Page 357 - War Conflict
Terrorists who killed BJP leader will soon be eliminated: Ram Madhav
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Ram Madhav said on Tuesday that state party leader Anil Parihar and his brother were murdered by terrorists who will soon be eliminated.
US airman in Japan dies in stabbing; Japanese woman arrested
The US Air Force says a US airman in Japan has been stabbed and later died at a hospital. Japanese police say they have arrested a suspect, a Japanese woman. The Air Force said in a statement that 35-year-old Master Sgt Nicholas Vollweiler, from the 374th Airlift Wing, was found unconscious in his off-base home with stab wounds Friday. Japanese police identified the suspect as 27-year-old Aria Saito. They said she was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, allegedly stabbing Vollweiler in the neck. Japanese media said Saito was telling police she killed Vollweiler because she did not want to end their relationship, and she intended to kill herself afterward. Police and the US military declined to comment on the reports. "He will be dearly missed by our community," Col Otis Jones, commander of the 374th Airlift Wing, said of Vollweiler. "His family, friends, fellow defenders and all of the Yokota community are in our prayers during this heartbreaking time," he added, referring to ..
Thousands of Afghans flee fighting in Hazara districts
Thousands of Afghans have fled to Ghazni city to escape fighting in two Hazara-dominated districts, with some describing the violence Tuesday as the worst they had seen in the 17-year conflict. The Taliban have been battling members of Afghanistan's special forces and ethnic Hazara militia in the previously safe districts of Jaghori and Malistan in the southeastern province of Ghazni for nearly a week. Hundreds of people, including civilians, militia, commandos and militants, have been killed, according to figures provided by locals and government officials. Many families have fled to the provincial capital, some leaving their homes in the middle of the night and travelling on side roads to avoid Taliban checkpoints. "We were scared, other people were fleeing so we decided to leave too," said a woman called Zainab, who drove with her five children for 12 hours on dirt roads from her home in Jaghori district to Ghazni city. "We have never seen this kind of war and my children and I ...
Man killed in IED blast in Chhattisgarh
A villager was killed when Naxals detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisagrh's Sukma district, police said Tuesday. The incident took place in Timmapuram village Monday, but locals informed police about it Tuesday, Sukma Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena told PTI. As per preliminary information, the man came in the contact with the pressure IED connection when he was working in his field, he said. He died on the spot, the police officer said. A police team was sent to the village and further details were awaited, he said. Naxals often plant IEDs on dirt tracks adjoining fields to target security forces during their operations, Meena added. Polling was held Monday in 18 constituencies of eight Naxal-affected districts, including Sukma, in the first phase of the state elections. On Monday, five personnel of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force, were injured in two separate encounters with ultras ..
Rocket barrages, Israeli strikes threaten new Gaza war
The worst escalation between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza since a 2014 war threatened to descend into full-blown conflict on Tuesday after further barrages of rocket fire and dozens more air strikes overnight. Six Palestinians were killed in Gaza in less than 24 hours as Israeli strikes targeted militants and flattened buildings while sending fireballs and plumes of smoke into the sky. Sirens wailed in southern Israel and tens of thousands of residents took cover in shelters as around 400 rockets and mortar rounds were fired from the Gaza Strip, wounding 27 people, including three severely. A Palestinian labourer from the occupied West Bank was killed when a rocket hit a building in the Israeli city of Ashkelon. Schools were closed in the Gaza Strip and in southern Israel as both sides warned the other that it would respond forcefully to any further violence. A spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, Abu Obeida, threatened to further expand its targets "if the enemy continues to
ICC suspends Lokuhettige on fixing charges UAE's T10 League
Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Dilhara Lokuhettige was on Tuesday suspended by the ICC after charging him with match fixing during the T10 League in UAE last year. The ICC said it has charged Lokuhettige on behalf of Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) since it was appointed by them as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official for the purposes of the ECB's Code. The 38-year-old, who played nine ODIs and two T20s for Sri Lanka, has been charged with three counts of ECB's anti-corruption code. The charges cover "being party to an effort to fix or contrive or to otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct, or other aspect(s) of a Domestic Match. The second charge deals with "Directly soliciting, inducing, enticing or encouraging a player to breach Code Article." And "failure to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Officer (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the Code. Lokuhettige, who did not .
Dilhara Lokuhettige charged under ECB Anti-Corruption Code
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday, on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), charged former Sri Lankan cricketer Dilhara Lokuhettige with three counts of breaching the ECB's Anti-Corruption Code.The ICC was appointed by the ECB as the Designated Anti-Corruption Official for the purposes of the ECB's Code and as such is issuing this charge on the ECB's behalf. The charges against Lokuhettige are as follows:? Article 2.1.1 - being party to an effort to fix or contrive or to otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct, or other aspect (s) of a Domestic Match? Article 2.1.4 - directly soliciting, inducing, enticing or encouraging a player to breach Code Article 2.1.1? Article 2.4.4 - failure to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Officer (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations he received to engage in Corrupt Conduct under the CodeLokuhettige has been provisionally suspended with immediate effect and has 14 ...
