Page 40 - War Conflict
Two Pakistani soldiers killed while on Eid patrol duty
Two Pakistani soldiers were killed Thursday when suspected militants opened fire on a vehicle of the paramilitary troops deployed on Eid security duty in the restive Balochistan province. The two Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers were on Eid patrol duty in the Hernai area when the terrorists targeted them, the Army said in a statement, without elaborating further on the incident. The slain soldiers were identified as Yar Muhammad, 23, of Kuch District in Sibi and Mehtab Khan, 19, from Laki Marwat.
Afghan military frees 84 prisoners from Taliban jail
An Afghan military spokesman says troops have freed 84 prisoners from a Taliban-run facility in the northern Faryab province. Mohammad Anif Rezaye says most of those freed in the operation late Wednesday were Afghan security personnel and civilians, but that several captive Islamic State fighters were also found inside the facility. It was not immediately clear what would be done with the IS fighters, including four from Uzbekistan, three from Tajikistan and one from Kyrgyzstan. The Taliban and the local Islamic State affiliate are both at war with the Afghan government. But the two are fiercely divided over tactics and ideology, and have clashed repeatedly. The IS fighters were captured last year during a Taliban push to drive the extremists from the neighbouring Jozjan province.
Encounter breaks out between militants and security forces in in Pulwama
An encounter broke out Thursday between militants and security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Panjran area of Pulwama following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said. He said a gunfight broke out as the militants opened firing at security personnel, forcing them to retaliate. There was no report of any casualty so far, he added.
Request Dhoni to remove Army insignia from gloves: ICC to BCCI
India's opening game in the ongoing World Cup saw former skipper M.S. Dhoni once again profess his love for the security forces after he was spotted with regimental dagger insignia of the Indian Para Special Forces on his wicket-keeping gloves. But the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) top get the symbol removed from Dhoni's gloves.
PM to visit Maldives, Sri Lanka from Saturday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka from June 8 to 9, in reflection of continued priority for the neighbourhood in his second term, the External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday. Modi will first travel to Maldives, in his first bilateral visit after retaining power in the Lok Sabha polls. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said Modi is visiting Sri Lanka on June 9 with a very clear message of solidarity in the wake of the Easter bombings. On Modi's visit to Maldives, Gokhale said it will be a first PM-level trip to that country since 2011 and both sides will aim to further consolidate overall ties in diverse sectors. The prime minister visited the Maldives in November to attend President Ibrahim Solih's swearing-in ceremony, signalling the importance India attaches to the island nation. However, it was not a full-fledged bilateral visit. The relations between India and the Maldives deteriorated after the then President Abdulla Yameen imposed ...
Sri Lanka: Suspended Police chief blames Sirisena for not allowing him to attend NSC meetings since last year
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was on Thursday briefed on important defence acquisition cases and procurement procedures.The National Security Council (NSC) of Sri Lanka is the executive body of the Sri Lankan government that is charged with the maintenance of national security with authority to direct the Sri Lankan military and Police.Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka] quoted Jayasundara as saying that the message of the President was transmitted to him through the then Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando.He further said the last meeting he attended was on October 23, 2018, days before a political rift emerged between Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe last year.Jayasundara and Fernando were scheduled to testify today before the PSC at 11 a.m. (local time) appointed to investigate the Easter terrorist attacks that rattled various parts of the country on April 21.Colombo Page quoted acting Chairman Jayampathi Wickramaratne as saying that former Terrorist Investigation Division ...
Sudan denies more than 100 killed in protest crackdown
Sudanese authorities admitted dozens of people were killed in a crackdown on protesters but denied doctors' claims the death toll has topped 100, as heavily armed paramilitaries guarded the tense capital. Members of the Rapid Support Forces, who rights groups say have their origins in the Janjaweed militias of Darfur, were on the streets of Khartoum on Thursday in pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns and rocket launchers, witnesses said. It follows a raid by security forces Monday on a long-running sit-in outside the army headquarters that marked the start of a brutal crackdown on demonstrators demanding civilian rule. The Central Committee for Sudanese Doctors said Wednesday that 40 bodies had been pulled from the Nile, sending the death toll soaring to at least 108. The committee, which is close to protesters and relies on doctors on the ground for its information, warned the figure could rise. Some life had returned to the streets of the capital on Thursday, with limited public
Maha approves Rs 150cr for Mahatma birth anniversary plans
The Maharashtra government has approved a sum of Rs 150 crore for the implementation of various programmes marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar informed about the fund approval on Twitter. "Rs 150 crore fund approved for implementing various policies and programmes marking 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi," he said on the micro-blogging site. In another tweet, Mungantiwar said the BJP-led government has sanctioned a Rs 266-crore development plan to refurbish the Sevagram Ashram in Wardha district. Gandhi had stayed at the ashram, 8 km from Wardha city in the Vidarbha region, between mid-1930 and 1940. Mungantiwar said the works to be carried out at the ashram would be of the world-class level. Last year, the Centre had announced two-year long celebrations (October 2, 2018 to October 2, 2020) to mark the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, who was born on October 2, 1869.
