Page 360 - War Conflict
Death toll climbs to 58 from car bombings in Somali capital
Somali medical sources on Sunday increased the death toll to 58 people killed by last week's car bombings in the capital Mogadishu, which injured over 100.
1 terrorist killed in J-K's Handwara, gunfight underway
Police gunned down a terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir's Handwara town in Kupwara district on Sunday. The exchange of fire between the terrorists and the police is currently underway.Police retaliated when terrorists mounted an attack on a check-post at Handwara bypass, triggering a gunfight. The identity of the deceased terrorist is yet to be ascertained. Arms and ammunition have been recovered from his possession.More details are awaited.On November 10, two terrorists were killed during an encounter with security forces in Tikken area of Pulwama district of the state.
Macron urges leaders at WWI ceremony to 'build hope, not fear'
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday urged dozens of world leaders marking a century since the end of World War I to come together for a joint "fight for peace". "Let us build our hopes rather than playing our fears against each other," he told leaders gathered at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Speaking to an audience that included US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin, he called for leaders to fight "withdrawal, violence and domination". "Together, we can ward off threats -- the spectre of global warming and the destruction of the environment, poverty, hunger, disease, inequalities, ignorance." After spending a week touring the former battlefields of northern France, he urged leaders not to forget the slaughter, "one hundred years after a massacre whose scars are still visible on the face of the world".
Vice President Naidu among world leaders marking WWI centenary in Paris
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday attended a solemn ceremony commemorating the centenary of the end of World War I along with other world leaders at the historic Arc De Triomphe in the French capital. French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Donald Trump, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and dozens of other world leaders were also present at the World War I Armistice Day centenary. The ceremony at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe war memorial on the Champs-Elysees marked the culmination of events for the 100th anniversary of the end of the four-year conflict from 1914-18 which claimed 18 million lives, including many Indian soldiers. Earlier, Naidu was received by Macron at the Elysee Palace here. Naidu is on a three-day visit to France. On Saturday, Naidu had inaugurated the first India-built war memorial in northern France to pay tribute to thousands of Indian soldiers who died fighting in World War I. Indian troops were on the Western Front by winter of 1914 and .
One militant killed in Kupwara
Security forces shot dead a militant on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.
Bid to loot ATM in Jammu foiled by police
An attempt by a thief to loot cash from an unguarded ATM was thwarted by the police here, officials said Sunday. While the culprit managed to escape, he left behind more than Rs 17 lakh in cash that was taken out from the ATM after breaking it open, they said. According to Station House Officer (SHO) of Channi Himmat Police Station Mohd Aslam, the thief attracted the attention of police patrolling the Sainik Colony locality on the outskirts of Jammu while attempting to break open the ATM. The police party comprising head constable Satish Kumar and selection grade constable Murad Ali heard some noise from a UCO bank ATM at around 2.45 am last night, Aslam told PTI. The policemen rushed towards the ATM but the thief who had taken out all the cash amounting to Rs 17,53,700 fled the scene, he added. A case was registered and efforts were on to identify the culprit and bring him to book, he said.
New statue in France commemorates role of Indian soldiers in World War I
A new statue commemorating the role of Indian soldiers in World War I was unveiled in the town of Laventie in France on Sunday to mark Armistice Day when the war ended in 1918. The seven-foot bronze statue is the first of 57 similar commemorative sculptures planned by the Inter-Faith Shaheedi Commemoration Association (IFSC) to be unveiled near cemeteries around France where soldiers who fought for the British Indian Army were buried. The site in Laventie was chosen after the remains of two soldiers were identified as belonging to the 39th Royal Garhwal Rifles and reburied with military honours last year. "This marks the commencement of our project to establish 57 such statues near all cemeteries where our Indian soldiers lie buried in France," said Col (retd) Deepak Dahiya, who served for 23 years in the Indian Army and is now based in Paris to facilitate the IFSC project as its vice-president. The statue was unveiled at a spot allocated by the Mayor of Laventie, Jean-Philippe ...
