Congress that his administration is holding "constructive talks" with the Taliban, US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that after two decades of war in Afghanistan, the hour has come to at least try for peace. In his second annual State of the Union address, Trump said he has accelerated America's negotiations to reach a political settlement in Afghanistan. "Our troops have fought with unmatched valour -- and thanks to their bravery, we are now able to pursue a political solution to this long and bloody conflict," the US President said. "In Afghanistan, my administration is holding constructive talks with a number of Afghan groups, including the Taliban. As we make progress in these negotiations, we will be able to reduce our troop presence and focus on counter-terrorism," Trump said in his address to the joint session of Congress. Currently there are 14,000 US troops stationed in Afghanistan. "We do not know whether we will achieve an agreement -- but we do know that ..
France's yellow vest protesters join union march
France's yellow vest protest movement joined ranks with a major union, a first for both, in a day of nationwide protests over taxes and buying power that brought tens of thousands into the streets. Brief scuffles marked the mostly calm Paris demonstration on Tuesday. Police fired several rounds of tear gas, clearing troublemakers from the Place de la Concorde, which borders the US Embassy. Tear gas was also used in Lille and elsewhere. However, tension was minimal compared with the weekly protests held since mid-November by the yellow vest movement to demand fiscal and social justice in a major challenge to President Emmanuel Macron. As protesters marched, lawmakers in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, voted 387-92 to pass a bill aimed at preventing violence during protests, and helping authorities maintain order. The bill would, for instance, authorize regional prefects to prevent people seen as a serious threat to public order from protesting, or force protesters
26 killed in Nigeria gunmen attacks: Police
Nigeria's police on Tuesday confirmed that 26 people were killed and seven others abducted in two separate attacks by gunmen in the country's northwestern state of Zamfara.
Taliban hold rare talks with Afghan politicians in Moscow
The Taliban began an extraordinary meeting with high-ranking Afghan politicians -- including women -- on Tuesday in Moscow, where rivals of President Ashraf Ghani called for an interim government as they negotiated without him. The unprecedented gathering saw the Taliban outline their vision for Afghanistan -- including rules around women and the adoption of an Islamic constitution -- in televised talks before heavyweights, including former president Hamid Karzai. The Taliban lead prayers and dined with the leaders -- some sworn enemies -- before sitting down for their most significant engagement with Afghan politicians in recent memory. The roundtable -- which saw women defend their rights before the Taliban -- comes a week after the insurgents held talks with US negotiators in Doha about ending the 17-year war. Both sides touted "progress" at the conclusion of the six-day discussions in Qatar. The Doha and Moscow talks, though entirely separate, both excluded the government in ...
Indonesia National Armed Forces delegation visits Agra
A 22-member delegation of the Indonesian National Armed Forces led by Commander-in-Chief Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto visited Agra Tuesday. "As part of their four-day visit to India, the group was in Agra Tuesday to see the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world" Miss Gargi Malik Sinha, the defence PRO said. The visit provided an impetus to the diplomatic relations between the two countries, she added. Accompanied by his wife, the commander-in-chief, with other members of the delegation, visited the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Agra. Not only the commander-in-chief but other members of the group also admired the architectural marvel of these two monuments, she said.