Trump says bond between war allies 'unbreakable'
US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the bond between America and its allies "forged in the heat of battle" of World War II was "unbreakable" as he spoke at a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in northern France. "To all of our friends and partners, our cherished alliance was forged in the heat of battle, tested in the trials of war and proven in the blessings of peace. Our bond is unbreakable," Trump said. He spoke at a US cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer in front of a beach codenamed Omaha during the landings which saw 150,000 Allied troops rush ashore in the world's biggest naval operation to liberate much of western Europe. "Those who fought here won a future for our nation, they won the survival of our civilisation and they showed us the way to love, cherish and defend our way of life for many centuries to come," Trump said. He concluded: "May God bless our great veterans, may God bless our allies, may God bless the heroes of D-Day and may God ...
Egypt kills 14 suspected militants in raid after Sinai attack
Egyptian security forces have killed 14 suspected militants during a raid carried out in the restive Sinai Peninsula in response to a deadly checkpoint attack, the authorities said. Wednesday's attack, claimed by the Islamic State group, left dead eight policemen southwest of El-Arish, capital of North Sinai, and five militants were killed in exchanges of fire that ensued. Some other suspected militants fled the scene before security forces tracked down and killed 14 of them in the raid, the interior ministry said in a statement. "Following the route of escaped elements responsible for the attack led to a group of terrorist elements in an abandoned hideout in an empty lot," the ministry said. The security forces surrounded the suspected militants before engaging "in a heavy shootout" which killed 14 of them, it added. They also found 14 guns, three explosive devices and two explosive belts in their possession. Pictures of the slain militants lying in pools of blood were also ...
3 injured after vehicle jumps Army checkpost in J&K
Three people were injured in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district after soldiers tried to flag down and then fired at a vehicle which jumped an Army checkpost, police sources said.
Veterans mark 75 years since D-Day in solemn observances
D-Day veterans and other people are marking exactly 75 years since the invasion of Normandy that helped change the course of World War II. The sea of mercury blue couldn't have been more peaceful as the sun rose Thursday over Omaha Beach. About 100 people gathered at dawn on the edge of the waters that ran red here on June 6, 1944, the first of five code-named beaches where Allied forces came ashore to push the Nazis out of France. American Richard Clapp said it was sobering to admire the "beautiful sunrise" where Allied troops came ashore. Norwegian Sigrid Flaata drove from Oslo in a 1942 restored jeep to honor the soldiers who died on D-Day. Belgian Filip Van Hecke called his journey a "small effort to pay homage.
Fourth subordinate officer's conclave held in New Delhi
Indian Coast Guard Director General (DG) Rajendra Singh on Thursday inaugurated the fourth subordinate officer's conclave here.Among the armed forces, the subordinate officer's conclave is one of the unique initiatives where suggestions and ideas of jawans are taken into account for running the force.Indian Coast Guard in a tweet said, "Fostering #CreativityAndInnovation through #InclusiveApproach. @IndiaCoastGuard Director General Rajendra Singh inaugurated the 4th #CoastGuard #SubordinateOfficersConclave2019 at #CGHQ, New Delhi this morning."Earlier on Tuesday, DG Rajendra Singh also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in South Block and briefed him about the operational preparedness of his force.
