Page 303 - War Conflict
Suicide bomber, gunmen attack government building in Kabul
A suicide bomber exploded his car outside a building housing the government's department for martyrs and disabled persons on Monday moments before gunmen stormed the building armed with automatic rifles and explosive devises, Kabul police chief spokesman Basir Mujahid said. Six people have been reported injured and a police officer has been killed in the attack, said Mujahid. Three of the gunmen were killed in a shootout with police. The attack occurred as workers were preparing to leave for the day, said Mujahid. Deputy Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said 200 employees have been evacuated and are safe, but several other employees were still trapped inside the building. Rahimi couldn't say how many gunmen remained inside the building. Police have cordoned off the area in the east of the capital Kabul as they try to gain control of the situation. Kabul police spokesman, Mujahid said heavily armed police are going floor to floor searching the building to find the remaining ..
Rs 27.8 lakh looted at gunpoint from petrol pump owner
A 59-year-old petrol pump owner was looted at gunpoint of cash worth Rs 27.8 lakh allegedly by three unidentified men in outer Delhi's Sultanpuri area on Monday, police said. The incident took place at around 12.45 pm when the victim, Anil Sharma, had gone to a bank along with his petrol pump caretaker Abid to deposit the cash collected over the weekend, a senior police officer said. According to Sharma, when he reached the bank in the afternoon and got off his car, an unidentified man approached him and he kept his hand on the victim's shoulder. When Sharma refused to identify him, two more unknown men joined them. While one of them pulled out a pistol, the other two tried to snatch the victim's bag, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer) R S Sagar said. Later, they pushed the victim and fled away from the spot, he said. A case was registered at Sulatanpuri police station and the matter was being probed, the officer said. According to the victim, three people were involved .
India-China military drill concludes
As the India-China military exercise 'Hand in Hand' concluded on Sunday, soldiers from both the sides participated in activities like integrated live firing and discussed counter-terrorism aspects of intelligence collection and raids on terrorist hideouts, the Army said. Terming the drill as "very successful" in increasing the bonhomie and camaraderie amongst the participating nations, the Army said the troops shared the best practices followed in counter-terrorism operations in urban and jungle terrain, and provided an opportunity to both the forces for a greater understanding and strengthening mutual trust and cooperation. The exercise, conducted after a gap of a year following the 73-day Doklam stand-off, was held in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province from December 10. "The exercise included lectures and discussions on various counter-terrorism aspects like cordon and search operations, raids on terrorist hideouts, intelligence collection and joint operations. Also, ...
UN ceasefire monitor head visits key Yemen port
The head of the United Nations team tasked with monitoring a fragile ceasefire in the flashpoint city of Hodeida on Monday visited its lifeline docks, a port official said. Retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert called on Saudi-backed government forces and Iran-linked Huthi rebels to respect the hard-won truce, Hodeida port deputy director Yehya Sharafeddin said. "The (UN) official promised us that the war will end," Sharafeddin told AFP by phone after Cammaert visited the docks, through which the majority of imports and humanitarian aid enter Yemen. "He said the Yemen war had been forgotten for years but that the international community is now adamant about ending it," Sharafeddin added. Cammaert is heading a joint committee including members of the government and the Huthi rebels, in charge of monitoring the truce in the vital Red Sea city and its surroundings that began on December 18. Cammaert arrived in Hodeida from the rebel-held capital Sanaa, after meeting with government ...
Top US commander in Afghanistan says no orders to pull out
The top US commander in Afghanistan has not received orders to pull forces out of the war-torn country, NATO confirmed Monday, days after President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw 7,000 troops leaked to the media. General Scott Miller's remarks on Sunday capped a tumultuous few days for Afghanistan as foreign diplomats and Afghan officials digested the possibility of the United States exiting the 17-year war it started and is now leading efforts to end. An American official told AFP late last week that Trump had decided to pull out "roughly half" of the 14,000 US forces in the country, but the White House has so far not confirmed the widely-publicised move. "I have no orders, so nothing has changed," said Miller, who is also the top NATO commander in Afghanistan, during a meeting with the governor of the eastern province of Nangarhar, according to Tolo News. The remarks were confirmed by NATO's Resolute Support mission in Kabul. "But if I do get orders, I think it is important for you
No mention of Rajiv Gandhi in Delhi Assembly's anti-Sikh riots resolution, show proceedings
The proceedings of Delhi Assembly on December 21 do not mention the name of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the resolution passed on 1984 anti-Sikh riots, details released Monday showed. According to a three-page "brief summary of House proceedings" issued by the Assembly Secretariat, the resolution had sought to term the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as "genocide" and it does not have any mention of Gandhi's name. On Sunday, Youth Congress members protested outside the office of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP), demanding that it apologise for allegedly passing the resolution demanding revocation of Gandhi's Bharat Ratna. Congress' Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken has accused the AAP of being "hand in glove" with the BJP and said the party should also call the 2002 Gujarat riots a "genocide". Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, the Delhi government and the AAP have been maintaining that the resolution did not demand revoking of Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna. The Delhi Assembly had on Friday adopted by ..
