Page 37 - War Conflict
Egyptian officials: Militant attack kills 10 police in Sinai
Egyptian security officials say Islamic militants attacked a checkpoint in the restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, killing at least 10 policemen. The officials say the attack took place as Muslims in the city of al-Arish were holding prayers marking the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which follows the month of Ramadan, on Wednesday morning. They say two officers and eight conscripts were killed. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. The officials say the militants attacked the checkpoint, seized an armored vehicle to make their getaway but a warplane chased them in the desert, killing at least five. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Egypt has for years battled an Islamic State affiliate based in northern Sinai.
Amid financial crisis at UN, SG Guterres had considered selling posh NY official residence
Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said he had contemplated selling his official four-story residence in New York when he took charge as the UN chief to help resolve the deteriorating financial crisis facing the world body. The Secretary General's official residence is in Sutton Place, an exclusive Manhattan enclave off the East River. "Looking at the Organisation's overall finances, and its financial ratios, can be misleading. We have of course more assets than liabilities but not enough liquid assets. I cannot sell this building," Guterres said Tuesday in his remarks to the General Assembly's Fifth Committee on 'Improving the Financial Situation of the Organisation'. He told the delegates present at the meeting that the first thing he did when he arrived in New York to assume charge as the UN Chief was to ask if he could sell the residence. "I am not joking. It is a true story. I discovered that I couldn't, because the residence can only be sold to the United States of America ..
Gang wars, access to firearms test Delhi Police's Special Cell skills
With firearms being extensively used by criminals, the national capital has seen multiple cases of gang wars in recent weeks. However, Special Cell of Delhi Police may have just turned the game upside down with four encounters within nine days. ACPs (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Attar Singh, Manoj Dixit, Lalit Mohan Negi and Hirdaya Bhushan were directly involved in one or more cases of encounter which helped the police to nab serious offenders.
Sudan protesters reject army election plan after deadly crackdown
Sudan's protest movement called Tuesday for fresh rallies and rejected the military rulers' election plan after more than 35 people were killed in what demonstrators called a "bloody massacre" by security forces. Protest leaders called on their supporters to take part in "total civil disobedience" to topple the ruling military council following the deadly dispersal Monday of a weeks-long sit-in outside the army headquarters in Khartoum. The Transitional Military Council ousted veteran president Omar al-Bashir in April after months of protests against his authoritarian rule and had agreed a three-year transition period to a civilian administration. But army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced in a televised statement the plan had been ditched and an election would take place under "regional and international supervision". "The military council decides on the following: cancelling what was agreed on and stopping negotiating with the Alliance for Freedom and Change, and to ...
Jihadists kill Nigerian soldiers in string of attacks: military
Jihadists killed five soldiers at a northeast Nigerian army base hit in a string of weekend attacks, the military said Tuesday as IS-linked Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the multi-pronged assault. A military source said five troops were killed at a base in Marte in Borno state. "We lost five soldiers in the Marte encounter but I don't have any details on human losses in the other camps," said the source, who asked not to be named. "We have to wait for the final assessment on the incidents to have a definite toll on casualties." The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the IS-linked faction of Boko Haram, said in an online statement its fighters attacked five bases in Borno at the weekend, destroying vehicles and carting away weapons, according to SITE Intelligence which monitors jihadist activities worldwide. ISWAP claimed its assault on bases in the towns of Marte, Kirenowa and Dikwa killed 14 troops, but AFP could not independently verify the toll. The group also ...
UN probe urges DR Congo to 'step up' fight against impunity
UN investigators on Tuesday urged authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to "step up the pace" and broaden their efforts to ensure accountability for serious violations in the restive Kasai region. In a fresh report, the experts warned that Kinshasa is moving too slowly to investigate and prosecute a wide range of suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kasai in 2016-17. "The military justice authorities must... step up the pace," said the report, which will be presented during the next session of the UN Human Rights Council (June 24- July 12). It pointed out that in the past three years, only a single case has proceeded so far that "it is ready to be tried". "The passage of time works against the criminal justice system by weakening the reliability of testimony, which is often the only evidence available, and making it more difficult to identify and preserve physical evidence, such as mass graves," the report warned. Kasai was plunged into violence in ..
