Page 345 - War Conflict
Finland halts arms sales to Saudi, UAE over Yemen crisis
Finland announced late on Thursday it will block new arms export licences to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, citing the murder of a Saudi journalist and the countries' role in Yemen's humanitarian crisis. The suspension mirrors earlier decisions by Denmark, Norway and Germany to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia for the time being over the killing and over the kingdom's part in Yemen's war which has left 14 million people facing starvation, according to the UN. "The situation in Yemen was behind this decision, but of course (the murder of Khashoggi) was part of the overall rationale," Prime Minister Juha Sipila told state broadcaster Yle. A Saudi and Emirati-led coalition has been conducting air strikes on Yemen since 2015. UN investigators have accused the regimes of possible war crimes, including killing thousands of civilians, torturing detainees and recruiting child soldiers. In September the website News Now Finland uncovered video evidence that Finnish-made armoured vehicles, some ...
Kashmir gunfight was a surgical operation: Army
The army said on Friday that the gunfight in which six militants were killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district was a surgical operation.
Terror attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi foiled; 7 killed
Three heavily-armed suicide bombers on Friday stormed the Chinese consulate in Pakistan's largest city Karachi, killing four people including two policemen before being shot dead by security forces which foiled the daring attack in the high-security zone, authorities said. The attack was claimed by the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) which said it would not tolerate "any Chinese military expansionist endeavours on Baloch soil". The consulate, located in the posh Clifton area, came under attack early morning. Three suspected suicide bombers were killed before they were able to enter the facility as forces successfully foiled the attack, Karachi Police Chief Amir Shaikh said. Nine hand grenades, Kalashnikov bullets, magazines and explosives were recovered from the possession of the terrorists, Geo news quoted police officials as saying. "Food supplies and medicines were also recovered from their possession," officials said. "We have received two dead bodies of policemen and an ...
India condemns terrorist attack on Chinese Consulate in Karachi
India on Friday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan in which three terrorists and two policemen were killed."India strongly condemns the terrorist attack on Chinese Consulate in Karachi. We condole loss of lives in this dastardly attack. There can be no justification whatsoever for any act of terrorism. The perpetrators of this heinous attack should be brought to justice expeditiously," read a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.The two policemen were killed and a security guard got injured after three gunmen tried to enter the consulate around 9:30 am, Geo TV quoted Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Karachi Javed Alam Odho as saying.The three suspected suicide bombers were gunned down by the security forces before they could enter the Chinese Consulate.Nine hand grenades, Kalashnikov bullets, magazines, and explosives were recovered from the possession of the terrorists, police said. All the staff inside the Chinese ...
China says its staff safe in Pakistan consulate attack
The Chinese staff working at the consulate in Pakistan's Karachi is safe, Beijing said on Friday after the mission was attacked by three militants.
India condemns terror attack on Chinese Consulate in Karachi
India on Friday strongly condemned the terror attack on the Chinese Consulate in Karachi that claimed the lives of at least six people.
6 militants killed in J&K gunfight
A top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, who has been blamed for the assasination of senior journalist Shujat Bukhari earlier this year, was among the six militants killed by the security forces on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag distric, police said.
Six LeT militants killed in J&K encounter
In a major success, security forces Friday shot dead six Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants during an encounter in forest area of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir, police said. "In one of the most successful operations this year, six Lashkar militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Wagahama area of Bijbehara in Anantnag district," a police spokesman said. The security forces had launched an operation in the foothills of Wagahama Suktipora on Thursday night following information about presence of militants at a hideout there, he said. "The search operation turned into an encounter when the hiding militants opened firing on the security forces. In the retaliatory action, six militants were killed and six weapons recovered from the hideout," he added. The slain militants were identified as Azad Malik, Unais Shafi, Shahid Bashir, Basit Ishtiyaq, Aqib Najar and Firdous Najar, all local residents, he added.