Bangladesh Army warns of propaganda against military ahead of general elections
Bangladesh Army on Monday said certain quarters were propagating a false campaign against the military through social media ahead of the December 30 general elections to tarnish its image and cautioned the citizens to remain vigilant. The army in a statement also advised all concerned to visit the official website of the Bangladesh Army and its social media accounts on Facebook and Youtube for any information regarding the force. "Efforts are underway to tarnish the image of the military propagating different campaigns in the name of army and its various agencies through fake websites, Facebook accounts and YouTube channels," the statement said. It also asked the citizens not to share contents propagated by websites, Facebook pages, YouTube channels that publish fake news, rumour and propaganda that are aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the army. The statement came a day after the authorities called out the army, navy, air force and paramilitary troops to "extend all-out support" .
Chavan, Mungantiwar spar over Maharashtra's startup ranking
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan Monday Monday attacked the Maharashtra government over the state not figuring among top 15 states in the startup ranking declared by Centre for the country, attributing the faring to the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation's "indifference". Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar was quick to hit back, saying Chavan made the comments without fully understanding the issue and said someone who had been a chief minister should not defame the state. Mungantiwar sought to underscore Maharashtra was home to highest number of startups (2,787) in the country. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), in its report released on December 20, has ranked Gujarat first among states in startups. "The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on December 20 came out with a report on implementation of policy meant for startups (for 2018). "Maharashtra could not figure even among top 15 states, which is disappointing," Chavan .
Insurgents attack Afghan government building in Kabul
A group of insurgents attacked an Afghan government building in Kabul on Monday, officials said.
Patnaik demands Centre accord Paika Rebellion as first war of
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday demanded that the Centre accord the Paika Rebellion of 1817 as the first war of Independence against British rule and said his government will provide free land for the memorial proposed to be set up by the Centre. Hailing Baxi Jagabandhu as a legendary revolutionary and the brave son of the soil who fought valiantly against the Britishers to free the country from their rule, Patnaik said the Paika Rebellion launched under his leadership was the first war of Independence in India against British rule. Paikas were traditional landed militia under the state's Gajapati rulers, Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar, the military chief of the King of Khurda, had led his army of Paikas in 1817 against the British East India Company for tinkering with the revenue system and forced its forces to retreat. The rebellion came to be known as Paika Bidroh or Paika rebellion. "If the Centre accords this status to the Paika Rebellion, it will be a ...
Gunmen kill 17 in Nigeria village attack: witnesses, police
Gunmen at the weekend killed 17 people in the latest attack on villages in northern Nigeria's Zamfara state, witnesses and police said on Monday. The assault came just days after 25 people were killed in similar raids on two villages in the region. Gunmen on motorcycles stormed Magami village in the Maradun district area of the state on Saturday, shooting indiscriminately as residents fled. "After the attack, we collected 17 dead bodies which we buried," Magami resident Kasimu Bello told AFP. "The gunmen entered the village on several motorcycles, shooting people as they tried to flee," he said. Another resident Umaru Bawa confirmed the attack, saying "the bandits pursued people like chickens and shot them dead as they ran into the bush." Zamfara state police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said his operatives would arrest and "bring to justice the perpetrators of this dastardly act". He also vowed to end the rampant armed attacks in the state. On Wednesday, 25 people were killed when ...
Massive blast rocks Kabul
A massive explosion took place near the building of Ministry of Public of Works in the Afghan capital on Monday at around 4Tolo News reported that the explosion occurred in Kabul's Police District 16 (PD16). No casualties have so far been reported in the blast.A police spokesman confirmed the explosion and said that security forces have arrived in the area. Police are carrying further investigation into the matter. More details are awaited.
