Page 388 - War Conflict
Tripura attack: villagers claim arson, loot started at minister's instigation
The 300-odd people of West Tripura district, who had fled the area after their homes were torched and looted over the alleged molestation of a girl, said Saturday that they were scared to return. They alleged that the looting and ransacking of their houses in Lalit Bazar locality under Ranirbazar police station area began following instigation of revenue minister and prominent tribal leader N C Debbarma, who had gone there Friday. Debbarma, president of the Indigenous People's Front Tripura (IPFT), declined to comment on the charge. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC was promulgated in the area for 48 hours from 8 am Saturday, Sub-divisional Magistrate Subhasish Bandopaddhyaya said. Bandopaddhyaya, who is camping in the area, told PTI that at least four houses were set ablaze on Friday and many others ransacked and looted. Officials have started recording the losses, he said. There was no problem after the initial confrontation on Thursday over the alleged molestation. But a ...
NATO, EU hail Macedonia vote as key step on western path
NATO and the European Union on Saturday hailed a Macedonian parliament vote as another step toward ending a decades-long name row with Greece that takes them closer to joining their western clubs. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini welcomed the close vote late Friday to start the process of renaming the country North Macedonia -- a move that EU and NATO member Greece also hailed. "It's up to the government & political leaders to complete national procedures on the name agreement & seize this historic opportunity to bring the country into #NATO," Stoltenberg tweeted after the vote. "We now expect the national procedures for the implementation of the agreement to continue without any delays, towards the adoption of the constitutional changes," Mogherini and fellow EU official Johannes Hahn said in a statement. Amendments will now be drafted in the capital Skopje to incorporate the new name into the constitution, after which another ...
3 Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh, weapons seized
Three Maoists were killed in a shootout with the police in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Saturday, police said.
1 killed, 47 injured in Afghanistan's polling day bombings
Several blasts were reported from different parts of Afghanistan on Saturday, killing at least 1 person and wounding 47, as Afghans voted in the long-awaited parliamentary elections.
SE Asia boosts fight against 'real and present' militant threat
Southeast Asian nations seeking to combat the threat of militancy have agreed to share intelligence, Singapore's defence minister said Saturday, as he warned of a "real and present" danger to the region. More than a year after Islamic State-linked fighters seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi, the terrorist threat is as potent as ever, said Ng Eng Hen after hosting a meeting of defence ministers. "Unfortunately even as the situation in Iraq and Syria improves, we are expecting more foreign fighters to come this way," he added. Ng said all 18 ministers at the gathering in Singapore, from Southeast Asia and key partners outside the region, viewed "terrorism as a real and present threat". The Southeast Asian delegates adopted an information-sharing platform called "Our Eyes" that will be used to share real-time intelligence that can immediately be acted upon, the minister added. This came after the countries realised that they had underestimated the threat before the attack on ..
Maoists torch 6 vehicles in Jharkhand
Maoist Guerrillas on Saturday torched six vehicles involved in the repair work of a canal in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh district, police said.
10 vehicles torched in Jharkhand clashes
Ten vehicles were torched and more than 11 people were injured in clashes that broke out between two communities during the the idol immersion procession of Goddess Durga in Jharkhand's Palamau district, police said on Saturday.
Swaraj meets Wickremesinghe, reviews progress of development projects
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Saturday called on visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and reviewed the progress of India-assisted development projects in the island nation. Swaraj and Wickremesinghe also discussed ways to boost ties between the two countries. Earlier in the day, Home Minister Rajnath Singh also called on Wickremesinghe and discussed issues related to security and anti-terror cooperation between India and Sri Lanka. "Continuing commitment to deepen our partnership with a close friend. EAM @SushmaSwaraj called on Sri Lanka PM Ranil Wickremesinghe @RW_UNP. Exchanged views on strengthening bilateral relations and reviewed progress on development projects," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted after the meeting. Wickremesinghe arrived here on Thursday on a three-day visit to boost ties in a range of areas, including trade, investment and maritime security.
Pakistani security personnel killed by militants in Pakistan
Two Pakistani security personnel have been killed in a targeted attack carried out by the Taliban militants in the country's restive Waziristan district, officials said. The incident took place in Walma Langar Khel area where the two personnel had gone to fetch water. The security personnel came under attack from the Taliban militants as they were returning from the area, said the official. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed the responsibility of the attack. Waziristan has long been a sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups.
Rajnath meets Sri Lankan PM; discusses security, anti-terror cooperation
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh met visiting Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Saturday and discussed with him issues related to security and anti-terror cooperation between India and the island nation. During the 30-minute meeting, both the leaders talked about further strengthening of India-Sri Lanka relations. "Had a fruitful meeting with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe in New Delhi today. We had deliberations on further strengthening cooperation between India and Sri Lanka on issues pertaining to security and terrorism in the region," Singh tweeted after the meeting. Wickremesinghe arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit with an aim to boost ties in a range of areas including trade, investment and maritime security.
IS releases six of 27 Druze hostages held in southern Syria: Monitor
The Islamic State group has released six of 27 Druze hostages it seized during a deadly July attack in Syria's Sweida province in exchange for a prisoner swap and ransom, a monitor said Saturday. "Two women and four children from the province of Sweida were released last night," Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor group, told AFP. He added that the releases were the "first wave" and part of an agreement sealed with the Syrian government to exchange all the hostages for "60 Islamic State prisoners held by the regime and a ransom of USD 27 million." The jihadist group abducted around 30 people -- mostly women and children -- from Sweida in late July during the deadliest attack on Syria's Druze community of the seven-year civil war. During the coordinated assaults on July 25, IS waged a series of suicide bombings, shootings and stabbings that left more than 250 people dead across the southwestern province, most of them civilians. Sweida ...
