Page 318 - War Conflict
France hunts gunman who cried 'Allahu akbar' in Christmas market attack
A fugitive gunman who opened fire on Christmas shoppers at a market in Strasbourg, eastern France, shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) during his killing spree, French officials said Wednesday as anti-terror police joined a giant manhunt. The attack took place Tuesday night around 8 pm (1900 GMT) in the heart of the medieval city as the market was closing, leaving two dead and 13 injured. Witnesses said the suspect, a 29-year-old Strasbourg native identified as Cherif C., cried "Allahu Akbar" as he opened fire with a handgun and stabbed passers-by, France's anti-terror prosecutor Remy Heitz said Wednesday. The man, who was on a watchlist for suspected religious extremists, had already been sentenced 27 times in France, Germany and Switzerland for crimes including violence and robbery. Four people connected to him were detained in Strasbourg overnight, he added. The man was flagged by French security forces in 2015 as a possible extremist while in prison, after he "called for ...
UN pushes for truce, humanitarian corridors at Yemen talks
Mediators in UN-brokered talks on Yemen pushed Wednesday for a truce between warring parties as a crucial step to allow aid deliveries, with 24 hours left in the negotiations. Mediators are seeking a de-escalation of violence in two flashpoint cities: rebel-held Hodeida, a port city vital to the supply of humanitarian aid, and Taiz, Yemen's third largest city, scene of some of the war's most intense fighting. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was due at the talks in Rimbo, Sweden, late Wednesday for Thursday's closing round of consultations. His arrival comes hours after his office said it had evidence the rebel Huthis were using Iran-made missiles. Both government and rebel representatives traded accusations of unwillingness to negotiate, particularly on rebel-held Hodeida, the main route for 90 per cent of food imports and nearly 80 per cent of aid deliveries. Multiple draft proposals have been submitted to the two delegations over the past week. None have found consensus as ...
Strasbourg gunman cried 'Allahu Akbar': Prosecutor
The gunman who carried out a mass shooting in Strasbourg cried "Allahu Akbar" ("God is Greatest") as he opened fire, France's anti-terror prosecutor Remy Heitz said Wednesday, adding the attack was being investigated as a terrorist incident. The gunman was still on the run, but four people connected to him were detained overnight in the eastern French city, Heitz told a news conference. The shooting is being investigated by the anti-terrorist section of the Paris prosecutor's office because of "the place targeted, the way the attack was carried out, the gunman's profile" and reports of his shouting Allahu Akhbar, the prosecutor added. The gunman has been sentenced 27 times in France, Germany and Switzerland for crimes including violence and robbery, Heitz said. He was flagged by security forces in 2015 as a possible extremist while in prison. Two people were killed, another was declared brain-dead, and 12 others were wounded, six very seriously, Heitz said.
Egypt says 27 militants killed in Sinai, border with Libya
Egypt says its security forces have killed at least 27 suspected militants in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula and along its porous border with Libya. The military said Wednesday that forces destroyed 342 hideouts and weapons depots, dismantled 344 explosive devices and detained more than 400 suspects and around 3,000 illegal migrants, without giving a timeframe. It says airstrikes destroyed 61 vehicles containing weapons and ammunition in the Western Desert. It says one soldier was killed in a shootout with militants. It wasn't possible to independently confirm the details as access to the northern Sinai is heavily restricted. Egypt launched a nationwide operation against militants in February. It has struggled to defeat a long-running insurgency in the Sinai that is now affiliated with the Islamic State group.
482 Indian fishermen languishing in Pak jails, 18 in Sri Lanka: MEA
A total of 500 Indian fishermen are languishing in various jails of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the Lok Sabha was told on Wednesday. Altogether 482 fishermen are languishing in Pakistani jails while 18 are in custody in Sri Lanka, Minister of State at the External Affairs Ministry V K Singh said in a written reply. However, he clarified that Pakistan has acknowledged custody of only 391 Indian fishermen. Singh also said as many as 174 Indian fishermen were released by Pakistan this year while 214 fishermen were set free by Sri Lanka. The Pakistan has also seized 1050 boats while 10 boats are in Sri Lanka custody, he added. Pakistan and India regularly arrest each other's fishermen who inadvertently enter into their waters due to absence of any proper technology to confirm the coastline border between the two countries near Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea.
No proposal to discontinue AFSPA in Arunachal's Tirap, Changlang, Lomgding areas
There is no proposal under consideration to discontinue the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Tirap, Changlang and Longding areas of Arunachal Pradesh, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said on November 17, during an operation conducted in the area of Laptang in Khonsa Circle, an insurgent was apprehended who gave inputs about presence of "war like stories" in stores of three houses in Longkjon village in Londing district. As a follow up to the inputs, on November 18-19 an Army column searched the three suspected houses in Longkjon, Bhamre said in a written reply to a question. "The search operation was conducted in accordance with the laid down procedures, causing no undue harassment of the locals. Post the search operation, a No Objection Certificate was obtained from the village elders. "Based on certain allegations regarding misbehaviour and harassment, the incident was inquired into and villagers have ...
