Page 323 - War Conflict
278 people detained in Paris ahead of 'yellow vest' protest: police
Police detained 278 people in Paris early Saturday as the French capital braced for another weekend of violence during protests by the "yellow vest" anti-government movement. Paris was on lockdown with major monuments and department stores shut and some 8,000 police on the streets following the worst rioting in the capital in decades last weekend.
Hundreds of J-K youth join Indian Army
As many as 259 young boys from Jammu and Kashmir have joined Indian Army's Jammu Kashmir Lite Infantry (JKLI) Battalion with an aim to fight for the nation.The youth were inducted in the battalion after completing the one-year course of JKLI battalion at Regimental Centre in Srinagar's Rengrath. They joined the army with an aim of devoting their lives in service of their nation.During their passing out parade, the young soldiers inspired one and all as their voice echoed in the Valley.Their passing out parade, depicting graduation of recruits and their transformation into young soldiers, was reviewed by Major General MK Das, Colonel of the regiment, JKLI.The event was attended by the parents and relatives of the young soldiers along with a number of civil and military dignitaries.
Surgical strike was overhyped, says Lt Gen (retd) DS Hooda
Two years after surgical strikes were carried out by the Indian Army across the Line of Control (LoC), Lt Gen (retd) D S Hooda on Friday alleged that the hype associated with the Surgical Strike was not needed.Speaking to ANI, Hooda said, "I do think there was too much hype over it. The military operation was important and we had to do it. Now how much should it have been politicised, whether it is right or wrong is something that should be asked to politicians."Elaborating upon how the forces on the border should react to events that occur on the Line of Control (LoC), Hooda said, "I think the way the things are going on the LoC, we must have a pro-active and unpredictable response unless Pakistan does something to ease tensions and stop infiltrations."However, former Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag in September revealed that the Indian Army had been preparing for the 2016 surgical strike since June 2015, adding that the troops were told that failure was "not an ...
J-K: ISI agent suspected of planning terrorist attacks arrested
Kishtwar Police on Friday arrested an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent Sehran Sheikh alias Abu Zubair suspected of planning terrorist attacks in Kishtwar.As per the police, Sheikh was gathering information on establishments of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, armed forces and the Army."He had come in contact with a Pakistan-based militant group, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM). This person has confessed his involvement and we have found many videos including establishments of Para-military Forces having been exchanged on Pakistan numbers," Kishtwar Police said in a statement.Further details are awaited.
UN chief asks world to prevent genocide
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked the international community to prevent rather than react to genocide as the crime does not happen overnight.
Paris on knife-edge ahead of new 'yellow vest' protests
Businesses in Paris battened down the hatches on Friday and streets were cleared of material that could be used as weapons amid fears of further violence during a fourth round of "yellow vest" protests. The French capital experienced its worst riots in decades last weekend, plunging President Emmanuel Macron's government into its deepest crisis so far. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe will meet Friday evening with a delegation of self-described "moderate" yellow vests, who have urged people not to descend on Paris on Saturday. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner has vowed "zero tolerance" towards those aiming to wreak further destruction and mayhem, after dozens of vehicles were torched, shops looted and the Arc de Triomphe war memorial was sacked last Saturday. "These past three weeks have seen the birth of a monster that has escaped its creators," Castaner told a news conference. "It's time now for dialogue." Castaner said he expected "only a few thousand people" after the 8,000 ...
Assam guv hails achievements of armed forces during wars
Assam Governor Jagadish Mukhi on Friday hailed the achievements of the armed forces during various wars. The efforts of the armed forces to stop-cross border terrorism is commendable, he said while speaking on the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day at the Raj Bhawan here. "Many of our armed forces personnel have lost their valuable lives on the line of duty and due recognition should be given to them," Mukhi said. The flag day also plays an important role in collecting donations for Armed Forces Flag Day Fund which is the lifeline for instituting welfare measures and rehabilitation of the ex-servicemen. The day provides an opportunity to connect with armed forces personnel, their families and to reciprocate by contributing generously to Armed Forces Flag Day Fund to ensure welfare and rehabilitation of war widows, war wounded and dependants of our fallen soldiers and ex-servicemen, he added. The Armed Forces Flag Day is observed on December 7 every year across the ...
Militant accomplices involved in killing held
Police said on Friday that two accomplices of militants involved in the murder of a police officer in Jammu and Kashmir have been arrested.