Bangladesh to seal off Rohingya camps during election
Bangladesh will seal off refugee camps housing about one million Rohingya Muslims for three days around the country's tense general election this week, officials said Monday. Rohingya living in the southeastern border district of Cox's Bazar will not be allowed out of their settlements from Saturday. The election is Sunday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who earned international praise for accepting the refugees who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar, seeking a record fourth term. The Election Commission ordered authorities in Cox's Bazar to prevent refugees being exploited during election campaigning, Bangladesh refugee commissioner Mohammad Abul Kalam said. "This is a security measure. The embargo also applies to NGO workers. They cannot go inside the camps unless it is an emergency," he told AFP. Police said extra roadblocks would be set up around the camps. Over 720,000 Rohingya Muslims fled what the UN called ethnic cleansing in Myanmar's Rakhine state after August 2017. ...
Bangla polls: BSF to issue high alert along Tripura border
High alert will be sounded along the international border in Tripura, hours before the Bangladesh general election, as the BSF steps up efforts to avert any "untoward situation" in the poll-bound country, a senior official said here Monday. Tripura shares 856-km-long border with the neighbouring country. Bangladesh is set to go to polls on December 30. Pitted against the Sheikh Hasina-led ruling Awami League (AL) and its various allies is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which had boycotted the last parliamentary elections. Security has already been beefed up in the border areas in Tripura to check infiltration bids, the senior Border Security Force (BSF) official said. "Our main objective is to check influx of anti-social elements. We will ensure that law and order is maintained along the border to avoid any unpleasant situation in poll-bound Bangladesh," said AK Yadav, the officiating Inspector General (IG) of BSF, Tripura Frontier. Talking to reporters, Yadav ...
Al Qaeda plotting plane attacks in Europe: UK Security Minister
A "resurgent" Al Qaeda is looking to carry out terror attacks on passenger planes and airports, UK Security Minister Ben Wallace has warned following the widespread chaos at the country's Gatwick Airport over multiple drone sightings that triggered security concerns and led to numerous flight cancellations.
Houthi rebels violated Sweden talks by blocking UN delegation: Yemen
The Yemen government on Monday said that the Houthi rebels' action of blocking a United Nations (UN) delegation from entering the Taiz province was a clear violation of the Sweden talks.The rebels prevented the UN World Food Program (WFP) delegation from visiting the province of Taiz and blocked several vehicles carrying aid from entering the province through the eastern port of Al-Houban, said Yemeni Minister of Local Administration and chairman of the Higher Committee for Relief in Yemen, Abdul Raqeeb Fateh.According to Al Arabiya, the Yemeni officials also claimed that, from the last three years, the rebels have sieged most of the entrance of the Taiz province.Yesterday, the Arab coalition-led by Saudi Arabia also accused the Houthi rebels of violating the Sweden agreement on a ceasefire in the strategic port city of Hodeidah.In the past 72 hours, the ceasefire has been breached 62 times.On Sunday, Patrick Cammaert, the UN representative tasked with monitoring a ceasefire in the Al
PM releases stamp, coin to commemorate Odisha's Paika rebellion
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released a stamp and a coin to commemorate the Paika rebellion of 1817 in Odisha. He also inaugurated the new campus of IIT-Bhubaneswar, built at a cost of Rs 1,660 crore, and launched a slew of projects worth Rs 14,523 crore for the state. The Paika Rebellion, many claim, was the first war of Independence against the British. Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan among others were present on the occasion. In the early 1800s, the farming community of Odisha had risen in rebellion when the British started tinkering with the revenue system. Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar, the military chief of the King of Khurda, had led his army of Paikas forcing the British East India Company forces to retreat. The rebellion of 1817 came to be known as Paika Bidroh (Paika rebellion. Paiks were traditional landed militia under the state's Gajapati rulers.
7 killed in Afghan explosion
Seven civilians have been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, officials said on Monday.
Sabarimala protesters win again, police take back women devotees
After waiting for hours barely one kilometre from the Sabarimala temple, two Kerala women devotees were escorted down the hill, as thousands of Ayyappa devotees on Monday put up a massive protest causing one of the woman to faint.
Trump says Erdogan assures 'will eradicate' any IS left in Syria
US President Donald Trump late Sunday said his Turkish counterpart assured him that any remaining Islamic State group fighters in Syria will be eliminated, after Trump abruptly ordered US troops in Syria to leave. "President @RT_Erdogan of Turkey has very strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of ISIS in Syria," Trump said in a Tweet around midnight Sunday, using another acronym for the jihadist group. Repeating a pattern of admiring comments towards global strongmen, Trump added that Erdogan "is a man who can do it." Trump appeared to be elaborating on a phone call he had earlier on Sunday with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They discussed Trump's withdrawal of the US troops which were assisting in the multinational fight against IS, and whose departure has shocked global partners and American politicians alike. "Our troops are coming home!" Trump said in his late-Sunday tweet.