North and South Korean soldiers enter each other's territory
Soldiers from North and South Korea crossed into each other's territory peacefully for the first time on Wednesday, Seoul said, as they began checking the dismantlement of guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone. The North invaded the South in 1950, triggering the Korean War, and Seoul went on to change hands four times as Pyongyang's Chinese-backed forces and the US-led UN troops supporting the South fought their way up and down the peninsula and back again. The conflict ended in an armistice in 1953, leaving the two technically still in a state of war, but a rapid reconciliation has taken place this year. The South's President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un, leader of the nuclear-armed North, agreed to remove a limited number of guard posts along their heavily-fortified frontier at a September summit in Pyongyang, among other measures. North Korea blew up 10 of its facilities in November, while the South tore 10 down on its own side using excavators. South Korean inspectors visited each .
Jailed Myanmar journalists mark 1 year in prison
Two Myanmar journalists, who were named Person of the Year by Time magazine, completed a year in prison on Wednesday.
3 killed in France Christmas market shooting, gunman at large
A massive hunt was underway on Wednesday for a gunman who opened fire near a Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg, killing three people and injuring 12 others, police said.
Death toll from Taliban attack in Afghan capital rises to 12
An Afghan official says the death toll from a suicide bombing on the outskirts of Kabul on Tuesday has climbed to 12. Nasrat Rahimi, the Interior Ministry's deputy spokesman, says Wednesday that four security forces and eight civilians, including two women and two children, were killed in the suicide car bombing, which targeted a security convoy. He says 12 other people were wounded. The Taliban, who effectively control nearly half the country and carry out daily attacks on security forces, claimed the bombing.
Hunt for gunman after Strasbourg market attack kills three
Hundreds of security forces were Wednesday deployed in the hunt for a lone gunman who killed at least three people and wounded a dozen others at the famed Christmas market in Strasbourg, with the French government raising the security alert level and reinforcing border controls. Some 350 people, including police, troops and helicopters were on the heels of the attacker who had "sowed terror" in the city, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said. The killer opened fire at around 8pm (1900 GMT) on one of the city's busiest streets, sending crowds of evening shoppers fleeing for safety. Castaner said the gunman had killed three people and wounded 12. Soldiers patrolling the area as part of regular anti-terror operations exchanged fire with the suspect and wounded him, but could not stop him escaping, police sources said. A soldier was slightly injured by a ricohet from a shot by the gunman. Castaner also said France had raised its security alert level to "emergency attack" with "the ...
Madras HC sets aside order transferring army man to J&K
Observing that it is the duty of the Army to motivate youngsters to join the armed forces not only for good salaries but better service conditions, the Madras High Court has set aside an order transferring an army man in the last leg of his service. Justice S Vimala set aside the order transferring Havildar B Sakthivel from Chennai to Jammu and Kashmir in the last leg of his service as he is due to retire in 2020. "It is the duty of the Army to motivate youngsters of the country to join the armed forces not only with just superior salaries, but better service conditions and other compensatory packages," the judge said while setting aside the transfer order dated August 20, 2018 and allowing the writ petition by the havildar. She observed that the purpose behind last leg posting at a place of choice is that the member of the force can find an accommodation where he can live peacefully in his twilight years. "The policy of the last leg tenure posting is a recognition that a member of ...
Korean border troops check removal of each other's posts
Dozens of South Korean soldiers are visiting the site of front-line North Korean guard posts to verify their removal as part of measures to reduce tensions. The two Koreas each dismantled or disarmed 11 of their guard posts inside their 248-kilometer (155-mile) -long border. They later agreed to exchange inspection teams to verify each other's works. A small group of journalists was allowed to enter the border to watch one of the South Korean teams departing to the site of a North Korean guard post on Wednesday morning. Seven helmeted South Korean soldiers wearing backpacks were met by North Korean troops at the borderline where a signboard marking the military demarcation line stands. North Korean soldiers are due to conduct similar verification on the South Korean side later Wednesday.
Gunman on run after killing three at Strasbourg Christmas market
A gunman killed at least three people and wounded a dozen others at the famed Christmas market in the French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday before fleeing the scene, authorities said. A manhunt was underway after the killer opened fire at around 8 pm (1900 GMT) on one of the city's busiest streets, sending crowds of evening shoppers fleeing for safety. Soldiers patrolling the area as part of regular anti-terror operations exchanged fire with the suspect and wounded him, but could not stop him escaping, police sources said. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said early Wednesday the gunman had killed three people and wounded 12. Earlier, Mayor Roland Ries had given a toll of "four dead and a dozen wounded". Castaner also said France had raised its security alert level to "emergency attack" with "the implementation of reinforced border controls and tightened controls on all Christmas markets in France to avoid the risk of a copycat" attack. The gunman has been identified and was on a .
