Page 402 - War Conflict

US envoy on Afghan peace takes his mission to Pakistan

Washington's newly named point man tasked with finding a peaceful end to Afghanistan's 17-year war is in Pakistan to seek help from the new government in Islamabad in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table, the US Embassy said Tuesday. A former US ambassador in Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad arrived in Pakistan from neighboring Afghanistan. His tour of the region will also include Middle East stops in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In Afghanistan, he met with President Ashraf Ghani, a long-time friend. Khalilzad, who was also born in Afghanistan, first served in Kabul as a special envoy of President George W Bush following the 2001 ouster of the Taliban, and then later as Washington's ambassador. But Khalilzad has had a prickly relationship with Pakistan and has often accused Islamabad of fomenting violence in Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban. He has even said the United States should declare Pakistan a terrorist state. Washington and Kabul have both repeatedly

Second phase of municipal polls to cover 13 J&K districts

Polling in the second phase of the four-phase municipal polls in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled on Wednesday, including in Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag and Badgam districts where militants are active.

Most heavy arms out of planned Syria buffer zone: monitor

Jihadists and Turkish-backed rebels have withdrawn most heavy weapons from territory around Syria's last major opposition stronghold ahead of a Wednesday deadline, a monitor said. The weapons pullback is the first major test of a truce deal brokered by government-backed Russia and rebel-backer Turkey last month to avoid what the United Nations warned would be the appalling humanitarian consequences of a major government offensive. Under the agreement, all rebel groups have a Wednesday deadline to withdraw all their heavy weaponry from a 15- to 20-kilometre (nine- to 12-mile) buffer zone along the front line in Idlib province and adjacent areas of the northwest. By next Monday, the rebel zone's most powerful armed group, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria branch, and other jihadist factions must also withdraw their fighters. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said the heavy weapons pullout was near complete on .

Turkey detains 90 for suspected links to Kurdish rebels

Turkey's Interior Ministry says police have detained 90 people suspected of links to outlawed Kurdish rebels in simultaneous raids in nine Turkish provinces. The ministry said the operation, launched Tuesday, aimed to prevent future activities of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Police seized documents and digital data. The ministry said the operation was still going on. It did not provide further information on those who were detained. The raids come a week after a blast on a road in southeast Turkey, blamed on the PKK, killed eight soldiers inside an armoured military vehicle. The PKK has waged a more than three-decade-old insurgency in the country's mostly Kurdish southeast region. The group is considered a terror organisation by Turkey and its Western allies.

Security guard injured after unidentified persons open fire at cash van

A 50-year-old security guard sustained gunshot injuries after unidentified persons allegedly opened fire at a cash van in an attempt to rob it near DND toll plaza in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar, police said Tuesday. The incident took place Monday night, they said. The cash van belonged to a security agency and three persons, including the security guard, driver and a custodian of the firm, were inside the vehicle during the time of the incident, police said. The injured security guard, identified as Vishambhar, was admitted to a nearby hospital, they said. Three to four men allegedly opened fire at the cash van which was enroute its Noida office after collecting cash from its office in Janakpuri, a senior police official said. The accused fled from the spot, leaving behind a car after their attempt to loot failed, he said. A vehicle, suspected to be that of the accused, has been taken into police custody, the official added. Police is scanning through the CCTV footage of the incident to .

Kabul officials: Taliban attacks kill 15 Afghan policemen

An Afghan official says a Taliban assault in northern Jawzjan province has killed 12 members of the security forces and wounded another 10. Gen. Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, provincial police chief in Jawzjan, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the attack took place in Qush Typa district late on Monday. Jawzjani says the assault was a failed attempt to capture the district. He says 30 Taliban were killed and 19 wounded. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says the insurgents are claiming responsibility for the attack. He, however, claimed a higher number of casualties among the Afghan police. The Taliban often exaggerate their claims. Also on Monday, the Taliban attacked a district in southern Ghazni province, killing three members of the security forces. Police Chief Farid Mashal says five were wounded.

Russia kept away from disputed islands during military drills: Minister

Moscow has not involved the Kuril Islands that it disputes with Tokyo during a major military drill, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has said.

