Page 30 - War Conflict
Roadside blast kills six civilians in southern Afghanistan
At least six people were killed Tuesday after a roadside bomb ripped through their vehicle in southern Afghanistan. It is the latest violence to hit the war-weary country where ordinary Afghans continue to bear the brunt of decades of conflict. The vehicle was travelling from Kandahar's Dand district to the provincial capital when the bomb detonated near the car, killing everyone inside, according to provincial police spokesman Qasim Afghan. "Four children -- two girls and two boys -- are among those killed in the blast. They are all members of one family," he told AFP. Haji Abdullah, governor of Dand district, said the bomb was placed by the Taliban on a road frequently used by foreign and Afghan forces. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Taliban were not immediately available to comment on the incident. Insurgents, however, often use roadside bombs and landmines to target Afghan security forces -- but the lethal weapons also inflict heavy casualties on ...
Terrorists killed in Shopian encounter were inspired by IS ideology: Police
Two terrorists, who were killed on Tuesday, in an encounter in state's Shopian district were inspired by IS ideology, the police said."The two terrorists have been identified as Sayar Ahmad Bhat of Yaripora Kulgam and Shakir Ahmad Wagay of Awneera Shopian. As per police records, both killed terrorists were inspired by IS ideology. They were wanted by law for their complicity in terror crimes including attack on security establishments," a release of the Jammu and Kashmir police said."According to the police records, they were part of groups involved in planning and executing terror attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities," it said.
Next Maharashtra CM to be from BJP, says Mungantiwar
Maharashtra Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar has claimed the next chief minister of the state would be from his party. He also said that the BJP and ally Shiv Sena would arrive at a seat-sharing agreement soon for the state Assembly polls due later this year. "The next chief minister will be from the BJP. There is no discontent in the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance over this. We will even cross 220 Assembly seats, in the 288-member House, this time," Mungantiwar told reporters in Nashik on Monday. He said leaders of the BJP and Sena were working on a seat-sharing pact for the state polls. "The final decision on seat-sharing will be taken soon...we will work hard to ensure the victory of our allies," Mungantiwar said. Meanwhile, downplaying Mungantiwar's comments, a Sena leader said there was no change in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' statement that both the allies would share all responsibilities and contest equal number of seats in the Assembly ...
Afghan forces free over 50 hostages from Taliban
Afghan forces have captured two detention centres of the Taliban in Baghlan and Kunduz provinces, setting free more than 50 detainees, officials said on Tuesday.
Roadside bombing in Afghanistan kills 6
At least six people of a family were killed in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on Tuesday, officials said.
Afghan forces rescue 34 people form Taliban-run prison
The Interior Ministry says Afghan special forces have rescued 34 people from a Taliban-run prison in northern Baghlan province. Tuesday's statement from the ministry says 17 civilians and 17 members of the security forces seven soldiers, seven policemen and three intelligence agents were freed during the operation, which took place on Monday. The Taliban haven't commented yet on the raid in Baghlan. Last month, the U.N. expressed concerns, saying that Afghan captives held by the Taliban have been subjected to abuse, ill-treatment and actions that may amount to torture. The UN mission made its assessment after interviewing 13 detainees from a group of 53 rescued in April by Afghan forces form a Taliban prison in southern Uruzgan province. Afghan forces, civilians and government officials were among the rescued.
Soldier killed in LoC ceasefire violation
A soldier was killed when Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a defence official said on Tuesday.
25 killed after Russian planes bomb rebel-held Idlib
At least 25 people, including women and children, lost their lives after Russian jets carried out aerial bombings in the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib on Monday.Al Jazeera reported that the military offensive carried out by Russian Sukhoi jets and the Syrian Army in the rebel-held territory also knocked down schools and medical centres in the region.The offensive that has lasted since the past few weeks despite being part of a buffer-zone deal has led to the displacement of nearly three million inhabitants of the region.Russian jets were also behind several raids carried out in Khan Sheikhoun, Kafr Battikh, and several other villages, killing at least 12 civilians last month.Authorities told Al Jazeera that the aerial campaign launched by Russia at the end of April has killed over 1,500 people since then.The Russian-backed offensive has so far failed to make major inroads into rebel territory in northern Hama and southern Idlib provinces, where the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) is .
