Page 400 - War Conflict
Egypt court sentences 17 to death for attacking Christians
An Egyptian rights lawyer says a military court has sentenced 17 Islamic militants to death for involvement in deadly attacks on Christians. Khaled el-Masry said Thursday the court in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria also issued life sentences to 19 defendants and sentenced another nine to 15 years in prison. He says another defendant got a 10-year term. El-Masry says military prosecutors had accused the defendants of belonging to the Islamic State group and plotting attacks against Christian churches and security forces. The verdict can be appealed. Egypt's Christians have been targeted by Islamic militants in a series of bombings and suicide attacks since December 2016 that have killed more than 100 and wounded scores. Amnesty International condemned the verdict as the result of a "grossly unfair military trial.
JJMP ultra arrested after encounter with security forces
An ultra of the banned Jharkhand Janmukti Parishad (JJMP) was Thursday arrested after a brief encounter between the security forces and the extremists in the Jarma jungles of Latehar district. Latehar Superintendent of Police, Prashant Anand said that after getting information that the extremists were present in the forests, CRPF personnel and police surrounded the area. Both the sides exchanged about 50 rounds, the SP said, adding there was no casualty in the encounter. The security forces arrested a JJMP ultra identified as Anil alias Badal from the spot after the gun battle, he said.
Egypt condemns 17 to death for church attacks
An Egyptian military court on Thursday sentenced 17 people to death over a series of suicide bombings of churches claimed by the Islamic State group that left dozens dead. Another 19 people were handed life prison terms and 10 were sentenced to between 10 and 15 years, judicial and security officials said. Seventy-four people were killed in the attacks in 2016 and 2017 in Cairo, Alexandria and the Nile Delta city of Tanta targeting Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's predominantly Sunni Muslim population. Christian sites of worship across Egypt have been repeatedly targeted in attacks claimed by IS, prompting the authorities to impose a state of emergency. The Egyptian army is waging a major operation focused on the Sinai Peninsula aimed at wiping out the jihadists.
Libyan official: 75 bodies of IS militants found near Sirte
A Libyan official says authorities have uncovered a collective grave containing more than 75 bodies of suspected Islamic State group fighters near the coast city of Sirte, formerly the main IS stronghold in this North African country. Salem el-Ameel, a spokesman for a local force in Sirte, says a resident reported finding the grave about a month ago on his farm in al-Daheir district, east of Sirte. He says authorities believe the remains are of IS because "we can tell from their clothes." IS were driven from Sirte in 2016, fleeing inland. Islamic militants expanded their reach in Libya after the 2011 uprising that plunged the country into chaos and toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Libya is currently split between rival governments in the east and the west.
Police: Trump's UK visit used 10,000 officers, cost USD 24 m
British police chiefs say security for US President Donald Trump's visit in July involved almost 10,000 officers and cost nearly 18 million pounds (USD 24 million), making it the biggest police operation since riots swept England in 2011. National Police Chiefs' Council chairwoman Sara Thornton said Thursday that nearly every police force in the country was involved in covering the four-day visit, which required 26,000 police shifts by almost 10,000 officers. She says "the full cost of the operation is still being worked out but an early estimate is nearly 18 million pounds." Trump held talks with Prime Minister Theresa May at her country retreat, met Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle and visited a Scottish golf course during the trip, which also saw large anti-Trump protests in London and Scotland.
Four Ukrainian soldiers killed in war-torn east: Military
Four Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and three wounded in the country's conflict-torn east in the latest spike in violence, the defence ministry said on Thursday. Over the past 24 hours two soldiers have been killed in shelling and two more received fatal injuries during a mine explosion, the ministry said in a statement said. Kiev forces accused Moscow-backed rebels of using weapons banned by peace agreements and firing at their positions nearly 30 times. Rebels for their part accused the Ukrainian army of violating the truce more than 22 times. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that on Wednesday its monitors recorded a sharp increase in ceasefire violations in Donetsk region compared with the previous day, including 520 explosions. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine also said it observed newly laid mines on both sides of the contact line. Early on Wednesday a patrol was monitoring the security situation in the area of the Donetsk ...
JK: 2 terrorists killed in Handwara encounter
Two terrorists were killed during an encounter with police and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Handwara on Thursday.Earlier on Thursday, a cordon and search operation was launched by the security forces at Shartgund Bala area of Qalamabad, during which the hiding terrorists fired on the search party leading to the encounter. Consequently, the civilians in the nearby areas were evacuated.In the operation, no collateral damage has taken place.Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site of encounter.
JK policeman given 'Shaurya Chakra' posthumously for exemplary courage
A Jammu and Kashmir Police constable has been awarded the 'Shaurya Chakra' posthumously for showing exemplary courage while fighting militants in the restive state, officials said. Manzoor Ahmed Naik, who was a resident of Uri in Baramulla district, laid down his life at Haffu Nigeenpora village of Tral in South Kashmir's Pulwama district on March 5, 2017 during a gunfight with militants. Naik was a part of cordon and search operation in the area jointly conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Rashtriya Rifles and the CRPF. On the day, the 33-year-old policeman, who became a father soon after he lost his life, was trying to flush out militants holed up in a house, after escaping a volley of fire in his first attempt, a home ministry official said. In his first attempt, Naik, undeterred by blazing fire from assault rifles, crawled in the pitch dark and placed explosives around the house. As he started retreating, he came under heavy fire, but he escaped unharmed. The explosives .