Afghanistan: At least 15 security personnel die in Taliban attacks

Afghan Taliban recently mounted an attack on a number of security check posts in the Jawzjan province, resulting in the death of at least 15 security personnel.The attack, which took place in Qosh Tepa district of the northern Afghanistan province on Sunday night, also resulted in a further 26 security force personnel being injured, TOLO News cited sources as saying.Authorities have issued warnings that unless air support is provided to aid the forces, the district will be claimed by the Taliban militants. "Clashes are still ongoing in the district," officials were also quoted by TOLO News as saying.However, a security policeman, Kamaluddin Yawar stated that "four security forces were killed in the attack and four others were wounded.""At least 30 Taliban were killed and 19 others including their shadow district governor were wounded in the attack. Two security check posts were also fallen to the Taliban," Yawar added.The Taliban have also confirmed the attack.

Jihadists pull heavy arms from parts of Syria buffer zone: Monitor

Jihadist factions including Syria's former Al-Qaeda branch have pulled heavy weapons from parts of a planned buffer zone in the country's northwest put forward under a Turkey-Russia deal, a monitor said Monday. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham "and other less influential jihadist groups have withdrawn their heavy weapons from large areas of the demilitarised zone" ringing Idlib province, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. HTS has yet to comment on the reported withdrawal, which quietly began "two days ago", according to Abdel Rahman. "Until now, heavy weapons have been removed from northern Hama and eastern Idlib" located in the proposed zone, he said. Last month's agreement between regime ally Moscow and rebel-backer Turkey is to create a 15- to 20-kilometre (9-12 mile) demilitarised area ringing the Idlib region -- the country's last insurgent bastion. Under the deal, all rebels in the buffer zone must withdraw heavy arms by Wednesday, and radical groups ...

Egyptian court sentences four jihadists to death

An Egyptian military court has sentenced four jihadists to death over attacks which killed 20 police officers, a judicial source said Monday. They were found by the court to be members of the Province of Giza, a branch of the Islamic State group, and involved in a series of deadly attacks last year, the source said. Sixteen others received life sentences of 25 years, while 15 were jailed for five to 15 years. "The defendants used arms, explosives and bombs" in the attacks, the head of the military court said, quoted in the government newspaper Akhbar al-Youm. Those convicted have the right to appeal their sentences at the military supreme court, an army official told AFP on the condition of anonymity, confirming the convictions reported in state media. Seventeen defendants were acquitted in the military trial. Since the ousting of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, hundreds of police officers, soldiers and civilians have been killed in jihadist attacks. The Egyptian army ...

Army Commanders' conference to discuss studies to improve internal structures

The Army Commanders' Conference will begin here on Tuesday and discuss operational and administrative issues besides studies done to meet future challenges and to improve the teeth-to-tail ratio to improve the internal structures.

IAF's Garud unit bags 6 gallantry awards for anti-terror ops in Kashmir

A unit of the Indian Air Force's (IAF) elite Garud Commando Force on Monday bagged six gallantry awards for its anti-terror operations in the Kashmir Valley, officials said. Formed in February 2017, unit number 617 received one Ashok Chakra, three Shaurya Chakras and two Vayu Sena medals for the successful operations until now. The unit also received the prestigious Air Force Chief's citation while its Commanding Officer (CO) Squadron Leader Rajiv Chauhan was honoured with the Vayu Sena medal. The Garud is an elite force like the Para Special Forces of the Army and the Marcos of the Navy. Last year, the unit eliminated eight terrorists and lost three of its men in two different operations, Chauhan said in his interaction with reporters here. Describing the two major operations in the Valley, Chauhan, who has been the CO of his team since its inception, said his unit gunned down two terrorists on October 11 last year. A month later on November 18, his team eliminated six terrorists. ...

Ukraine launches large-scale air exercises with NATO countries

Ukraine on Monday began a series of large-scale air force exercises with the United States and other NATO countries, the defence ministry said. The "Clear Sky 2018" war games, which will run until October 19, are being held in western Ukraine. Some 700 troops are taking part, half of them from NATO member countries including the United States, Britain, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania. US aircraft including F-15C Eagle fighter planes and C-130J Super Hercules military transport planes and drones will train with about 30 Ukrainian aircraft, the ministry said. Polish and Romanian aircraft will fly in to work with their Ukrainian counterparts in what will be "the first time" they work together "in the air to protect the airspace," Ukraine air force spokesman Yuriy Ignat said. The aim is "to enhance regional capabilities to secure air sovereignty and promote peace and security through cooperation," a US Air Force statement said. In recent years, concerns have risen about Russia's ...

