Page 404 - War Conflict

Maoists will be crushed in 2-3 years: Rajnath

The long drawn Maoist insurgency in the country will be "completely erased" in two to three years, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh declared here on Sunday.

Palestinian kills two Israelis in West Bank shooting: army

A Palestinian shot dead two Israelis and wounded another at a West Bank settlement's industrial zone on Sunday as security forces hunted the suspected assailant who also worked at the site, the Israeli army said. Since the attack was allegedly carried out by a Palestinian employed at the Barkan industrial zone in the occupied West Bank, questions were raised over whether he knew the victims and over the motivation behind the shooting. Army spokesman Jonathan Conricus called it a "terrorist attack" but added that other unspecified factors were involved. The 23-year-old Palestinian used a homemade gun, known locally as a "Carlo", according to Conricus, in the apparent "lone-wolf attack". Security forces were searching for the suspected perpetrator, Conricus said. Surveillance footage spread online that appeared to show the Palestinian fleeing the site with a gun. Magen David Adom emergency medical services said their medics had entered a building at Barkan where they found a man and ...

Afghanistan: Taliban attacks Sayed Abad district

The Taliban launched a major attack in Sayed Abad district of central Wardak province in Afghanistan late on Saturday. Heavy clashes between local security officials and the terror group are underway.Residents said that the assault began when the Taliban militants stormed the center of the district and claimed to have captured the area, TOLOnews reported.Owing to the clashes, Kabul-Kandahar highway has been closed for traffic and electricity supply has been affected in Sayed Abad district, according to the country's power company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS). Power has been snapped in Ghazni, Logar and Paktia provinces. The DABS authorities said that power will be restored as soon as the situation stabilises.The attack comes shortly after Afghanistan's Defence Ministry said 57 armed terrorists were killed in airstrike operations conducted by the Afghan security forces in the last 24 hours across different parts of the country.

Manipur tribal insurgent killed by suspected rival group

A tribal insurgent was shot dead by people suspected to be of a rival group, police sources said on Sunday.

Security tightened in Tripura for Durga Puja

Security has been beefed up across Tripura to ensure no untoward incident takes place during Durga Puja, a senior police officer said Sunday. Huge contingents of police personnel and paramilitary forces have been deployed across the state, where more than 2000 Durga Puja pandals have been set up for the five-day-long festival, Assistant Inspector General Smriti Ranjan Das said. "We are in the process of setting up CCTV cameras in different parts of the state, including Agartala. We have kept paramilitary force in readiness to deal with emergency situations," he told reporters. A three-tier security cordon has been laid at all major public spots, including the VIP areas, in Agartala and other parts of West Tripura, Superintendent of police Ajit Pratap Singh said. "There will be policemen in plain clothes on the outer ring, CCTV cameras and mobile surveillance in the middle ring and armed security personnel in the inner ring," the SP said. Asked if digital surveillance ...

6 Afghan policemen killed in Taliban attack

At least six policemen were killed after Taliban militants launched a massive attack in Wardak province, an official said on Sunday.

Taliban destroy highway bridges, cut off 3 Afghan provinces

The Taliban have destroyed highway bridges southwest of Kabul during a wide-ranging assault on security forces, cutting off road traffic between the capital and three provinces, officials said Sunday. Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said Afghan security forces repelled the attack but that gunbattles are still underway. He said at least six Afghan police, including a district police chief, were killed in the fighting. A provincial official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to brief reporters, said at least 10 police were killed. The official said the Taliban attacked a number of remote checkpoints, and that the toll could be much higher. Abdul Rahman Mangel, the provincial governor's spokesman, said the attack began late Saturday and appeared to be aimed at seizing the Sayed Abad district headquarters, in the Maidan Wardak province. The Taliban said they overran the district headquarters, but local officials denied the claim. Danish said ...

Construction firm employee held for alleged link with Maoists

An official of a construction firm has been arrested for his alleged link with Maoists in Odisha's Malkangiri district, police said Sunday. Taraknath Paul (41) was picked up from Poplur Road near Doraguda village in the district on Friday evening and detonators, electric wires were seized from his possession, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena said. "Paul failed to give a convincing reason for moving around in a desolate area with detonators and electric wires. The police patrol team also seized from him several documents, a bag with Rs 61,000 cash and a mobile phone," he said. During interrogation, Paul confessed that he was supposed to meet a Maoist leader in Poplur forest and hand over the cash and detonators to the rebels, the SP said. "The accused, who hails from a remote village in Kalimela police station area, also told police that he had been supplying explosive materials, funds and other logistics to the Maoists for a while now," Meena added.

Naxalism will be eliminated from India in 3 years: Rajanth

Home Minister Rajnath Singh Sunday said the menace of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be wiped out from the country in about three years. Addressing troops of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) on the occasion of their 26th anniversary celebrations here, Singh said their action should be rapid and quick but never "reckless." Singh, speaking at the CRPF camp here, said districts affected by Naxal violence in the country have come down to about 10-12 as compared to 126 some time back. The day is not far, may be in a time period of 1-2 or 3 years, that the LWE will be eliminated from the country and this would happen due to your (CRPF) determination, courage and hard work and that of the state police forces, he said. "I congratulate you on the kind of work you have done in the LWE theatre of the country," Singh said. The minister said the force has killed 131 Maoists and militants this year while it has apprehended 1,278 of them and has effected 58 surrenders during the same time. The home ...