Taliban destroy Afghan army base, kill 16
Afghan officials say the Taliban have attacked a small army base, killing 12 members of the security forces and leaving behind explosives that killed four tribal elders who had come to help collect the bodies. Safder Mohsini, head of provincial council in the northern Baghlan province, says the insurgents abducted two soldiers and wounded three others in the attack, which began late Saturday. He says the militants burned down the base before planting bombs around it. The Taliban claimed the attack and said they seized ammunition from the base. The Taliban carry out near-daily attacks, mainly targeting Afghan security forces at rural outposts. Seventeen years after the US-led invasion, the insurgents control nearly half the country.
C'garh polls: Amid Maoist threat, 1 lakh security men deployed for first phase
Nearly one lakh security personnel have been deployed in the Naxal-affected districts going to polls in the first phase in Chhattisgarh on Monday, amid the threat from Maoists who have called for a boycott of the elections. On the eve of the polls, a sub-inspector of the Border Security Force (BSF) lost his life when Naxals detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) in Kanker district while a Maoist was gunned down in an encounter in Bijapur district. Voting will be held on Monday in 18 seats spread over eight Naxal-affected districts in the state. Naxal outfits have given calls for boycott of the election and executed over half-a-dozen attacks in the last 15 days, three of them major ones which left 13 people dead including a cameraman of national broadcaster Doordarshan who was covering the election campaign. According to police, escorting polling parties to their destinations and bringing them back after the polls pose challenges to them in the Naxal hotbed. "Around one lakh ...
Theft of Indian idols continues, says Indian-origin shipping executive
An estimated 1,000 pieces of ancient artworks are stolen from Indian temples every year and shipped to the international market, according to Singapore-based Indian-origin shipping executive. "We are estimating about close to 10,000 major work of arts leaving India every decade," said S Vijay Kumar, who has been tracking the theft of venerable gods and goddess for 15 years. Some of these are as heavy as 15-16 tonnes. Kumar has detailed the artwork theft in a book "The Idol Thief", which was launched in Singapore on Saturday. "We have tracked some of the huge objects 15-16 tonnes sculptures, that have left the country by Ocean containers, declared as brassware and garden furniture," Kumar told PTI. "Sadly, for a longtime it has not been cared for," he said, pointing out that not many people realise the extent of the loot which is a targeted loot on industry scale. Some stolen pieces are replicated without people realising it. Industry scale loot means auction houses are sending their .
Organiser of event where celebratory firing takes place would also be responsible for any mishap: HC
Organisers of events like weddings where celebratory firing takes place would also be held responsible for any mishap that may occur due to discharge of firearms, the Delhi High Court has said. Justice Vibhu Bakhru said the person organising the event has to ensure that his or her guests do not discharge firearms and ought to inform the police if celebratory firing takes place. The court said that if the government has not formulated guidelines on the issue, then till such norms come, "we need to fix responsibility on the person who organised the event". "Something should be done by the person organising the event. If you are conducting a ceremony where celebratory firing takes place, you will be held responsible. You cannot say that you did not ask them (guests) to bring the guns," the court said. It was hearing a plea moved by the father of a teenage girl, who died as a result of celebratory firing during a wedding near her house in April 2016. He has sought Rs 50 lakh compensation .
CRPF launches language, culture course for better intelligence against Naxals in Jharkhand
In a first of its kind initiative, the CRPF has begun training its troops in dialects, customs and traditions practised by tribals and locals in Jharkhand as part of a special program aimed to gather vital intelligence against Naxal operatives and build a camaraderie with the local population. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the lead anti-Naxal operations force in the country and has deployed 20 battalions (about 20,000 troops) in the tribal dominated state to conduct armed operations against the Left Wing Extremists (LWE) or Maoists. To start with, the force has decided to impart basic knowledge about the 'way of life' of tribals to at least 1,200 troops as part of a capsule course that also entails a special visit to weekly fairs and cultural programmes of the local area. "We are deployed in the remotest locations of the state where a jawan and officer has interaction with tribals and locals of the area on a regular basis.Due to lack of knowledge of the local dialect it .