5 held for dacoity and murder in Odisha

Five persons were arrested on Monday for their involvement in a dacoity and killing of a 60-year-old salesman of a liquor shop at Jagadalpur village in Ganjam district, police said. The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Berhampur Sadar police station, on Wednesday, October 3, the police said. The deceased was identified as Bijaya Kumar Dakua (62) and he was a resident of Jagadalpur village, a police officer said, adding, the salesman's body was recovered on Thursday morning. The five accused are also residents of the same village, the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Berhampur Sadar, A K Mohanty, said. They looted Rs 20,000 from the liquor shop and killed the salesman before leaving it, Mohanty said. The accused have confessed to their crime, the Inspector-in-Charge (IC) of Berhampur Sadara police station, Siba Shankar Mohapatra, said.

Haryana to set up anti-terror force

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said an anti-terrorist force -- Kavach -- will be set up to further strengthen the security arrangements in the state.

2002 Gujarat riots: SIT report on Army deployment is 'blatant lie', says Lt. General (Retd)

Retired Lt. General Zameer Uddin Shah, who led the Army troops in quelling violence in 2002 Gujarat riots, has described portions of the enquiry report by the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigative Team (SIT), related to the Army movement, as "a blatant lie".

Dutch expulsion of alleged Russian spies a 'misunderstanding': Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday said the expulsion of four alleged Russian agents from the Netherlands in April had been a "misunderstanding", calling their visit a "routine trip". "There was nothing secret about the trip by our specialists to the Netherlands, it was a routine trip. They didn't hide when they checked into the hotel, or when they came to the airport, or when they went to our embassy," Lavrov said during a press conference. "They were detained without explanation... and asked to leave. It looked like a misunderstanding," he said, adding that there had been no diplomatic protests over the incident. The Netherlands said Thursday it had expelled four GRU military intelligence agents in April for plotting a cyber-attack on the world's chemical weapons watchdog in The Hague. The men entered the country on Russian diplomatic passports on April 10 and were caught red-handed on April 13 with a car full of electronic equipment in the Marriott Hotel next to the ..

Cut in excise duty on petrol, diesel was 'jumla', 'loot' by govt continues: Cong on fuel price hike

The Congress Monday termed the recent reduction in petrol and diesel prices as a mere "jumla" (rhetoric) and said the "loot" of the Modi government has been continuing unabated even during the festival season. The opposition party alleged that "looting" people's pockets through taxes on petrol and diesel has become the primary duty of the BJP-led government and reiterated its demand for bringing petrol and diesel under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). "The Modi government is continuously looting the public on petrol and diesel. Looting people's pockets is the primary duty of the BJP. In the last three days, prices of petrol have risen by 53 paisa and diesel by 87 paisa in Delhi. The loot of Modi government is continuing unabated during the festivals," Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter. Petrol and diesel prices were cut by a minimum Rs 2.50 on October 5 when the government's only second cut in excise duty of Rs 1.50 per litre and state-owned ...

Egypt army says 52 suspected jihadists killed in Sinai

Egyptian security forces pressing a campaign against Islamist militants have killed 52 suspected jihadists in the Sinai Peninsula in operations in which three soldiers also died, the army said Monday. The military launched a sweeping operation in February focused on the Sinai in eastern Egypt aimed at wiping out jihadists, including from the Islamic State (IS) group, who have been waging a bloody insurgency. On Monday, the military said that 53 "takfiris" or Sunni Muslim extremists were killed in two separate operations by security forces in the restive peninsula. Three members of the armed forces were also killed in these operations, it said in a statement, without stating when they took place. The military has regularly reported operations in the Sinai since it launched the campaign. According to official figures, a total of more than 350 suspected jihadists and at least 30 soldiers have been killed in the "Sinai 2018" campaign. Security sources said last week that local IS leader ..

Malegaon blasts: Non-bailable warrants issued against accused

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Monday issued non-bailable warrants against 2008 Malegaon blast accused Ajay Rahirkar and Sudhakar Chaturvedi after they failed to appear before the court. The two accused are currently on bail.On September 4, the apex court had refused to entertain accused Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Prasad Purohit's petition seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into his alleged abduction and torture by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in connection with the case.While pronouncing the orders, the apex court had also asked Purohit to approach the trial court.Six people were killed while more than hundreds got injured in the blast that took place on September 29, 2008 in the Muslim majority town of Malegaon. In November 2008, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested 11 people in this connection. In April 2011, the investigation was transferred to the NIA.