Saga of 'Village of Rebels' to be included in Haryana school curriculum
The saga of a Haryana village, which took part in the country's First War of Independence, will be included in the school curriculum from the next academic session, the state government said Friday. State Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma announced the decision while presiding over a meeting of the school education department at the Civil Secretariat here. The government has decided to include in school syllabus the inspiring saga of Rohnat village in Bhiwani district -- about 233 km from here, Sharma said. Rohnat were branded as a "Village of Rebels" by the Britishers during the revolt of 1857 against the East India Company. For their role in the First War of Independence, the entire village population was stripped off their landholdings and men were crushed under road-rollers, locals have maintained. A film on Rohnat, setting up a 'Rohnat Freedom Trust', providing free-of-cost treatment for the village's people, who are aged 60 or above, are on the anvil, the minister said. A ...
Will not allow Pakistan to be treated like a 'hired gun' to fight someone else's war: PM Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he would not allow Pakistan to be treated like a "hired gun" to fight someone else's war, amid growing demands from the Trump administration to do more to combat terrorism emanating from its soil. The ties between Washington and Islamabad strained, especially after President Donald Trump, while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy in August last year, hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan. In September, the Trump administration cancelled USD 300 million in military aid to Islamabad for not doing enough against terror groups. Last month, Trump said castigated Pakistan once again, saying it was not doing "a damn thing" for America in curbing terrorism. Prime Minister Khan, in an interview with The Washington Post on Thursday, said: "I would never want to have a relationship where Pakistan is treated like a hired gun given money to fight someone else's war," Khan said, ...
Assam guv hails heroic achievements of Armed Forces
Assam Governor Jagadish Mukhi on Friday hailed the heroic achievements of the Armed Forces during various wars and while combating cross border terrorism. "Many of our Armed Forces personnel have lost their lives on the line of duty and due recognition should be given to them", Mukhi said on the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day. The trauma and tragedy that the family suffers on the death of service personnel is heart-rending and "We as a grateful society consider it our duty to take the responsibility of care and rehabilitation of the martyrs, the disabled and their dependants, the Governor said. He also called upon youths to contribute for the flag day and wear the badge as a mark of respect for the armed forces. The flag day plays an important role in collecting donations for Armed Forces Flag Day Fund which is the lifeline for instituting welfare measures and rehabilitation of the ex-servicemen. The day provides an opportunity to connect with Armed Forces personnel,
Khandu visits Assam Rifles battalion on Armed Forces Flag Day
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu Friday visited the Changlang Battalion of the Assam Rifles on the occasion of Armed Forces Flag Day. State Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, MLAs Phosum Khimhun (Changlang South) and Tesam Pongte (Changlang North), Chief Secretary Satya Gopal and DGP S B K Singh also accompanied the chief minister to Changlang district. While addressing the troops on the occasion, Khandu said that the historic day gives the people an opportunity to reaffirm their solidarity with the armed forces and to recognise the service of ex-servicemen. Khandu also called upon the people to contribute voluntarily towards the Flag Day fund. The fund would be utilised for the rehabilitation of war widows, disabled soldiers and ex-servicemen, he said. The chief minister, deputy chief minister, MLAs, chief secretary also donated an amount of Rs 2.9 lakh towards the Defence Service Welfare Fund, a defence communique informed.
Polling peaceful in 13 sensitive Telangana constituencies in
Polling passed off peacefully Friday in 13 Telangana assembly constituencies identified as sensitive in view of proximity to Maoist affected areas bordering Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, police said. Police said they arrested a cadre of banned CPI-Maoists in Bhadradri Kothagudem District and seized two pipe bombs, thwarting attempts to carry out attacks through its "action teams". "The polling process in 13 constituencies out of the 119 assembly segments identified sensitive to Left wing extremism wasconducted in peaceful manner," Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Jitender told PTI. One Maoist "action team" member was nabbed under Cherla police station limits in Bhadradri Kothagudem District, another police official said. Two pipe bombs were seized from them while at least four other ultras managed to escape into bordering Chhattisgarh, the official said. Last month, the Police had said they foiled attempts by the CPI-Maoists to carry out attacks ...