Message praising IS chief found on bridge in Navi Mumbai
Police are extra vigilant after a message praising terror organization Islamic State (IS), its head Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed appeared on a pillar of a bridge in Uran near Mumbai, an official said Tuesday. Some villagers from nearby Khopta spotted the message, written with a black marker pen, and alerted police, he said. The message praised Baghdadi as the "most dreaded terrorist of the world". On another pillar, a diagram of sorts was found, featuring words such as 'port', 'airport', 'pipeline', 'train' and crude drawings representing these objects. Local police as well as officials of Navi Mumbai crime branch and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) visited the spot after learning about the message and drawings, the police official said. As some important installations are situated in and around Uran, including a naval base, JNPT container port and a power station, the police have increased the security in the area, he said. Some
Terrorist hideout busted in J-K's Poonch
Security forces busted a terrorist hideout in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district and seized a cache of arms and ammunition, officials said Tuesday. During a search operation in Lassana forest area, the security personnel seized one Chinese pistol, 19 pistol rounds and 213 rounds of AK-47 rifle, they said. An FIR was registered in the matter and a probe was underway, the officials said. The search operation was conducted by police and a team of 16 Rashtriya Rifles, they added.
Afghan president pledges to release nearly 900 prisoners
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pledged Tuesday to release nearly 900 inmates from prisons across Afghanistan. During an address to the nation for Eid -- the festival marking the end of Ramadan -- Ghani said 887 inmates would be set free. The president did not say what offences the prisoners had committed or whether they were members of the Taliban. During a peace conference in April, Ghani said he would release 175 Taliban prisoners as a gesture of "goodwill". It was not clear if those insurgent prisoners were included in the number Ghani gave on Tuesday. Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of Ramadan early last month, but the Taliban rejected the offer. Last year, the Taliban observed a three-day ceasefire but there has been no reduction in violence this year. Ghani also said he had accepted an invitation from Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Pakistan later this month.
Deadly shooting shakes Lebanese city, culprit a 'lone wolf'
Military police and forensics in white overalls deployed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Tuesday after a lone gunman went on an overnight shooting spree, killing four security personnel before blowing himself up in an apartment in a residential building. The rare shooting, in which the gunman used a motorcycle to move around, opening fire on police and army vehicles, shook the predominantly Sunni Muslim coastal city on the eve of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Interior Minister Raya El Hassan told reporters that the gunman, identified as Abdul-Rahman Mabsout, is a former member of the Islamic State group and now a "lone wolf." She said the situation was under control. The shooting began late Monday with Mabsout first firing at a branch of the Lebanese Central Bank, then driving around, shooting at police and later at an army vehicle, killing four. With police in hot pursuit, opening fire and using tear gas, Mabsout then drove to .
Moon sightings, politics play a part in Muslim holiday
Muslims across the Middle East and beyond began Tuesday marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, one of the most celebrated holidays for the world's 1.5 billion Muslims, amid confusion about the start of the three-day holiday fed partly by political differences. The holiday marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when devout Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. But the start of the holiday varies from country to country with splits even within the same country because the start of Eid is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon, which sometimes varies according to geographic location. As with everything else in the Middle East, politics often plays a part seemingly this year more than others with countries that traditionally followed Saudi Arabia's lead breaking with it this year, including the Palestinians and Jordan. Muslim Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, as well as Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, announced the first day of Eid is Tuesday, whereas ...
ITBP to retrieve bodies of U'khand climbers in daring heliborne operation
ITBP troops will undertake a first-of-its-kind daring rescue operation to retrieve the mortal remains of at least eight mountaineers suspected to have been killed in an avalanche near an unscaled peak adjoining Nanda Devi East in Uttarakhand, a senior official said Tuesday. The Pithoragarh district administration has sought the services of the mountain-warfare trained troops of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to undertake the mission under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act of 2005. "A team comprising the best ITBP mountaineers has been formed. This is a high-risk mission as the only way to retrieve the bodies is through a heliborne operation. This is possibly the first time that bodies will be retrieved from a height of about 20,000 feet from a mountain peak in India," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey told PTI here. He said the ITBP climbers will be lowered down from the helicopter to fetch the bodies and the operation is expected to be launched on Wednesday on board
Ukraine accuses Russia of failing to stop 'terrorism'
Ukraine accused Russia on Tuesday of doing nothing to prevent what it called pro-Moscow separatists' "acts of terrorism" in eastern Ukraine, including the 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight. Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Olena Zerkal made the claim before judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the second day of arguments in a case brought by Kiev against Moscow. On Monday, Russia argued that Ukraine had failed to present any new evidence against it and called on the court to dismiss the case. Zerkal responded on Tuesday by blaming Russia for failing to prevent deadly violence in Ukraine. "Did it stop the financing of terrorism in Ukraine? No. Did it help us find the authors of terrorist acts? No," she said. "Result? Flight MH17 was shot down. There have been bomb attacks, rockets have fallen in residential districts. Hundreds of people have been killed or wounded, thousands have been intimidated." The destruction of flight MH17 killed all 298 people ..