Ph.D scholar among 2 militants killed in J&K
Two Kashmiri militants, including a Ph.D scholar, were killed in a gunfight with security forces on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, police said.
Two Hizbul militants killed in encounter in north Kashmir
Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including PhD scholar-turned-terrorist Manan Bashir Wani, were killed Thursday during an encounter with security forces at Handwara in frontier district of north Kashmir, officials said. The encounter broke out in the early hours at Satgund in Handwara following a specific intelligence about presence of Wani, 27, along with two others, they said. Giving details emerging from the encounter site, which ended, police and other security forces were fired upon by holed up militants resulting in exchange of fire which continued till 11 AM. Police was also making repeated announcements on public address system appealing to the militants to surrender, the officials said. There was a lull in firing at around 9 AM, prompting the police to initiate search operation at the encounter site, but the same had to be suspended after firing resumed after 15 minutes, the officials said. Wani, who was enrolled as a PhD scholar with the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), ...
Clashes break out during J&K gunfight
While a gunfight was on between holed up militants and security forces on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, clashes erupted between civilian protesters and the forces near the gun battle site, police said.
India concerned over proposed changes to formula for dividing UN peacekeeping bill
With the US and the EU proposing significant changes to tally each UN member state's share of peacekeeping financing, India has expressed concern over such efforts to introduce the element of maximum ceiling in paying for peacekeeping budgets. During a session of the General Assembly's Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the representatives of the US and the European Union proposed significant changes to the way in which each Member State's share of peacekeeping financing is tallied up. Setting out her government's position, the representative of the United States which accounts for 28.47 per cent of the USD 6.7 billion peacekeeping budget for 2018/19 said no other international organisation depends on one country for more than one quarter of its assessed resources. India expressed concern at the efforts by delegations to introduce the element of maximum ceiling in the peacekeeping scale. "The peacekeeping scale must continue to clearly reflect the special ...
Three militants believed to be trapped in encounter in north Kashmir
Three militants, including scholar-turned-terrorist Manan Wani, are believed to have been trapped in an encounter at Handwara in frontier district of north Kashmir, officials said Thursday. Giving details emerging from the encounter site, which is taking place at Satgund in Handwara, police and other security forces cordoned off a village following intelligence inputs about presence of Wani along with two others, they said. Police was making repeated announcements on public address system appealing to the militants to surrender, they said. There was a lull in firing at around 9 AM, prompting the police to initiate search operation at the encounter site, but the same had to be suspended after firing resumed after 15 minutes, the officials said. Wani, who was enrolled as a PhD scholar with the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), joined militant ranks in January this year.
Four held for looting cash and abduction in Dumka: Police
Four persons, who allegedly looted cash from a truck driver and abducted his helper, were arrested from Jermundi sub-division of Dumka district, the police said. They looted cash from the driver of a potato-laden truck, which was on its way to Bihar from West Bengal via Dumka district of Jharkhand, and abducted his helper for ransom. After committing the crime they fled in a four wheeler Tuesday, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Jermundi) Animesh Naithany said. A police patrolling team chased and caught them that very night, he said Wednesday. The helper was freed from the clutches of the abductors, he said.
Cop hit in militant firing in J&K
Militants on Thursday fired at and injured one Special Police Officer (SPO) in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district even as a cordon and search operation was underway in Kupwara, police said.
Encounter underway in J-K's Handwara
An encounter is underway between terrorists and security forces in Handwara's Shartgund Bala on Thursday.Two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area. Internet services in the area have been suspended in the wake of the same.Further details are awaited.On October 5, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel sustained minor injuries after terrorists lobbed a grenade on security forces in Tral area of Pulwama district.
Boko Haram attack leaves 7 soldiers dead: Nigerian army
At least seven Nigerian soldiers were killed in a Boko Haram jihadist attack on a military base near the Niger border, the military said here. The Islamists and the army were engaged in a fierce battle on Monday in Metele, a village in Nigeria's northeast Borno State, the military said in a statement posted on Twitter Wednesday. Seven soldiers died and 16 were wounded "in action" the army said, but military and civilian militia sources put the death toll higher. "We lost 18 men in the fight which lasted for seven hours," a military officer told AFP, speaking from the Borno state capital of Maiduguri. "Our men fought hard and dealt heavy blows on the terrorists but they were overwhelmed by the enemy who overran the base," said the officer who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak on the incident. A civilian militia assisting the military in fighting the jihadists said that on Tuesday 18 bodies of soldiers were brought to the garrison town of Monguno, 120 ...
Britain probing pro-Khalistan activities (Lead with corrected headline)
British security agencies are investigating pro-Khalistan activities following allegations of terror offences there, British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith said here on Wednesday.
STORY: Britain investigating pro-Khalistan activities
British security agencies are investigating pro-Khalistan activities following allegations of terror offences there, British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith said here on Wednesday.
Hry police upgrading infrastructure for better working facilities: DGP
The Haryana Police is upgrading its infrastructure to provide better living and working facilities to its officers, state DGP B S Sandhu said Wednesday. "Various residential and office accommodations have been constructed across the state in this direction," Sandhu said after inaugurating a new building of the Naggal police station in Ambala. The DGP said a proposal to set up a cyber police station in Faridabad has already been forwarded to the government. He said the Haryana government has also decided to constitute Anti-Terrorist Force 'Kavach' to further strengthen the security as well as law and order arrangements in the state.