Sri Lanka court set to rule on sacking of parliament
Security was stepped up outside Sri Lanka's top court on Friday ahead of an expected ruling on whether the president broke the law by sacking parliament last month, a decision that could potentially lead to impeachment proceedings. President Maithripala Sirisena plunged the country into crisis on October 26 when he fired the prime minister and appointed the contentious Mahinda Rajapakse in his place. He then dissolved parliament on November 9. Four days later, the Supreme Court issued an interim ruling suspending Sirisena's decree and restoring parliament, which almost immediately passed a no-confidence motion against Rajapakse. The court's seven-judge bench was likely to deliver a final ruling on the constitutionality of Sirisena's move on Friday. "If the morning session is brief, we can expect a decision later today," a court official said. Sacked premier Ranil Wickremesinghe's party and their allies, who command a majority in the 225-member assembly, have suggested that they could .
ISI agent arrested in J&K for 'plotting' terror attacks
The Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday arrested a suspected ISI agent who was allegedly planning terror attacks in Kishtwar district, an officer said. Sehran Sheikh alias Abu Zubair, a resident of Malikpeth area in Kishtwar, was arrested during a raid in the district on charges of working as an agent for the Pakistan spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), a police officer said. Sheikh was gathering information about the establishments of J&K Police, armed forces and army deployment in Kishtwar. He had come in contact with a Pakistan-based militant group, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), the officer said. The aim of gathering the information about the security establishments was to plan terrorist attacks, the officer said, adding that there were inputs that the banned organisation was using agents to carry out terror attacks in the district. According to the officer, the accused had confessed to his involvement. The police have found that many videos, including on the ...
14 Afghan soldiers killed in Taliban attack
At least 14 Afghan soldiers were killed after Taliban militants attacked an Army camp in the country's Herat province overnight, officials said on Friday.
Taliban launches brutal attack on Afghan Army
A Taliban attack in Shindad district here on Thursday night killed at least 14 soldiers of the Afghan National Army and kidnapped 20.On the one hand, provincial governor's spokesman Jailani Farhad told TOLOnews on Friday that the attack was orchestrated by Taliban militants and also confirmed the fatalities.On the other hand, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defence noted that only 10 soldiers had been killed during the assault but did not divulge any more details. The Ministry's spokesman Sayed Javid Ghafor further said that investigations pertaining to the incident were ongoing.Quoting local sources, Pajhwok News Agency also reported that weapons at the outpost were taken by the Taliban militants while adding that help could only reach the region on Friday morning.The attacks come in the wake of calls for the re-initiation of peace talks in Afghanistan, which has seen strife within its borders since the last 17 years. Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani had recently formed a 12-member ...
Paris tourist sites to close amid protest fears
Tourist sites, including the Louvre Museum and the Eiffel Tower, in Paris will be closed over the weekend amid fears of further street violence due to "yellow vests" anti-government protests.
'Kill or be killed' says rebel group behind Papua massacre
Construction workers massacred at a remote jungle work camp in Papua were legitimate military targets, a rebel group said Friday, as authorities hunted for more bodies after the grisly weekend attack which killed at least 16. The National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) has claimed responsibility for the deadliest bout of violence in years to hit Papua, an Indonesian-controlled region wracked by a low-level independence insurgency. "(We killed them) because they were members of the Indonesian military in disguise. They're our enemy," Sebby Sambom, spokesman for the TPNPB, told AFP. "This is war. It's kill or be killed," he added. The rebel group said this week it had killed two dozen people working for a state-owned contractor, while Indonesia's military has confirmed 16 dead and said at least three more company workers were unaccounted for. An earlier eyewitness account supplied by the military described execution-style shootings and rebels slitting the throats of workers who ..
Farmers are being looted: Pawar on low onion prices
NCP president Sharad Pawar on Friday hit out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over low onion prices in Nashik district, accusing him and his government of not being concerned about farmers' "loot". Those talking about adopting Nashik were not concerned about local farmers' woes, he said. Ahead of Nashik Municipal Corporation polls last year, Fadnavis had said he would "adopt" the city if the voters reposed faith in the BJP. Pawar was speaking at an event in Mumbai Friday where former state legislator from Nashik, Apurva Hiray, returned to the NCP fold after quitting the BJP. Referring to a comment made by senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal at the function, Pawar said, "Bhujbal talked about onions being sold at 50 -51 paise per kg. "This is our (farmers') loot. And those who talked about adopting the district (Fadnavis) are not concerned despite this loot," he said. When he read about the chief minister's comment, he was "surprised", Pawar said. "Our ...