Maoists kill BSF trooper in Chhattisgarh
BSF Assistant Sub-Inspector Mahinder Singh killed on Sunday in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district when Maoists exploded hidden explosives when the troopers were on foot patrol, authorities said.
Army, police should respect each other: Kiren Rijiju on Bomdila incident
In the wake of a clash between Army and police personnel in Arunachal Pradesh's Bomdila town, Union minister Kiren Rijiju Sunday said both the institutions should respect each other as they are serving the nation. In a Facebook post, Rijiju said theArmy is country's pride which secures "our motherland" and police are the pillar of internal security. "We must respect both great institutions. Every individual and institution functions under a system governed by law... Let's respect and strengthen each other," he wrote. The minister's comments came in the wake of some soldiers allegedly vandalising the Bomdila police station, and assaulting police personnel and civilians last week. During a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Rijiju took stock of the situation arising out of the clashes between Army and police personnel. "Our uniform people sacrifice their personal comfort and family for the nation...There are always elementary human errors which can be ...
Melbourne stabbing attacker 'inspired' by ISIS: Govt
A Somali-origin man, who set a car on fire and stabbed three people, killing one of them, before being fatally shot in the Australian city of Melbourne, did not have a "definite link" to the dreaded Islamic State but was "inspired" by it, the government said on Sunday. Hassan Khalif Shire Ali stabbed three members of the public and attacked police officers in the Bourke Street on Friday before he was shot and killed by the police. The 31-year-old, who was driving a Ute, loaded with gas bottles, into the Bourke Street, allegedly set it alight and began stabbing members of the public. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said authorities did not believe Ali, who had his passport cancelled in 2015, was a member of the Islamic State and had not been known to be ready to act, The Australian reported. "There was no evidence available to the police... that any attack was imminent or that he had been part of planning," he was quoted as saying by the report. "In relation to his connections with .
President, PM salute Indian soldiers who died in WW I
Paying tributes to Indian soldiers who fought in World War I which ended a century ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India was committed to peace and pledged to create an atmosphere where wars don't occur.
At least 61 killed in clashes in Yemen's Hodeida
At least 61 combatants have been killed in clashes in Yemen's flashpoint Hodeida, medics and a military source said Sunday, and dozens of wounded were taken to hospitals outside the city. Medics in the Red Sea city reported 43 Huthi rebels and nine loyalists killed in clashes over the past 24 hours. Another nine loyalist fighters were reported killed by medics at a hospital in government-held Mokha, south of Hodeida. A government military source confirmed the toll. Dozens of wounded rebels were transferred to hospitals in the provinces of Sanaa and Ibb, further inland, a source at the Hodeida military hospital said.
India committed to world peace, Modi reiterates
Paying tributes to the Indian soldiers who fought in first World War a hundred years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday reiterated India's commitment towards world peace and pledged to create an atmosphere where wars do not occur.
52 killed in Somalia car bombings
At least 52 people were killed and several others were injured in Friday's car bomb blasts in Somalia's capital Mogadishu.Two car bombs exploded within minutes of each other near Mogadishu's Sahafi Hotel. The hotel is situated near the headquarters of the Somali Police Force's Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Voice of America reported.As per Somalia security officials, four militants also entered the hotel, went to the roof and started firing on people down below. The security forces eventually killed the assailants and rescued people from hotel rooms.The five hospitals, which mainly treat the victims of gunshots and explosions in the city, confirmed the death toll while also informing that 106 others are wounded.Al-Shabab group, which is fighting to overthrow Somalia's government, has claimed responsibility for the attack.Al-Shabab was forced out of Mogadishu and other major urban areas by Somalia in 2011, but it continues to carry out bombings and attacks in the
Queen Elizabeth leads televised remembrance tribute to fallen soldiers
In a televised commemorative show on Saturday evening, UK's Queen Elizabeth II led tributes to soldiers who died in conflict since the beginning of the First World War.