Taliban destroy highway bridge, isolating 3 Afghan provinces

An Afghan official says the Taliban have destroyed a highway bridge southwest of Kabul during a wide-ranging assault on security forces, cutting off road traffic between the capital and three provinces. Abdul Rahman Mangel, the provincial governor's spokesman, says Afghan forces repelled the attack, which began late Saturday and appeared to be aimed at seizing a district headquarters in the Maidan Wardak province. He says gunbattles are still underway and there are casualties on both sides, without elaborating. The Taliban claim to have overrun the Sayed Abad district headquarters, but local officials denied the claim. The bridge destroyed in the assault cuts off the main highway from Kabul to the Ghazni, Zabul and Kandahar provinces. The battle also cut off electricity to four provinces: Maidan Wardak, Logar, Ghazni and Paktia.

Search operation underway in J&K's Shopian

Security forces launched a search operation in six villages Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday, police said.

Security forces killed in Burkina Faso blasts: Sources

Six police officers were killed in an ambush with an improvised explosive device in northern Burkina Faso, while another member of the security forces died in a blast in the country's east, security sources told AFP on Saturday. The first attack took place late Friday on a police convoy in the town of Solle near the border with Mali. "The leading vehicle ran over a mine and six were killed," one source said, adding that the convoy then came under gunfire leaving some other officers injured. Another security source said that "at least" six police had died in Friday's attack, adding that a search for the attackers was underway in the area. Separately, one member of the Burkina Faso security forces was killed late Saturday and another was injured when a similar device exploded in the eastern town of Pama, according to a security source. Local residents say air strikes are being carried out in the forests surrounding Pama, which are known in the region as a refuge for jihadist fighters ...

Search operation underway in Shopian district

Security forces launched a massive cordon and search operation (CASO) in several villages of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday, police said. Joint teams of police, CRPF and Army launched a cordon and search operation in six villages of Shopian district of south Kashmir early this morning, a police official said. He said the operation was launched to flush out militants from the area. The operation is going on, the official said, adding further details were awaited.

Security stepped up ahead of local body polls in Kashmir Valley

Security forces have intensified checking and area domination as part of an elaborate plan to provide a sense of security for the smooth conduct of local body polls in the Kashmir Valley, officials said Sunday. The first phase of the polls start Monday. "An elaborate security plan has been put in place for the smooth conduct of the polls, a senior police official said. He said security forces have intensified vehicle checking, frisking and area domination in the city as well as in the other areas of the valley in the run up to the polls. Many check-points have been placed in the city where vehicles are being checked. Sniffer dogs are also being used to check vehicles. We are making sure that no untoward incident happens, he said. The official said while providing a secure atmosphere for the polls was a challenge, there is a good synergy between various security agencies and several steps have been taken to provide a general sense of security in the valley. We are providing cluster ...

UN praises new security arrangements in Libya's capital

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Saturday praised the new security arrangements in the Libyan capital Tripoli adopted by the UN-backed government.

13 militants killed in Afghanistan

Thirteen militants have been killed in two separate strikes by the security forces in two Afghan provinces, the country's Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

Syria rebels say shifting heavy arms from Idlib buffer zone

Syrian rebels said Saturday they have begun withdrawing heavy arms from a planned buffer zone in northwestern Idlib province, ahead of a deadline to set up the demilitarised area. The Turkey-backed National Liberation Front (NLF) "has started pulling out its heavy weapons from the zone", the rebel coalition's spokesman Naji Mustafa told AFP. The buffer zone, agreed last month between rebel backer Ankara and government ally Moscow, aims to separate regime fighters from the myriad rebel and jihadist forces of the Idlib region. The accord, reached on September 17, aims to stave off a massive regime assault on the last major rebel bastion by creating a 15 to 20-kilometre (nine to 12-mile) buffer zone ringing the area. All rebels in the demilitarised zone must withdraw heavy arms by October 10, and radical groups must leave by October 15. NLF spokesman Mustafa said the rebel coalition was "maintaining its positions and headquarters with medium and light weapons" inside the buffer zone. The

Nearly 300 active militants in Kashmir valley: Army

Around 300 militants are active in the Kashmir valley while over 250 ultras have been waiting in the launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into this side, a top Army officer said Saturday. "Over 250 militants are on different launch pads and are trying to get into this side. Our army is alert and ready to stop them," General officer commanding (GoC) of the Army's 15 Corps, Lt Gen A K Bhatt told reporters in Kupwara district of north Kashmir. He said the Army's efforts would be to not let the militants infiltrate into this side. "People of this village (near the LoC) have been supporting us and we want to crush terrorism in entire Kashmir," he said. The army officer said around 300 militants were active across the Kashmir valley. He said the army along with police and CRPF are conducting area domination exercises to ensure the smooth conduct of the local bodies' polls. "Our aim is peace and tranquillity and that the elections are concluded peacefully. We are ...

J&K Governor reviews security ahead of municipal polls

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to review security arrangements ahead of the four-phase municipal elections beginning October 8.

Panchayats polls: J-K Guv reviews security arrangements

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Saturday chaired a review meeting and discussed security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming polls to the Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats polls and the need of safe environment for the elections.The meeting that took place at the Raj Bhavan in Srinagar was attended by Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, Northern Army Commander, Advisors to the Governor, B.B Vyas, Vijay Kumar, B.V.R. Subhramanyam, Chief Secretary, Dilbagh Singh, Director General of Police (DGP), A.K. Bhatt, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of XV Corps among others.The Governor, while obtaining sector-wise assessments of the prevailing security situations in the valley, emphasised on the importance of maintaining a close and sustained watch on the ground situation. He also appreciated the coordination and synergy between the security forces and the civil administration.Malik also stressed the need for a heightened vigil and ensuring the safety and security .