Anti-mine boots procured for jawans in forward posts in J-K: Army commander
The Army has procured special anti-mine boots for troops deployed along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir with twin aims of facilitating domination of the landmine-infested forward areas and hot pursuit of terrorists if necessary, a top Army officer said. As part of the counter-infiltration grid, the soldiers have to get into forward areas for domination and some times even undertake hot pursuit of the terrorists and subversive elements, General Officer Commanding of the Army's Jammu-based XVI Corps Lt. General Paramjit Singh told PTI in an interview on Sunday. "We have purchased equipment such as anti-mine boots and deep search metal detectors out of the special funds to facilitate these operations and at the same time ensure the safety of our soldiers," he said. He said the forward areas along the LoC under XVI Corps -- a length of nearly 250 kilometres of rugged terrain and dense bushes -- have inherent landmine dangers but all preparations, including safety precautions, ...
Indo-Russian military exercises from November 18
India and Russia will hold joint military exercises in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh from November 18, it was announced on Tuesday.
Sukma encounter: 2 suspected Naxals taken into custody
Two suspected Naxals were taken into custody for interrogation after an encounter took place in Chhattisgarh's Sukma on Monday.Yesterday, two Naxals were killed in the encounter with security forces, just a few hours after voting in the first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections concluded.The gunfight had begun at around 6 pm between the District Reserve Guards (DRG) Sukma and the Naxals near Mudwal village. The Naxals were killed and two rifles were recovered.Initial reports indicated that the Naxals of military platoon formation were planning to attack the security forces returning from area domination. However, alertness of the security forces averted a major incident.The two Naxals were active in Kanger-valley area of Darbha Division. During the search operation, a fabricated rifle, three local made weapons, arms and ammunition were recovered from the spot.Earlier on Monday, three CoBRA personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) suffered bullet wounds in a gun battle
3 civilians killed in attack on UN contractor in Mali
At least three Malian civilians were killed and four foreigners working for a UN-contracted mine-clearing operation wounded in a suicide attack Monday in the country's violence-hit north, the security ministry and other official sources said. The attack, claimed by a group linked to Al-Qaeda, took place in the city of Gao at around 8:00 pm (2000 GMT), according to a ministry statement. "A loaded 4x4 vehicle exploded in the vicinity of a residential complex," the ministry said, adding that two others were wounded in the blast, which also damaged surrounding homes. Mali has been struggling to return to stability after Islamist extremists linked to Al-Qaeda jihadists took control of the north in early 2012, prompting a military intervention by France. The extremists were routed in the French operation in 2013 but large stretches of the landlocked African state remain out of government control. A local official said at least two Malian passers-by who lived close to the targeted building ..
Afghan leader tells US audience that Taliban not winning war
The president of Afghanistan told a US audience Tuesday that his country is not losing the war to the Taliban and is not at risk of collapse amid escalating attacks by the militant group and an expansion of the territory it controls. President Ashraf Ghani said his administration is intent on seeking a negotiated peace with the Taliban, which have shown no interest in direct talks with a government they see as illegitimate. "The Taliban are not in a winning position," Ghani said by video to an audience at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington as a suicide bombing in Kabul and a deadly militant assault on districts in eastern Afghanistan suggested government control was slipping further. Ghani said that more than 28,000 Afghan forces have been killed in the past four years but that the military will be able to retake territory as long as it has an air force and commando troops. He said most of the losses incurred by its security forces ..
Robots go to war in UK Army's exercise
The biggest ever robot exercise in the history of the British army got underway Monday.
150 killed in battle for Yemen's Hodeida as global alarm grows
At least 150 people have been killed in 24 hours of clashes in the Yemeni port city of Hodeida, medics said Tuesday, as Britain's top diplomat visited the Gulf seeking to boost international calls for a ceasefire. Government loyalists supported by a Saudi-led coalition are fighting to oust the Iran-backed Huthi rebels from the strategic Red Sea city, whose docks are a lifeline to 14 million Yemenis at risk of starvation. Asked about the possibility of a ceasefire, a coalition spokesman told reporters in Riyadh that "the operation is still ongoing", adding that it was meant to pressure the rebels to come to the negotiating table. A Hodeida resident reported an ebb in fighting around the city by Monday evening, but UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a possible "catastrophic situation" if the port is destroyed. "The fighting must stop, a political debate must begin, and we must prepare a massive humanitarian response to avoid the worst next year," he said. A military source .
