Page 247 - War Conflict
Taliban demand new constitution for Afghanistan at rare talks
The Taliban demanded a new constitution for Afghanistan and promised an "inclusive Islamic system" to govern the war-torn country at a rare gathering with senior Afghan politicians in Russia Tuesday that excluded the Kabul government. The insurgents' manifesto, outlined in Moscow before some of Afghanistan's most influential leaders, comes a week after the Taliban held unprecedented six-day talks with US negotiators in Doha about ending the 17-year war. The Doha and Moscow discussions, though entirely separate, both excluded the government in Kabul, where President Ashraf Ghani is seen as increasingly sidelined from key negotiations for peace in his country. The Moscow meeting -- the Taliban's most significant with Afghan politicians in recent memory -- saw the insurgents praying together with sworn enemies including former president Hamid Karzai as they discussed their vision for the future. "The Kabul government constitution is invalid. It has been imported from the West and is an ..
Amarinder takes step to 'strengthen' state's ability to tackle terror threats
The Punjab government has decided to merge the 1st Commando Battalion with its Special Operations Group, saying it will strengthen the state's ability to tackle terror threats. The merger would place an additional fund of Rs 16.54 crore at the disposal of the SOG for modernisation and upgrading its weapons, besides giving incentives to the specialised anti-terror force, said an official statement. The chief minister also gave an in-principle approval to provide risk allowance to anti-terror commandos to the tune of 40 per cent of their basic pay in line with the incentive given to the specialised forces in other states. The financial incentive to the commandos would put a burden of Rs 5.15 crore on the state exchequer, it said. Singh took the in-principle decisions at a high-level meeting to review the overall police preparedness to deal with terror contingencies, it added. The formal proposal on these decisions would be placed before the state Cabinet for its approval, it ...
C Africa government inks peace deal with militias
The government of the Central African Republic and 14 armed groups on Tuesday inked a new peace accord seeking to end years-long fighting that has left thousands of people dead. The accord was initialled by President Faustin Archange Touadera for the CAR government and representatives of militias which control most of the chronically-troubled country. It will be formally signed in the CAR capital of Bangui "in the coming days," Touadera's office said, without announcing a date. "The Khartoum Agreement opens the door for peace to return to our homeland," Touadera declared at the ceremony. "It is now time to open a new page for Central Africa. Let's go together to Bangui to build our country together." The agreement, brokered by the African Union after 18 months of exploratory work and sponsored by the UN, is the eighth attempt in almost six years to forge peace in a country that is a byword for turmoil and poverty. Thousands of people have been killed and a quarter of the population of
Afghan official: Taliban hit army base, kill 26 troops
The Taliban launched a pre-dawn attack on an army base in northern Afghanistan on Tuesday, killing 26 members of the security forces, a provincial official said, the latest brazen assault by insurgents amid stepped-up efforts to resolve the country's protracted war. The raid on the base in northern Kunduz province came as representatives of the Taliban were to hold meetings in Moscow with prominent Afghan figures, including former President Hamid Karzai, opposition leaders and tribal elders but not Kabul government officials. The insurgents have refused to negotiate with Ghani's government, calling it a US puppet. The Taliban have been staging near-daily attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the embattled Afghan army and security forces. Both sides in the conflict say they want to strike hard militarily to bolster their position at the negotiating table. In the Kunduz attack, the Taliban stormed the base, located on the outskirts of the provincial capital, Kunduz city, around 2 ...
India revises travel advisory, says Indians can travel to Iraq barring 5 provinces
India has issued a revised travel advisory for Iraq, stating that due to the improvement in the security situation, Indians may now consider travelling to the country except to five provinces which are still affected by terrorism and violence. "With improvement in security situation in Iraq, Indian nationals may now consider travelling to the country except to the five Provinces of Iraq, namely Nineveh (capital Mosul); Salahuddin (capital Tikrit); Diyala (capital Baquba); Anbar (capital Ramadi) and Kirkuk," the advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Indian nationals are advised not to travel to the five provinces in Iraq as these remain affected by terrorism and violence, it said. Indians wishing to travel for employment to the safe areas other than those listed as unsafe areas, must register on e-migrate portal of the government and inform the Indian Embassy in Baghdad or the Consulate General of India in Erbil prior to travelling to Iraq, the advisory said.
Punjab to strengthen Special Operations Group
To strengthen the state's operational preparedness to counter non-traditional terror threats, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday gave in-principle approval to merge the 1st Commando Battalion into the Special Operations Group.
Surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy for militants in J-K under review: Kumar
The surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy for militants is under review and the Centre will be consulted before putting it in public domain, K Vijay Kumar, advisor to Jammu and Kashmir governor, said Tuesday. He said the government is revisiting and reviewing the policy on the advice of Governor Satya Pal Malik. "The surrender policy has already been there in various formats and the governor has advised us to have a look at the policy and put up a draft," Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. Responding to a question about the surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy for militants, he said once the draft is completed the governor would have a look at it and consult the Centre before putting it in public domain. "I do not want to comment whether it is a rehash or a new policy It will be looked at with all seriousness and already director general of police, home secretary, chief secretary and myself are looking at it and we will be placing it before the governor," Kumar ...
Incidents of terrorist violence sees rise in J&K in 2018
Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the maximum number of terror violence incidents in 2018 as compared to the four years before that, whereas such incidents in the country's north east and Naxal-hit areas saw a marginal drop in the same comparative period, the government told the Parliament Tuesday. Minister of State for Home Hansraj G Ahir furnished a statement in the Lok Sabha on a question related to details of terrorist, insurgent and extremist incidents that took place in the country between 2014 and 2018. The reply said a total of 614 terrorist incidents took place last year in Jammu and Kashmir that led to the killing of a maximum of 91 security forces personnel and 257 terrorists over a five-year period. In these incidents in 2018, 38 civilians were also killed, Ahir said. The comparative figures for 2017 were 342 terror incidents that led to the killing of 40 civilians, 80 security personnel and 213 terrorists. The north eastern theatre witnessed a decline in violent incidents over .
Burkina Faso forces kill 146 jihadists after village attack
Burkina Faso's armed forces have killed 146 jihadists in three counterterror operations in the northwest near the border with Mali, the army's commander general said. The army's response came after armed men attacked Kain village in Yatenga province early Monday, killing 14 people, Gen. Moise Minoungou said on national television Monday night. The army response, including air support, included fighting in Bahn in the north region and Bomboro in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. The statement said there were light injuries and no deaths among security forces. Islamic extremists in recent months have increased attacks in Burkina Faso's volatile Sahel region. A Canadian man was recently kidnapped and killed, and another Canadian and Italian are missing. Gunmen in the past week killed at least 14 people in attacks on a marketplace and military base in the Sahel region. The base in Nassoumbou, in Soum province in the northeast, also was attacked in December 2016, with 12 military personnel ...
C.Africa govt inks peace deal with 14 armed groups
The government of the Central African Republic and 14 armed groups inked a new peace accord on Tuesday to end years of fighting that has left thousands of people dead. The accord, the eighth since 2012, was initialled by President Faustin Archange Touadera for the CAR government, an AFP correspondent reported. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who hosted the talks in Khartoum, sponsored by the African Union and the United Nations, that culminated in the deal, was also present at the ceremony. The text of the Khartoum Agreement has not been released and there was no word on what compromises had been reached on past stumbling blocks such as rebel demands for an amnesty. After initialling the agreement, the representatives of the 14 armed groups shook hands with Touadera and Bashir. The initialling is to be followed by a formal signing in the CAR capital Bangui at a date yet to be set. The latest round of talks which opened in Khartoum on January 24, had been repeatedly suspended ...
Training, not hardware is key to military preparedness, Chinese military veteran cautions PLA
China's air force and navy may be undergoing massive expansion with most modern aircraft and ships, but a Chinese military veteran has warned that lack of rigorous training of the PLA troops with new weapons could prove costly in real battle conditions. Training, not hardware is key to military preparations and size is not everything in modern warfare, Chinese naval officer (retd.) Wang Yunfei said in a rare public appraisal of the levels of training of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) navy and air force which, he termed, inadequate compared to Japanese troops. Comparing the skill training put in by Japanese pilots flying new generation aircraft, Wang said he saw them training even murky and overcast conditions. "In China, (our military planes) would not have taken off (for training) if the cloud was lower than 400 metres above ground," he told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Tuesday. "Such conditions are dangerous (for military aircraft to take off) but they (Japanese ..
Taliban kill 41 Afghan security men in attacks
As many as 41 Afghan security force personnel were killed and 15 others injured in attacks by Taliban militants at security check-posts in the country's Kunduz and Baghlan provinces, officials said on Tuesday.
We are not a 'political tool': Afghan women on Taliban talks
Women who lived under the harsh rule of the Taliban urged senior Afghan politicians to ensure their hard-won freedoms are not bargained away when they talk peace with the insurgents on Tuesday. The Afghan Women's Network said their rights should not be used as a "political tool" in dealings with the Taliban, who barred women from schools and jobs and drastically curtailed their personal liberties when they ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Their appeal comes as the Taliban meets with a high-ranking Afghan delegation in Moscow, and a week after the insurgents held unprecedented talks with United States negotiators. The Taliban said the Moscow meeting -- their most significant with Afghan politicians in recent memory -- would discuss the withdrawal of foreign troops, peace terms and its vision for governance. The two-day gathering is separate from the US-Taliban negotiations in Doha in January, that ended with both sides touting "progress" and a draft framework which could pave the ..