2 Armymen killed, 3 others injured in accident
Two Armymen were killed and three others injured when their vehicle overturned in Sonitpur district on Tuesday, police said. The incident took place at Nekerahola area in the morning when the Army personnel were going home on leave. While rushing towards Rangapara railway station, the driver lost control of the vehicle which skidded off the road and turned over, police said. The deceased were identified as Naik Dhyan Singh and Lance Naik Nasir Ahmed Bhatt. The three injured have been taken to the Tezpur Army Base Hospital here. The victims belonged to Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment.
Seven killed in Myanmar monastery shelling: witnesses
Seven people were killed when artillery rounds slammed into a monastery where they were sheltering from firefights between military and insurgent forces in Myanmar's Rakhine state, witnesses said Tuesday. The military has deployed thousands of troops to the western state, where it is locked in bloody battles with Arakan Army (AA) rebels fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. Clashes are heating up in the same area where the military drove out 740,000 Rohingya Muslims in a 2017 campaign UN investigators have said amounted to genocide. On Monday morning, fighting engulfed the village of Sapa Htar in northern Rakhine state's Minbya township, village leader Myo Kyaw Aung told AFP by phone Tuesday. He described how villagers took refuge in the local monastery after artillery fire hit several homes. "Then ... shelling hit the monastery," he said, adding that in addition to the seven deaths, an equal number were injured. Many of the community of some 800 tried to flee but .
BSF nabs drug smuggler
Border Security Force (BSF) troops apprehended one drug smuggler and seized a large quantity of the drug Phensedyl from him on the border area of Fulbari in West Bengal's Coochbehar district.Acting on a tip-off on Monday evening, BSF troops laid an ambush and nabbed the smuggler along with 399 bottles of Phensedyl, while he was attempting to smuggle the drugs to Bangladesh.The man identified as Swapan Barman,19, is the son of Bipin Barman, a resident of Fulbari Chowpati.The case was registered in the police station of Sitalkuchi and has been handed over for further legal action.BSF officials captured the miscreants due to their alertness towards the issues of trans-border crimes and illegal infiltration.The force is undertaking relevant efforts and is taking strict actions to prevent such trans-border crimes.
Caldwell excited about 'Black Tornado...' adaptation
American screenwriter Joshua Caldwell will be writing the script for the adaptation of author Sandeep Unnithan's "Black Tornado: The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11" and hopes to do justice to it.
Couple drowned in water tank
A couple drowned in a water tank on Tuesday at a village in Rajasthan's Barmer district, police said. The woman slipped into the tank while trying to fetch water, following which her husband tried to save her, but both drowned, they said. The bodies were fished out from the tank after villagers informed the police, they said. The deceased were identified as Lalaram (22) and Sugni Devi (19). The bodies were handed over to their family after post- mortem. A case has been registered, they added.
Targeted action against 10 top terrorists in J-K soon
Security agencies have prepared a list of 10 most wanted terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, that includes top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo, against whom targeted operations will soon be launched to eliminate or nab them, officials said Tuesday. The list was prepared following inputs from intelligence agencies, paramilitary forces, the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Naikoo, the chief commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) in the Valley, tops the list as he has been involved in a series of subversive activities leading to casualties among security personnel and civilians, a security official said. The wanted terrorists include Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) Shopian district commander Wasim Ahmed alias Osama, HM's Anantnag district commander Mohd Ashraf Khan, HM's Baramulla district commander Mehraj-Ud-Din, HM militant operator in Srinagar Saifullah Mir alias Doctor Saif, HM's Pulwama district commander Arshaid-Ul Haq. Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief operational commander ..
Deadly shooting shakes Lebanese city as Muslims mark Eid
Lebanon's interior minister said a gunman was working alone when he went on a shooting spree that killed four security personnel in the northern city of Tripoli. Raya El Hassan said the shooting by the man identified as a former member of the Islamic State group, Abdul-Rahman Mabsout, is an "individual case" and the situation is under control. She spoke to reporters in Tripoli Tuesday, hours after Mabsout, riding a motorcycle, opened fire on police and army vehicles in the city, killing two police officers and two soldiers before breaking into a residential building and hiding there. He later detonated an explosive belt when confronted by troops. The rare shooting, which began late Monday, shook the predominantly Sunni Muslim coastal city on the eve of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.