Page 385 - War Conflict

Six killed by car bomb near Iraq's Mosul

A car bomb attack Tuesday killed six people and wounded 26 more at a market in a town near the Islamic State group's former Iraqi capital of Mosul, medics said. Images of the scene posted on social media showed a devastated market in the town of Al Qayyarah, 60 kilometres south of Mosul, with wounded being evacuated as bystanders watched on. "The attack killed six people and wounded 26," doctor Abdelmoneim Majid al-Tabu, who heads the town's health service, told AFP. Al Qayyarah was held by IS after they swept through northern Iraq in 2014. The jihadists were ousted from the town in 2016, almost a year before they were driven out of Mosul. While IS has now lost all its urban footholds in Iraq it retains the capacity to launch deadly attacks, with cells operating in desert areas along the border with Syria.

Deputy chief of ISIS-linked group in Somalia killed: officials

Somali intelligence officials say the deputy leader of an Islamic State-affiliated extremist group based in northern Somalia has been killed in the capital. The officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to reporters told The Associated Press that Mahad Maalin's body was found near a Mogadishu beach last week, a few days after he reportedly was abducted while secretly visiting the city. The officials say his relatives have accused other deputies in the extremist group. Reports have emerged that the group's leader was ill, creating rivalry among possible successors. Abdiqadir Mumin, an elderly British extremist, founded the IS-linked group that is said to have dozens of fighters. It has claimed attacks in the north and outside Mogadishu and makes money from extorting civilians.

Punjab CM visits cemetery of Indian soldiers in Israel

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday visited the cemetery of Indian soldiers in Israel who had laid their lives during the War of Liberation of Haifa in 1918. Haifa celebrated the centenary year of its liberation by Indian cavalry units in September, paying warm tributes to the courage shown by them in what is considered by most of the war historians as the "last great cavalry campaign in history". Singh, who is a well-acclaimed military historian and has penned books like 'Saragarhi' and 'The Defence of the Samana Fort', visited the Commonwealth Cemetery for the Battle of Haifa martyrs and paid his tributes to the Indian soldiers who had laid their lives while protecting the Israeli city of Haifa from the Ottoman Empire forces during World War I. Haifa municipality has immortalised the sacrifice of the Indian soldiers in the liberation of Haifa by including a chapter on their bravery in history textbooks taught at schools. Singh is on a five-day visit to Israel that ...

Rajnath says Kulgam incident 'very unfortunate', announces ex-gratia for kin of deceased

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday termed as "very unfortunate" the death of seven civilians in a blast after an encounter had ended in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir and appealed to people not to venture such places where security operations were on. The minister also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for next of kin of the deceased. "There has been an incident in Kulgam. I have been informed that some civilians have been killed in it. It is very unfortunate. I have been told that the operation had concluded and the security forces had left but some people went there and an explosion took place due to some reason. We are pained at the loss of lives," Singh told reporters here. Singh said he wanted to convey his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. "The price of a life cannot be set in monetary terms but still I announce an ex-gratia relief of Rs five lakh for each affected family," he said. The Home Minister, who reviewed the security situation in the ...

Boko Haram jihadists kill two in NE Nigeria attack

Boko Haram jihadists have killed two people in an attack on a village in northeast Nigeria near the town of Chibok, residents and a militia official told AFP Tuesday. The jihadists, believed to be loyal to Boko Haram factional leader Abubakar Shekau, late Monday raided Mifah, seven kilometres from Chibok, where militants abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in 2014. Boko Haram's nine-year conflict has killed an estimated 27,000 people and displaced two million, creating a humanitarian crisis and spilling into Nigeria's northern neighbours. "They killed two people and looted the village before setting it on fire," said David Bitrus, a civilian militia member fighting alongside the army, after the Mifah attack. "The village has been reduced to ashes. Six people were injured in the attack," he said. The attack, which happened around 8 pm (1900 GMT), forced residents of the village to flee to Chibok. "The gunmen came in a truck and on several motorcycles and began shooting in the village," .

France begins deliberations on new aircraft carrier

PARIS (Reuters) - France will make a decision on the replacement of its flagship aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle at the start of 2020, its armed forces minister said on Tuesday.

7 killed in Iraq car bombing

At least seven people were killed and 20 others wounded in a car bomb explosion in Iraq's Mosul city on Tuesday, the military said.

Pilgrim dies on way to Vaishno Devi shrine

A 61-year-old pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh died en route the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Tuesday. Harbir Singh Teotia, a resident of Ghaziabad, fell unconscious near Satya point along the new track while on his way from base camp Katra to cave shrine on Monday evening, a police official said. He said the pilgrim was rushed to Himkoti dispensary where doctors declared him brought dead. Quoting doctors, the officials said Teotia had suffered a massive heart attack resulting in his death.

29 Chhattisgarh-bound Tripura troopers injured in accident

Twenty nine troopers of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) bound for poll-related duties in Chhatisgarh have been injured after their bus fell into a deep gorge, police said here on Tuesday.

Security beefed up to foil sit-in by separatists, normal life hit in Srinagar

Normal life remained affected for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as the authorities imposed restrictions in certain parts of the city to foil a sit-in protest by separatists at Lal Chowk over the death of seven civilians in a blast at an encounter site in Kulgam district Sunday. All roads leading to Lal Chowk's historic Ghanta Ghar (clock tower) were sealed, with a large number of police and paramilitary personnel deployed to foil any attempt by the separatists to reach there, officials said. The authorities also imposed restrictions in parts of the old city as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order, they added. Shops, private offices and other business establishments remained shut in many parts of the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, while public transport was off the roads. The separatists had not called for a strike on Tuesday, but the authorities shut down all educational institutions and postponed examinations. While a shutdown was observed Monday, the ...

