Page 418 - War Conflict
India, Oman agree to boost cooperation in maritime security
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Saud Harib Al Busaidi held wide-ranging talks on Wednesday and agreed to enhance cooperation in maritime security and defence industry engagement. The ministers undertook a comprehensive review of bilateral defence cooperation and discussed measures to further enhance bilateral exchanges, an official statement said. Sitharaman and her Omani counterpart also agreed upon a range of measures to enhance the defence relationship between the two countries. Cooperation in maritime security and defence industry engagement were prioritised for future engagement, the statement said. India and Oman share strong and multi-faceted defence ties with the two countries' armed forces holding regular staff talks and advanced joint exercises with each other.
Malaysia ex-PM's wife quizzed for almost 13 hours in graft probe
The luxury-loving wife of Malaysia's former prime minister was Wednesday questioned for almost 13 hours by investigators probing the multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped topple her husband's government. Rosmah Mansor, widely reviled in Malaysia due to her profligate spending on luxury goods and imperious manner, arrived at the anti-corruption agency before 10:00 am (local time). Wearing a bright green dress and headscarf, the 66-year-old emerged close to 11:00 pm and was whisked away in a car. Officials are said to be in the final stages of investigating her over the alleged looting of state fund 1MDB and she could reportedly be charged soon. It was the second time she had been questioned by the graft-fighting body since her husband Najib Razak's coalition was unexpectedly ousted from office at elections in May after six decades in power. A major factor in the loss were allegations that Najib, his family and his cronies looted billions of dollars from 1MDB in an audacious fraud ...
'Caveats' in peacekeeping deployment 'unfair': India
India, one of the largest troop contributing countries to UN Peacekeeping operations, has said that call for caveats in deployment is "unfair" and places different peacekeepers on different levels. Ruchi Ghanashyam, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, speaking at the high-level event on Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) on the margins of the 73rd session of UN General Assembly here Tuesday, said India welcomes the development of the 'Integrated Performance Policy Framework', covering all the stakeholders. At the same time, we need to address the insistence by some on caveats in deployment. We see this as unfair and placing different peacekeepers on different levels, she said. Caveats enable some troop-contributing countries to limit the roles of their personnel while on peacekeeping duty. India has endorsed the Declaration of Shared Commitments on Peacekeeping and commended Secretary General Antnio Guterres's initiatives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of UN .
Major bummer: Sri Lanka police crack down on social media mooners
Three men who exposed themselves near a Sri Lankan temple and posted the images online were arrested on Wednesday, as a social media "mooning" fad sweeps the island and angers its conservative Buddhist clergy. The trio, aged between 18 and 19, were accused of desecrating a Buddhist site after they pulled down their pants for a cheeky picture against the backdrop of the famous Sigiriya rock, a UNESCO site set in the middle of a jungle in central Sri Lanka. The images of the trio sparked a flurry of complaints from Buddhist monks after they were uploaded to Facebook, as they had taken the photos from a smaller rock temple overlooking the Sigiriya rock fortress. They were quickly tracked down by the police. It is believed the trio were inspired by "Cheeky Exploits", an Instagram account with more than a quarter of a million followers that features bare-bottomed pictures from beauty spots around the world. They will be prosecuted Thursday under the country's obscenity laws which prohibit .
Blast kills eight soldiers in Burkina Faso
Eight soldiers were killed on Wednesday by a blast in the troubled north of Burkina Faso, President Roch Marc Christian Kabore announced. "I have just learned that eight Burkinabe soldiers died after their vehicle drove over a home-made mine planted by the enemies of our people," he said. The convoy had been heading from Baraboule in Soum province, where jihadists have carried out a string of attacks since 2015, to the town of Djibo. "The lead vehicle in the convoy hit the mine" as it was coming off a bridge, a security source told AFP. Kabore expressed his "deepest condolences to the defence and security forces, to the families and relatives of the victims." "These horrible and cowardly attacks will never sap our common resolve to defend our national territorial integrity, to restore peace and security for the happiness and prosperity of the Burkinabe people." One of the world's poorest countries, Burkina Faso started experiencing cross-border jihadist attacks in its northern region .