Operation Blue Star anniversary: Security personnel maintaining strict vigil across Amritsar city
Security personnel and police personnel have been maintaining a hawk-eye vigil outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar and across the city in the wake of the 35th anniversary of Operation Blue Star on Thursday."Security process is carried out peacefully in the city and we haven't faced any major problem till now. Three to four security force teams have been deployed across the city including Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)," Punjab police officer Jaswant Kaur told ANI.Rapid Action Force companies and several companies of parliamentary forces have also been deployed to maintain the law and order.Almost all the shops have been shut down in the city today. Security forces are keeping a strict vigil across the major market areas, bypass and all the entry and exit points of Amritsar.The Indian Army carried out the Operation Blue Star in 1984 between June 1 and June 8. Indira Gandhi the then Prime Minister of India,
Pentagon ends reviews of Niger ambush that killed 4 soldiers
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that it had officially concluded its reviews of a 2017 ambush that left four U.S. soldiers dead in the African nation of Niger, and said it has found the discipline it meted out to be adequate. Last week, Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan accepted that conclusion, which was the result of a monthlong review conducted by four-star Army Gen. Robert Brown that did not go beyond the scope of the initial investigation conducted by Special Operations Africa Command. Brown found the administration actions, primarily against junior officers, adequate. Based on an examination of the review, "I am satisfied that all findings, awards, and accountability actions were thorough and appropriate," Shanahan said in a statement issued Wednesday. The release of the 176-page unclassified report Wednesday ends more than a year of reviews after the Pentagon wrapped an internal investigation into the 2017 ambush. It detailed a series of "individual, ...
Afghanistan: 83 civilians rescued from Taliban prison
At least 83 people were freed from a Taliban prison in Qaisar district in Faryab province on Wednesday night, said Afghan force.The operation was conducted by Afghan special force, said the Shaheen Corps spokesperson Mohammad Hanif Rezaee.Taliban has not commented on it yet.Taliban militants guarding the facility fled before the troops arrived. The civilians were shifted to an army camp for the identification process before being provided accommodation. They would be joining their families soon.Taliban insurgents frequently detain civilians from across villages and highways on charges of spying for the government security forces.
Operation Blue Star anniversary: Security tightened outside Golden Temple
The security has been beefed up outside Golden Temple in Amritsar in the wake of the 35th anniversary of Operation Blue Star on Thursday.Rapid Action Force companies and several companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed across the city to maintain law and order.The Indian Army carried out the Operation Blue Star between June 1 and June 8 in 1984. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, ordered the military operation to flush out Sikh militants including Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who were accumulating weapons in Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple).
Eastern Army Commander visits Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh
Lieutenant General MM Naravane, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Command visited Army and Assam Rifles formations in Nagaland and South Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday as part of his two-day visit to Spear Corps and Inspector General Assam Rifles (North).During the visit, Lieutenant General Naravane reviewed the security situation and ongoing Counter Insurgency operations in the state and was briefed by Commanders on the prevailing security situation, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.The Army Commander also visited forward company operating bases and interacted with the soldiers on the ground involved in operations to trace out the perpetrators of Khonsa and Tobu incidents.Over the years, the state has witnessed improvement in the situation on the ground largely due to the concerted efforts of the Army and Assam Rifles. During his interaction with troops, Lieutenant General Naravane appreciated their hard work and dedication.
Iraq: 6 IS militants killed in airstrike
Six Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in an airstrike carried out by the US-led coalition in Western Iraq's Anbar province on Wednesday, the country's military said.The airstrike was conducted in the northern al-Baghdadi area, some 180 kilometres west of the provincial capital Ramadi, the media office of the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.Two vehicles belonging to the IS militants were also destroyed in the air raid, reports Xinhua news agency.Although the Iraqi government had declared victory over the Islamic State in December 2017, the IS militants are still active in the vast Anbar desert area, which stretches along the border with neighbouring countries of Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Syria regime bombardment kills 10 during Eid: Monitor
Air strikes and shelling by regime forces killed 10 civilians in Syria's northwest on Wednesday, as residents marked the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, a war monitor said. Two children were among six people killed in regime strikes on the town of Kafr Aweid in the jihadist-held province of Idlib, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The victims' relatives gathered at the town's graveyard on Wednesday afternoon as an excavator dug a large pit in the ground. The scattered remains of one of the children were placed in a cardboard box before being buried, an AFP photographer said. The corpse of another was covered in an embroidered blue sheet. Another civilian died in regime shelling on the northern Hama countryside, also held by insurgents, said the Britain-based monitor. Regime air strikes also hit a motorcycle in the Idlib town of Maaret al-Numan, killing a woman and her two children, said the Observatory. Wednesday's attacks come amid an escalation in violence in parts of the ...