Afghan parliamentary polls underway despite threats
Tens of thousands of Afghan forces fanned out across the country as voting began Saturday in parliamentary elections that followed a campaign marred by relentless violence. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani marked his ballot at the start of voting. In a televised speech afterward, he congratulated Afghans on another election and praised the security forces, particularly the air force, for getting ballots to Afghanistan's remotest corners. He also reminded those elected to Parliament that they are there to serve the people and ensure the rule of law. The Independent Election Commission registered 8.8. million people. Wasima Badghisy, a commission member, called voters "very, very brave" and said a turnout of 5 million will be a success. At a polling station in crowded west Kabul, Khoda Baksh said he arrived nearly two hours early to cast his vote, dismissing Taliban threats of violence. "We don't care about their threats. The Taliban are threatening us all the time," said 55-year-old ...
UN orders withdrawal of Sri Lankan peacekeeper accused of anti-Tamil atrocities
The commander of the Sri Lankan contingent in the UN peacekeeping operations in Mali has been ordered back home after a review of his human rights record, according to Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Woman killed in cross-firing during militant attack on Army camp
A woman was killed on Friday night in the cross-firing between militants and security forces as the ultras attacked an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said. "There was a UBGL attack followed by firing at the army camp in Shadimarg area of Pulwama," a police official said. He said the security forces returned fire, triggering a brief gun battle in which a woman, identified as Firdausa, was injured. She was rushed to a local hospital but the doctors declared her dead on arrival, he added. Security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the militants, the police official said.
Woman killed in militant attack in Pulwama
A woman was killed on Friday when militants attacked an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Woman injured in militant attack in Pulwama
A woman was injured on Friday when militants attacked an Army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
6 TPC members arrested
Six members of the Trutiya Prastuti Committee (TPC), a breakaway faction of the CPI(Maoist), were arrested with arms and ammunition in Palamau district, a senior police officer said on Friday. Acting on a tip off, the district armed police and CRPF personnel surrounded Kasisoth, Singhna and Batowa localities under Mohammadgunj police station area on Thursday night and picked up the six. Superintendent of Police Indrajeet Mahatha said TPC's self-styled Area Commander Kuldeep Yadav was among those arrested. Police recovered one rifle looted from the police in the past, three .315 bore regular rifles, 304 pieces of live cartridges, one empty cartridge, one walkie-talkie, two mobile phones and Maoist posters from their possession, the SP said. Mahatha said some other ultras managed to escape under the cover of darkness. Cases of abduction, encounter, rioting and loot were pending against those arrested under four police stations of Palamau district, he said.
MP: 3 RAF men injured after rifle discharges accidentally
Three Rapid Action Force personnel were Friday injured when a firearm accidentally discharged while it was being cleaned in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district, a police official said. A rifle went off accidentally when it was being cleaned as part of "shastra puja", a ritual observed during Dussehra as part of which security forces worship their service weapons, Superintendent of Police Ruchivardhan Mishra told PTI. While the person cleaning the rifle was not injured, the discharged bullet hit a sub inspector and two constables of the force, the official said. One of the personnel, who took a hit on the thigh, has been shifted to Indore for treatment. The SP said that an RAF team, a specialised anti-riot unit of the CRPF, is putting up at a local inn as part of a security detail in place for the festive season. Both the district police and the RAF are probing the incident separately, the SP said.
Brazen Taliban attack threatens Afghan peace talks, stability
A Taliban attack on top US and Afghan security chiefs inside a highly secure compound in Afghanistan is a major coup for the insurgents that threatens to torpedo peace talks and destabilise the country's south, analysts say. A gunman wearing an Afghan security forces uniform opened fire on a group including General Scott Miller -- the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan -- and powerful Afghan police chief General Abdul Raziq on Thursday as they ended a meeting in the southern city of Kandahar. Within seconds Raziq, an anti-Taliban strongman and key US ally who was credited with keeping a lid on the insurgency in the south, was dead along with Kandahar's provincial intelligence chief and an Afghan journalist. Miller escaped unhurt in the bold attack the militants said had targeted the US general and Raziq, whom they had previously accused of killing thousands of Taliban detainees and had attempted to assassinate dozens of times. The interior ministry said Friday three suspects ...
Mastermind of plot to kill Badal sent to 5-day police remand
The alleged mastermind behind the conspiracy to kill former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was on Friday sent to five-day police remand by a court here. Jarman Singh was arrested from Bikaner in Rajasthan in a joint operation of Punjab and Rajasthan Police on Thursday. The accused was brought to Patiala and produced before a court here on Friday which sent him to police remand, a police official said. Jarman Singh was nabbed from a Gurdwara in Bikaner's Kolayat after Punjab Police shared intelligence inputs with the Anti-Terrorism Squad of Rajasthan Police. Earlier, three men who claimed to be linked to militant group Khalistan Liberation Front were arrested for allegedly looting two rifles and ammunition from a police check post in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district on October 2. The trio - Amrat Singh, Gurjan and Karan Singh later revealed that they were planning to attack the former chief minister during one of his political rallies.