Cease-fire holds in Libya after clashes that killed 117
A recent bout of heavy fighting in the capital Tripoli has come to a halt after warring militias signed a new cease-fire agreement, Libyan authorities said Wednesday. The UN-backed government said in a statement it welcomed the cease-fire agreement, which was brokered by local representatives and tribal leaders. Fighting in Tripoli first erupted on August 26 when the 7th Brigade comprised of militias hailing from Tarhouna, a town about 60 kilometers south of Tripoli, attacked southern neighbourhoods of the capital. The Tripoli Revolutionaries' Brigades and the Nawasi Brigade, militias which support the UN-backed government, came to the city's defense. Clashes flared up again last week, breaking a previous, UN-brokered cease-fire that began earlier this month. At least 117 people, including civilians, have been killed in the fighting and another 404 wounded. Twenty people remain missing since fighting first began there, the Health Ministry said. In the past two days, 1,700 families ...
Armed men kill 12 civilians in Mali near Niger border
A Tuareg leader says armed men on motorcycles have attacked a nomadic community near Mali's border with Niger, killing at least 12 civilians. Moussa Ag Acharatoumane, secretary-general for the Tuareg self-defense group, said Wednesday the attack targeted men in the Iboghilitane community about 45 kilometers (28 miles) west of Menaka. The violence risks setting off a new cycle of intercommunal clashes in the Menaka region where 100 civilians have already been killed this year. Menaka governor Daouda Maiga says patrols have been sent to investigate. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ag Acharatoumane said community residents include many members of the Islamic State organization. He said the attack may have been in retaliation for one by extremists a few months ago on the Idarfane community.
Top LeT commander, responsible for killing Army Major, among two killed in Sopore
A top Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist of Pakistani origin, who was responsible for gunning down Army Major Satish Dhayia, was among two militants killed in an encounter in the apple town of Sopore in North Kashmir early Wednesday, police said. With these deaths, the number of ultras killed in the past 12 days in Kashmir has gone up to 18, they said. Abu Maaz, who had been active since 2015, was killed, along with Abdul Majeed alias 'Sameer', a resident of Bomai in Sopore, they said. Giving details, the police said during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday a joint search operation was launched with para-military forces and army following a credible intelligence input about the presence of terrorists in the Nowpora area of Tujjer in Sopore. "During the searches, hiding terrorists fired on the search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were eliminated," a police spokesman said. "On the basis of materials recovered, one
Sporadic violence during BJP's Bengal shutdown, TMC terms it failure
West Bengal on Wednesday witnessed sporadic violence and vandalism in some districts and disruption in train services during the BJP-sponsored 12-hour shutdown in the state.
Bengal CM warns of stern action against hooliganism
Peeved over the vandalism during the BJP-sponsored 12-hour shutdown in West Bengal on Wednesday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warned that police will take stern action against those who indulged in hooliganism and violence.
Sri Lankan refugee arrested in Tamil Nadu
A Sri Lankan national sheltered in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchi Sri Lankan refugee camp was nabbed by custom officials near Thangachimadam area on Wednesday.The refugee was attempting to cross over to Sri Lanka illegally in a plastic boat from Rameswaram.The detainee has been identified as Ramani and investigation into the matter is underway.
10 Afghan children, 2 women dead in air strike: UN initial report
An air strike appears to have killed 12 members of an Afghan family, most of them children, the United Nations said, citing preliminary findings, as US and Afghan forces ramp up aerial bombardments against militants. The victims, including 10 children aged six to 15 and two women, died on Sunday night when an "aerial ordnance" destroyed their house in a village in Wardak province, near Kabul, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in a statement late Tuesday. The findings support earlier comments from provincial council member Ahmad Jahfari, who told AFP that 12 members of a family had been killed in an air strike targeting Taliban fighters. A villager called Abdullah told AFP that two of his sisters died in the attack that he said claimed the lives of more than 12 civilians. "Three other houses were also destroyed," Abdullah said. "They wanted to bomb a Taliban prison about 100 metres (330 feet) from our house." UNAMA is also reviewing reports of civilian casualties from "a ...