Amid peace talks, Kabul releases more than 200 Taliban prisoners
At least 170 Taliban prisoners have been released from the Pul-e-Charkhi and another 130 jail inmates are expected to be freed on Tuesday, a move that has come when peace talks are underway to end the nearly-two decades-long civil war in Afghanistan.Tolo News reported quoting Afghan government sources that the released prisoners were imprisoned on charges of membership and cooperation with the Taliban.The announcement about the release of Taliban prisoners was made by President Ashraf Ghani on the closing day of the grand council on peace earlier in May.The Afghan grand council ended on May 3 with a call for peace with the Taliban and a promise from Ghani to free 175 Taliban prisoners ahead of the Islamic holy week of Ramadan.Again on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the Afghan president announced the release of 887 prisoners as part of his efforts to persuade the resurgent group to engage in intra-Afghan dialogue to end the conflict through diplomatic settlement.Meanwhile, critics have ..
Russia intercepts US, Swedish armed forces aircraft near its border
A Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted two reconnaissance aircraft from the US and Swedish Armed Forces over the Baltic Sea waters near the Russian border, according to an official statement on Tuesday.The incident happened on June 10, the statement added."On June 10...two air targets approaching the Russian state border were registered over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea...The crew of the Russian fighter approached the air targets at a safe distance and identified them as the US Armed Forces' RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and the Swedish Armed Forces' Gulfstream reconnaissance aircraft," Sputnik quoted the Russian Defence Ministry as saying in a statement.The Ministry further outlined that the Russian fighter tagged along with the reconnaissance jets, so as to prevent them "from violating the Russian border.""The Su-27 complied with international regulations of airspace use and followed safety procedures," the statement also highlighted.Russia has previously warned that ...
Kazakh police beat journalist amid post-vote unrest: news agency
Police in Kazakhstan beat a journalist covering protests following election results that confirmed the hand-picked successor of historic leader Nursultan Nazarbayev as president, his employer said Tuesday. Career diplomat Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who is a loyal ally of recently retired Nazarbayev, took 71 per cent of a Sunday ballot that was marred by a police crackdown and widespread voting irregularities. Shokan Alkhabayev, a journalist from private news agency Tengri News was beaten by police late on Monday whilst attempting to cover detentions following a protest, the agency said. "Police officers attempted to obstruct the journalist of Tengrinews.kz (while he was) shooting a video, then tried to take his phone from him and hit" him several times, Tengrinews said early on Tuesday. Footage shows Alkhabayev with a bruise on his face and a cut on his body after he said he was struck and kicked by officers whilst filming a police operation targeting protesters in Almaty, the country's ..
Indian peacekeepers in Congo garner appreciation for their professionalism
Indian peacekeepers serving with the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo have garnered appreciation for their high standard of professionalism and humane approach, with the deployment of the first team of Indian female peacekeepers now promising to serve as an inspiration to women of the Central African nation. India is the second largest troop contributor to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), with 2,624 peacekeepers and 274 police personnel deployed as of March 2019. "The image of Indian peacekeepers in Congo is that of a highly competent, humane force that is very very professional. The Indian peacekeepers have been supporting our Congolese friends to have sustainable peace," a high-level Indian military officer deployed with the mission told PTI in a Skype interview. The senior officer's identity has not been revealed as required by authorities in India's Defense Ministry. The officer added that as one
8 injured in clash over land dispute in Muzaffarnagar
Eight people were injured after a clash broke out between two groups over a land dispute, police said Tuesday. The incident happened at Khudda village on Monday and over 20 people have been taken into custody to control the situation, Chapar Police Station incharge HN Singh said. The trouble started when Mursalin Qureshi and Khalil Qureshi entered into an argument over the land disputed, he said, adding the verbal exchanges escalated to a violent clash during which the two groups used sharp weapon and lathis. He said the police arrived at the spot upon being informed about the clash. The eight injured people -- Mursalin, Munna, Bala, Iftakhar, Khalil, Sovan, Shakib and Farman -- were taken to a hospital, he said.