Afghan leader: Taliban peace deal 'when, not if'
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani voiced confidence Monday on reaching a peace deal to end the Taliban insurgency but warned that Pakistan's alleged meddling risked sparking long-term hostility. "I feel that it is now not a question of if, but when," Ghani said of a peace agreement in a wide-ranging appearance by video at Johns Hopkins University, where he was formerly a professor. "All wars have to end politically. There are very few wars, particularly the wars of the 21st century, that are going to end militarily," he said. Ghani, who is running for re-election next year, said he was offering unconditional talks and pointed to an unprecedented ceasefire with the Taliban in June as a hopeful sign. Taliban representatives recently met in Qatar with an envoy from the United States, which is eager for a way to end its longest-ever war, launched in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. At "the international level, there is total agreement between the US government and Afghan government to ...
Pakistan frees 2 Taliban members as US envoy visits region
Taliban officials say Pakistan has released Abdul Samad Sani, a US-designated terrorist who served as the Afghan Central Bank governor during the militants' rule, along with a lower-ranking commander named Salahuddin. The Taliban members, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media, say the two were released Monday. The release could be linked to US efforts to revive Afghan peace talks. It came as US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad launched a second tour of the region, with stops in Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates as well as Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. The insurgents say they met Khalilzad in Qatar last month. Khalilzad arrived in the region last Thursday and will return to Washington on Nov 20.
Women World C'ship: Somalia boxer who fought against all odds
Boxer Ramla Ali is the sole representative of Somalia in the upcoming International Boxing Association (AIBA) Women's World Championship, starting November 15.Her journey, as she said, "has been a lot longer than anyone else in Somalia."Born during the time of civil war in the country, Ali had fled to England along with her family following the death of her elder brother in a grenade attack."My journey started off in Somalia. I was born when the civil war in the country was at highest. My mother decided to flee with the whole family because my oldest brother had died in a grenade attack. From Somalia, we went to Kenya. Then it was like a ten-day boat trip. My mom spent many months saving money to bring us to England. Now I am here," Ali told ANI.Being a Muslim, it was not easy for the boxer to make a career in the ring. Her own family was not supportive in the matter."When I got into boxing, I knew that my family would not support it purely because I am a Muslim. So I hid it from them
Army chief counsels 'radicalised' Kashmiri youths against becoming cannon fodder of terror outfits
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat Monday sought to counsel Kashmiri youths having the propensity to veer off to radical paths to see through the designs of terror outfits, which use them up as "cannon feeders" even before training them to fight. Terming those hindering the security forces' anti-terror operations as "supporters of terrorists", and warning them of "stern actions", the Chief of Army Staff said the security forces are also acting against those involved in terror funding and aiding and abetting terrorism. Talking of situation on borders, Gen Rawat said the infiltration was under control and the cease fire violations by Pakistan army are being replied to befittingly. Terming the situation along the border and hinterland as "totally under control", the Army chief, however, noted that attempts are being made to revive terrorism in Jammu region. Holding "misinformation and disinformation" campaigns responsible for the radicalisation of the youths in the Valley, the COAS called ...
At least six killed in Kabul suicide attack
Six people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Kabul Monday, close to where scores of Afghans had been protesting against Taliban attacks on the minority Hazara ethnic group. The attack is the latest in a wave of violence across war-torn Afghanistan as the Taliban intensify pressure on beleaguered government security forces, which are suffering record high casualties. Interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish said 20 were wounded in the blast, which struck in front of a high school in the downtown area of the Afghan capital. Initial reports indicated most of the victims were members of the security forces, but Danish said civilians, including several women, had borne the brunt of the carnage. A photo shared on WhatsApp showed several bodies lying on the ground. "The suicide attacker on foot wanted to target protesters, but he was stopped at a security checkpoint some 200 metres (yards) from the site," interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said. A police ...
Pakistan reporter held for having 'provocative literature' Pakistan reporter held
A defense lawyer says a journalist who was taken away by unidentified security forces over the weekend has been charged with possessing "provocative literature." Nasrullah Khan, a subeditor for a local daily in Karachi, was taken from his home early Saturday by uniformed and plainclothes men and held incommunicado for two days. On Monday, after protests by local journalists, he appeared in an anti-terrorism court. Defense lawyer Haider Imam Rizvi says the "so-called charge" stems from a jihadi magazine found in his client's apartment. He says Khan was confined illegally and only handed over to police after the protests. Several journalists and bloggers say they have been detained or threatened in recent months after writing critically about Pakistan's powerful security agencies.