Terror attack on Chinese consulate in Karachi foiled; 5 killed
Three heavily-armed suicide bombers on Friday stormed the Chinese consulate in Pakistan's largest metropolis Karachi, killing two policemen before being shot dead by security forces which foiled the daring attack in the high-security zone, authorities said. The consulate, located in the posh Clifton area, came under attack early morning. Three suspected suicide bombers were killed before they were able to enter the facility as forces successfully foiled the attack, Karachi Police Chief Amir Shaikh said. Nine hand grenades, Kalashnikov bullets, magazines and explosives were recovered from the possession of the terrorists, Geo news quoted police officials as saying. "Food supplies and medicines were also recovered from their possession," officials said. "We have received two dead bodies of policemen and an injured Chinese security guard who is under treatment," said Seemi Jamali, the executive director at Jinnah Hospital. The Sindh government and the Inter-Services Public Relations Wing
2 policemen killed in firing near Chinese Consulate in Karachi
At least two policemen were killed and one other got injured in an explosion and firing outside the Chinese consulate in Karachi's Clifton Block 4 on Friday morning.According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Javed Alam Odho the incident took place at around 9:30 am, Geo TV reported."Three to four men attempted to enter the Chinese consulate and fired upon being stopped by security guards," sources said.The sources added that the security forces deployed outside the Chinese consulate retaliated to the firing. The blast was heard during the exchange of fire.The identity of the person injured has not yet been identified.The roads leading to the Chinese consulate have been cordoned off and heavy security has been deployed near the area.
China police say man deliberately targeted students
Police in northeastern China say the suspect in a car crash that killed five elementary school students and injured 19 other people deliberately targeted his victims, in what appears to be the latest in a pattern of mass attacks using vehicles. The 29-year-old suspect, identified only by his surname, Han, plowed his car into a crowd of children outside a primary school in northeastern city of Huludao. Security camera footage showed Han swerving into the crowd of children before driving off. The official Xinhua News Agency quoted police Friday saying Han was unemployed and had been quarrelling with his wife. It said he set a plan to use his car in an attack, but the children had been a random target. Two similar attacks in recent months killed 13 people.
'I will never rejoin': Record casualties take toll on Afghan forces
After losing countless comrades to better-equipped Taliban fighters and having his salary stolen by superiors, Afghan soldier Beg is fed up and plans to quit the army. He is not alone. Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces have long seen high rates of attrition. But now, as the Taliban maintain the upper hand in the 17-year conflict, casualties are reaching what experts warn are unsustainable levels. Since the start of 2015, when local forces took over from US-led NATO combat troops to secure the country, nearly 30,000 Afghan soldiers and police have been killed, President Ashraf Ghani revealed this month -- a figure far higher than anything previously acknowledged. That is an average of around 20 soldiers killed per day. "If the casualty rate continues like this, the day will come when we will have no one left to recruit," warned military analyst Atiqullah Amarkhail. The shocking mortality rate has sent already shaky morale to new lows, with many soldiers questioning how much ...
2 killed as militants open fire near Chinese consulate in Pak's Karachi: reports
Unidentified gunmen opened fire near the Chinese consulate in Pakistan's Karachi city on Friday, killing two policemen, officials said. An explosion was also heard in the high-security Clifton area where the Chinese mission is situated. Two policemen have been killed in an exchange of fire, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Javed Alam Odho said. Four people were also injured in the attack, Dunya TV reported. The gunmen, armed with automatic weapons, proceeded towards the gate of the consulate after killing the policemen, defence contractor and analyst Ikram Sehgal said. However, the guards closed the gate and the Chinese officials were taken to a safe location, he said. "Police, rangers were all on duty when the attack happened. The attackers took their car inside but weren't able to enter the Chinese consulate compound," Additional Inspector General of Police Amir Ahmed Shaikh was quoted as saying by Dawn news. Heavy contingents of police and paramilitary forces have been deployed
J-K: 6 LeT terrorists killed in Anantnag encounter
Six terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in an encounter with security forces in Sekipora area of Bijbhera in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Friday.Indian Army's 3 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), 116 battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jammu and Kashmir Police jointly conducted the operation, which started in the wee hours.Based on a credible input about the presence of terrorists, a cordon and search operation was launched in a forested area of Sekipora. As the operation was underway, the search party was fired upon by terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight.Incriminating materials, including a huge quantity of arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. Five AK and one INSAS rifle have been recovered.Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation in the matter. Pertinently no collateral damage took place in this incident, read a statement from the state police.They have also requested the citizens to not ..