Nicaragua frees 50 opposition prisoners under amnesty law
Nicaragua has released 50 opposition prisoners under a controversial new law granting amnesty to protesters and police involved in last year's deadly uprising against President Daniel Ortega. The Interior Ministry announced the release of "50 people in compliance with the provisions of the Amnesty Law approved by the National Assembly" on Saturday. The Central American country plunged into crisis in April 2018 after widespread opposition protests broke out, and a brutal crackdown over the next four months by Ortega's troops left 325 dead, 800 in prison and thousands in exile. While the new law calls for jailed dissidents to be released "immediately," it also closes the door on investigating and punishing security forces involved in the deadly quashing of the protests. The amnesty law was rejected by a coalition of more than 70 opposition groups as well as human rights organisations because it implies that no one is responsible for the deaths. The law stipulates that those released ...
Two AGH militants killed in gunfight in J&K Shopian
Two local militants belonging to Ansar Ghazwatul Hind (AGH) outfit were killed on Tuesday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.
2 terrorists killed in Shopian
Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Awneera area of Shopian in early hours after receiving information about presence of terrorists there, a police spokesman said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after terrorists opened fire towards security forces. "Two terrorists were killed in the retaliatory firing by the security forces. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the scene of the encounter," he said. The spokesman said the identity and the group affiliation of the terrorists were being ascertained.
J-K: 2 terrorists neutralised by security forces during encounter in Shopian
Two terrorists were neutralised by security forces in an exchange of fire that broke out in Awneera area of Shopian district on Tuesday morning.Troops of CRPF 178 Battalion, SOG Jainapora, one Rashtriya Rifles carried out the cordoned off and search operation (CASO) during which the encounter occurred at 3:25 am.The Indian Army said, "During the search operation, the troops recovered bodies of two terrorists."The operation has been concluded now.
Militant killed in gunfight in J&K's Shopian
One militant was killed on Tuesday in an ongoing gunfight between the security forces and holed up militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.
UN unanimously extends Libya's arms embargo for 1 year
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday unanimously extended the ban on the flow of weapons to Libya for another one year, even as infighting between rebel commander Khalifa Haftar's forces and UN-backed government shows no signs of abating in the strife-torn North African nation.The arms embargo, which is implemented by a European Union (EU) force, will remain in effect until June 2020.In 2016, UNSC had authorised EU's Operation Sophia, which was initially aimed at tackling human trafficking, to inspect ships in the Mediterranean Sea suspected of carrying weapons that could violate the arms embargo, Anadolu News Agency reported.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is to report to the UNSC within 11 months on the embargo's implement, according to a resolution adopted.Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) has remained unsuccessful so far in capturing Libya's capital Tripoli from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) ever since fighting began in April.However, ...
12 Haqqani network commanders killed in Afghanistan
Afghan forces on Monday killed at least 12 commanders belonging to the Haqqani network terror group in an operation in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan, the country's intelligence agency said.In a statement, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) said that the operation took place in Sabari district in the province, TOLO news reported.The Haqqani commanders were involved in terror activities in Khost province. While one member was injured, three others were arrested during the operation, the NDS said.Security forces recovered a huge number of weapons and explosives, the agency added.The Haqqani Network is widely believed to have links with the Taliban and is active in Khost, Paktia and Paktika, all located in the eastern part Afghanistan.In the past several years, government forces, Taliban and other terror outfits have been involved in armed confrontations, even as peace efforts are underway to end the nearly-two decades-long civil war in Afghanistan.The Afghan National ...