US lawmaker seeks an end to Chinese debt trap
Asserting that Sri Lanka was forced to surrender the sovereignty of its deep-water port, Hambantota, a powerful US lawmaker on Tuesday sought an end to the Chinese debt trap. China was defrauding small countries with nonviable infrastructure projects and was charging exorbitant rates that the poor countries could not afford, alleged Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats. "When countries cannot make their payments, China seizes physical control of the assets, with strategic deep-water ports being its top target," he said. "This debt trap must stop. We are seeing it across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Sri Lanka is now in a terrible constitutional crisis, in part because the country is drowning in unsustainable debt to the Chinese Communists. Sri Lanka has been forced to surrender its sovereignty of its deep-water port, Hambantota," Rohrabacher said. "The Sri Lankan people are being robbed of their ...
Palestinian child dies of wounds after border clash: Gaza ministry
A four-year-old Palestinian boy has died after being injured during clashes between the Israeli army and protesters along the Gaza border, the health ministry in Gaza said. "Ahmed Abu Abed, aged four years and eight months, died as a result of the wounds he received last Friday east of Khan Yunis," health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said in a statement. The statement did not provide further details on how the child was injured. In the hospital where the boy died, 38 year-old Bassem told AFP he was the child's uncle. He said Abu Abed was injured by shrapnel when his father was shot during regular Friday protests along the border. It was not clear why the child had been taken to the border protests and there was no independent confirmation of the circumstances. The Israeli army did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Palestinians have been protesting along the Gaza border at least weekly since March, with often violent demonstrations. At least 235 Palestinians have ..
Thousands protest jailing of Myanmar anti-war activists
Thousands of protesters on Tuesday took to the streets in northern Myanmar against the jailing of three anti-war activists in a rare public display of anger. Lum Zawng, Nang Pu and Zau Jet were sentenced Friday to six months in prison and fined about USD 320 each for defaming the military after helping organise a demonstration in Kachin state's capital Myitkyina in April. They were highlighting the plight of thousands of civilians trapped by the fighting between the military and ethnic Kachin insurgents in one of the world's longest-running civil wars. On Tuesday demonstrators, many with faces painted in Kachin's red and green colours, held banners aloft and chanted slogans against the activists' imprisonment and the judiciary. "We demand the authorities release our people immediately," protest leader Naw Aung told AFP after the march, which wound its way to the city's main stadium. The organisers said some 4,000 people took part in the demonstration, including many languishing in ...
Death toll in suicide attack near Kabul jumps to 12
The death toll from a suicide bombing targeting a security forces convoy outside Kabul early Tuesday jumped to 12, officials said, with eight civilians killed in the latest Taliban-claimed attack near the Afghan capital. The car bomb follows a wave of deadly violence against Afghan forces across a year in which insurgents have inflicted record-high casualties on security personnel in the war-torn country. "Twelve people including four members of the security forces were killed," ministry of interior deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP. Kabul police confirmed the casualties, adding that women and children were among the dead. The blast took place in Paghman district west of Kabul as the convoy was returning from an overnight operation, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP. The ministry of interior and a seperate security official requesting anonymity confirmed the assailant had used a car bomb to target the convoy. Afghan security forces, beset by killings and ...
US energy chief in Baghdad as sanctions waiver runs out
US Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Tuesday Iraq should partner with American companies to become energy independent, as Baghdad's waiver from US sanctions on Iran nears its expiry. He spoke during a visit by the largest-ever US trade delegation to Iraq for a two-day conference in Baghdad attended by more than 50 companies, most linked to petrol or security. "Working together, the US and Iraq can develop Iraq's oil, gas and water industries," Perry told those gathered. "The time has come for Iraq to break its dependence... on less reliable nations seeking domination and control," he said, in an apparent reference to US foe Iran. Iraq imports vast amounts of gas and electricity from Iran. When Washington reimposed tough sanctions on Tehran's energy sector last month, it gave Iraq a 45-day waiver to plan how it would stop depending on Iranian electricity. Perry on Tuesday said he discussed sanctions with Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadban and Electricity Minister Luay al-Khateeb, but
Scotland Yard arrest man within UK Parliament grounds
Scotland Yard on Tuesday used a Taser gun to detain and arrest a man who broke into the UK Parliament building grounds, at almost the same area where a terror attack occurred last year. The man, who is held on trespassing charges while further investigations continue, had reportedly jumped over railings before being Tasered by the Metropolitan Police officers on duty at the Parliament building within the Palace of Westminster in central London. "A man was detained and arrested by Carriage Gates inside the Palace of Westminster on suspicion of trespassing at a protected site," a Met Police statement said. "A Taser was deployed. Enquiries into the circumstances continue," the statement said. The man, described as in his 20s, was handcuffed and bundled into a police van, and driven away. The incident is not thought to be terrorism-related as it is not being investigated by the Met Police's Counter Terrorism Command. Extra police officers, some of them armed, were brought in to bolster ..