Yemen foes in new talks on troubled prisoner swap deal
Yemen's Saudi-backed government began a new round of UN-brokered talks with Shiite Huthi rebels in Jordan on Tuesday on a troubled prisoner swap deal that mediators say hangs in the balance. The huge prisoner exchange agreed in Stockholm in December is seen as a crucial confidence-building measure in the UN-led push to bring the warring sides to negotiations on ending four years of devastating conflict. Both sides have said repeatedly they remain committed to the agreement that could see thousands of prisoners released by each side. During two days of talks in the Jordanian capital last month, they submitted lists of the detainees they each want to see freed, but deep distrust prevented them coming up with a final list of names for the exchange. At the end of January, the rebels released a captured Saudi soldier while Riyadh set free seven Huthi prisoners but they are the only detainees exchanged under the deal so far. UN envoy Martin Griffiths said he hoped the two sides would be ...
Three terrorists killed in northwest Pakistan
Pakistani security forces gunned down three terrorists during an operation in a tribal district bordering Afghanistan in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday. The security forces conducted the operation against terrorists in Gul Kutch area of South Waziristan District merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The terrorists opened fire at the security forces in Gul Kutch area and in the retaliation firing three terrorists were gunned down. Heavy consignment of weapons was recovered from the possession of the terrorists which included SMG, hand grenades, and communication gadgets.
Afghan officials: Taliban kill 11 policemen, 10 others
Afghan officials say 21 people have been killed in the latest Taliban attacks in the country, including 11 policemen who were slain when the insurgents stormed a checkpoint in northern Baghlan province. Safder Mohsini, head of the provincial council, says the checkpoint attack late on Monday night in Baghlan's district of Baghlani Markazi also wounded five local policemen. He says the Taliban made away with all the weapons and ammunition from the security post. In northern Samangan province, the Taliban targeted a local pro-government militia, killing 10 people there, including a woman. Sediq Azizi, spokesman for the provincial governor, says four people were also wounded in that attack on Monday morning in Samangan's Dara-I Suf district. The Taliban have claimed both attacks. Insurgents carry out near-daily attacks on Afghan forces.
Searches carried out near IB in JK after info on suspected movement of armed persons
Security Forces conducted an overnight search operation near the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district following information about movement of three armed persons, a police official said Tuesday. The information about the movement of the suspected persons in the Manohar Gopala area was received around 2130 hours Monday, the official said. Immediately, a joint search operation was launched by the army and the police as terrorists, in the past, had used the route to sneak into the state from across the border, he said. The official said security forces conducted a thorough search of the entire area along with adjoining villages till 0800 hours Tuesday but nothing could be found. Earlier on January 29, a two-day search operation was conducted by the security forces in Basantar in Ramgarh sector of the district following reports of suspected movement. The searches yielded nothing and were carried out just days ahead of a scheduled rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Saudi Arabia transferred American-made weapons to militants in Yemen: CNN
Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners have transferred American-made weapons to Al Qaeda-linked fighters, Salafi militias and other factions waging war in Yemen, in violation of their agreements with the US, according to a CNN report.
14 civilians killed in jihadist attack in Burkina Faso: army
Fourteen civilians were killed in a jihadist attack in northern Burkina Faso near the Mali border, the military has said. The army conducted raids in three northern provinces in response and said it had "neutralised" 146 militants, according to a report that AFP could not immediately confirm from an independent source. The jihadist attack, which took place in the town of Kain in the Yatenta province bordering Mali, is one of the most serious recorded in the country. Army spokesman Colonel Lamoussa Fofana said in a statement: "On the night of Sunday 3 to Monday, February 4, 2019 a terrorist attack in Kain left 14 civilian victims. "In response to this attack, the national defence and security forces immediately began operations in the Kain, Banh (Loroum Province, north) and Bomboro (Kossi Province, northwest) areas. "This counterattack... resulted in a land and air operation which neutralised 146 terrorists in the three areas," the statement said on Monday. A military source confirmed .
Palestinian killed, one wounded by Israeli fire in West Bank
A Palestinian was shot dead and another wounded in a clash at a military checkpoint in the northern West Bank, Palestinian officials said, without giving further details. The Israeli army said its troops fired at "two assailants who hurled an explosive device" on Monday in the vicinity of the checkpoint, near Jenin, but it did not confirm if either were hit. It said no soldiers were hurt. The Palestinian health ministry named the dead man as Abdullah Tawalba, 19, and said in a statement that he was "hit by live bullets" and died in the Jenin hospital. It called him a "martyr" - a term used to describe those killed while carrying out attacks. Officials at the hospital had earlier said his name was Abdallah Abu Talib, aged 20, and said he was killed in the Jalameh incident. Both sources said a second man was injured moderately.