Pak: Firing, blast near Chinese consulate in Karachi
An explosion and gunshot were heard near the Chinese consulate in Karachi's Clifton area on Friday morning.The incident took place at around 9:25 am today, Geo TV reported.Three men possessing hand grenades and other weapons fired near the Chinese consulate in Clifton Block 4, according to eyewitnesses.Soon after the incident, police and rangers have been deployed at the site. More details are awaited.
3 injured in clash in UP
Three persons including two women were injured after a clash broke out between two groups here, police said Friday. The incident happened Thursday in Bhanwada village while some children were throwing stones at monkeys to scare them away, they said. One of the stones accidentally hit a woman which led to confrontation between the two groups, they added. The situation soon spiralled out of control as both sides began pelting stones at each other, they said. Sitara and Salma sustained injuries and were shifted to hospital, police said, adding that a hunt has been launched to nab the main accused.
Six militants killed in J&K encounter
Six militants were Friday killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. An army official said exchange of fire between security forces and militants began in the early hours in Bijbehara area of the district. Six militants were killed in the operation and weapons were recovered from the spot, he said. Further details of the incident were awaited, he added.
Eight dead as gunmen storm French drilling camp in Niger
Seven local employees of a French drilling firm and a government official have been killed in southeast Niger when suspected Boko Haram gunmen stormed the compound where they were sleeping. The attack shattered months of relative calm in the Diffa region near the Lake Chad basin, a strategic area where the borders of four countries converge. The victims, all Nigerien, were shot dead on Thursday at a site in Toumour, a village near the border with Nigeria, where they had been drilling two deep-water wells to improve conditions for displaced people at a local refugee camp. Seven of them were employees of Foraco, a French firm which specialises in drilling for mining and water projects. The eighth victim was an official from Niger's ministry of hydraulics. "A group of terrorists attacked the building where a team of Foraco drillers and technicians were resting in the village of Toumour," a company statement said. "The assailants opened fire on the sleeping personnel and killed eight ...
6 wanted criminals in separate cases held in Gautam Buddh Nagar
Six wanted criminals were arrested in four separate encounters with police in Gautam Buddh Nagar Thursday, officials said. Three of the face-offs between police and the accused, some of whom wanted in multiple cases of loot and robbery, took place in Noida while one in Greater Noida, the officials said. The first incident occurred under Greater Noida's Kasna police station limits in which two men were arrested, Gautam Buddh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma said. Four men travelling in a car were intercepted by Sector 39 police on suspicion. "When gestured to stop for checking, the occupants opened fire on the police team. Two of them were injured in the firing and arrested, while two others managed to flee," the police said. Another man, Sonu Sharma, a resident of Ghaziabad, was arrested by the Phase 3 police during a security check in the area. "The accused has over a dozen cases of loot and robbery and was held after a gunfight, while his accomplice managed to ..
ULFA(I) behind Tinsukia killings, says Assam DGP
Assam Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia said Thursday a six-member team of the proscribed ULFA(I) militants was behind the killing of five Bengali-speaking persons at Tinsukia district earlier this month. The DGP's statement came on day when two people were killed and several more injured in a grenade attack by suspected ULFA (Independent) militants in Sibsagar district of upper Assam. On the night of November 1, a group of assailants called out six villagers of Kherbari. They then took them to the edge of Dhola-Sadiya bridge in the area and opened indiscriminate fire, killing five of them on spot. One of them survived the firing. The needle of suspicion was towards the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) from the very beginning but the organisation denied any role in the killing. "Preliminary investigations conducted by police and NIA into the killings have already started. We have all the information how the incident took place. We have sufficient technical ...