5 Indian fishermen apprehended by Sri Lankan Navy

At least five Indian fishermen belonging to Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy from Neduntheevu in northern Sri Lanka on Tuesday.The navy authorities also recovered a mechanised boat from the fishermen.Straying of Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen into each other's waters is a recurrent problem as territories on the sea are not clearly demarcated.According to media reports, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami last week wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to secure the release of eight fishermen from Tamil Nadu lodged in Sri Lankan prisons.

29 personnel of Tripura State Rifles injured in bus accident

At least 29 personnel of the 8th battalion of Tripura State Rifles were injured on late Monday night in a bus accident in West Tripura district.The accident took place in Baramura hills area when the team of Tripura State Rifles were on their way to Chhattisgarh for their election duties.Two of the injured personnel have been shifted to Kolkata, while others have been admitted to GB Pant Hospital in Tripura."Out of all the injured, two are serious. Doctors have decided to refer them to Kolkata. All of them are conscious. A train was leaving from Agaratala tomorrow for Chhattisgarh for election duty. They were a part of the battalion which was leaving tomorrow," Director General of Police (DGP) of Tripura Akhil Kumar Shukla told ANI.Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb, Health Minister Sudip Roy Barman, and other senior officials rushed to the hospital and visited the injured."Doctors are looking after them, I believe they'll be fine soon. Chief Secretary , Director General of Police and .

France to have memorial for Indians who took part in World War I

A memorial dedicated to Indians who fought in World War I would be unveiled in France next month.

Northern Army Commander reviews security situation in J-K

Northern Army commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh on Monday reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of the forces in the forward areas of Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. Lt Gen Singh visited forward areas in eastern Ladakh sector on Monday, an Army spokesman said. He reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of the forces in the frontier region. The Army commander lauded all ranks for their dedication and high morale, the spokesman added.

Bodies of 3 Army personnel killed in gunfight reach native villages

The bodies of three Army personnel, who sacrificed their lives for the nation fighting Pakistani intruders in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, were taken to their respective villages for cremation on Monday, officials said. Coffins of the slain soldiers wrapped in the Tricolour were taken to their respective villages after a wreath laying ceremony at a military station in Akhnoor sector here. The deceased soldiers were identified as Havildar Kaushal Kumar of Nowshera (Rajouri), lance naik Ranjeet Singh of Doda and rifleman Rajat Kumar Basan of Pallanwala of Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI). While the bodies of Kumar and Basan were consigned to flames on Monday, Singh will be laid to rest in Ramban on Tuesday, the officials said. The three soldiers were killed Sunday in a gunfight after the Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district. Two heavily armed Pakistani intruders were also killed in the gunfight. As the bodies of the ...

2 NDFB (RD) militants thrashed by public

Two militants of NDFB (Ranjan Daimary) faction were thrashed by local people while they were trying to extort money from a contractor in Assam's Kamrup district Monday, police said. When the cadres of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB-RD) were demanding money from one of the staff of the contractor engaged in construction of road at Hiragata the local people reached the spot and caught the duo and started thrashing them, officer-in-charge (OC) of Rangia police station, Ratan Das. The local people also damaged the motorcycle in which the two militants had came to the village. The local people then handed over the two militants to the police, the OC added.

Two brothers shot, injured at currency exchange shop

Two brothers were injured after some men fired shots at them at their currency exchange shop in southwest Delhi's Mahipalpur on Monday, police said. The brothers, Akmal and Faizi, were at the shop when a couple of men met them and opened fire after some time, they said. The accused sat with the brothers for around 25 minutes and told them they wanted to get the dollars exchanges for Indian currency, police said, adding that the visitors opened fire, injuring the brothers. Akmal was shot in the shoulder while Faizi suffered hand injuries, said Devender Arya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest). The matter is being investigated and it is being probed whether the attack was planned to kill the brothers or just to scare them off, police said. It is suspected that the attack was a fallout of personal enmity, they said. Akmal and Faizi have other siblings and police are probing their involvement.

Developments in CBI shows BJP govt's helplessness:AIMIM

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Monday claimed that the developments in CBI, with a case being booked against its second in command, is a poor reflection of the BJP-led NDA government's functioning. The "internal civil war" that is going on in CBI shows the weakness and helplessness of the government, he told reporters here. "Number one is registering FIR against number two. It has to be asked who is fighting against corruption," the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief said. The CBI has arrested its deputy superintendent of police Devender Kumar in connection with bribery allegations involving its special director and second-in-command Rakesh Asthana, officials said Monday. Owaisi, Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad, also hit out at the BJP over union minister Giriraj Singh's reported comments that Muslims should support the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya.

France to have a memorial commemorating contribution of Indian soldiers during WW I

A memorial commemorating the contribution of Indian armed forces in the World War I is being built in France and will be inaugurated by an Indian dignitary next month, an ex-serviceman overseeing the project said Monday. Squadron Leader Rana Chhina (retd.), the secretary of the United Services Institution of India's Centre for Armed Forces Research, said the memorial is being built in Villers-Guislain, a village in northern France. It will be inaugurated on November 10, which also marks the centenary of the armistice announced during the World War I. "This will be first battlefield memorial to be built by the Indian armed forces, which will be dedicated to the Indian soldiers who lost their lives in France during the World War I," Chhina said. There is another war memorial in Nueve Chappelle, but it was built by Commonwealth War Graves Commission in honour of the Indian soldiers who died in France and Belgium. The memorial is likely to be inaugurated either by President Ram Nath ...

Norwegian who thwarted Nazi nuclear plan dies

Norwegian resistance fighter Joachim Ronneberg who sabotaged Nazi Germany's nuclear weapons ambitions during World War Two, has died aged 99.