Violence in some areas, train services briefly hit during BJP's 12-hr Bengal bandh
Incidents of violence were reported from some West Bengal districts when BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters clashed during the 12-hour bandh called by the saffron party Wednesday to protest the killing of two students in a clash in North Dinajpur district, police said. Three state-run buses were set on fire and stones were pelted at vehicles in Islampur where the two students were killed. Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot to douse flames, sources said. The BJP protestors squatted on the road at Islampur to stop traffic movement. The police resorted to baton charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Some BJP supporters have been detained, a police official said. Bandh supporters also blocked NH34 in North Dinajpur forcing the police to resort to baton charge. The two students were killed when protesters clashed with the police on September 20 over recruitment of Urdu and Sanskrit teachers at Daribhita High School in North Dinajpur district, police had said. The
2 guards killed in explosion in southeastern Turkey
Turkey's state-run news agency says an improvised explosive device believed to have been planted by Kurdish rebels has exploded on a road in the country's southeast, killing two government-paid village guards. Anadolu Agency said two other village guards were wounded Wednesday in the explosion in the mainly Kurdish-populated Sirnak province, near the border with Iraq. Anadolu said an operation has been launched to catch the perpetrators. The village guards support Turkey's military in fighting the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has waged a more than three-decade-long insurgency in Turkey's southeastern region. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people since 1984. The group is considered a terror organization by Turkey and its allies.
Terrorist killed in encounter identified as top LeT commander
One of the two terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in Sopore Tuesday was identified as a top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander who was active in north Kashmir for the past three years, police said Wednesday. The police identified him as Abu Maaz, a Pakistani national. "On the basis of materials recovered, one of the slain terrorists has been identified as Abu Maaz of Pakistani origin who was operating as the top commander of LeT in north Kashmir," a police spokesman said. The other terrorist who was killed in the operation in Bomai area was identified as Abdul Majeed Mir alias Sameer. The spokesman said Maaz had a criminal record since 2015 and he was involved in series of terror activities in the area, particularly in Sopore and Handwara. "He was involved in several attacks on the security forces and killings of civilians in the area. Several cases were registered against him in police stations across the valley for terror activities," he added. The spokesman said ...
Top Portuguese police held over arms theft: prosecutors
Senior figures in Portugal's military and paramilitary police forces were arrested Tuesday over the brazen theft of rockets, grenades, and cartridges from a military arms depot last year, prosecutors said. They were held on suspicion of offences including arms trafficking, criminal association, abuse of power, and the falsification of documents, said a statement from the prosecutor's office. The arrests come more than a year after a thieves broke into a Portuguese army arms depot in Tancos, central Portugal, where security cameras had been out of order for two years. In all, they got away with 44 anti-tank rockets, 150 hand grenades, 18 tear gas grenades, and 1,450 nine-millimetre cartridges. The theft happened in June 2017, and it was only an anonymous tip-off in October that allowed police to recover most of the haul, hidden on waste ground a few dozen kilometres from Tancos. The cartridges are still missing, however. Among those in custody, according to local media reports, were ...
DAC clears procurement of engines worth Rs 2300 crore for T-72 tanks
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Tuesday approved procurement of 1,000 engines for fitment in T-72 tanks of the Army at an approximate cost of over Rs 2,300 crore, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. The DAC also approved several amendment to Defence Procurement Procedure(DPP)-16, the manual governing such procurement. The significant changes include limiting the time period for executing repeat order to five years after the date of completion of warranty of final delivery in the previous contract. Repeat order provisions have also been extended to procurement by other services such as the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO). "The DAC also accorded approval for procurement of 1,000 engines of 1,000 BHP (brake horse power) for fitment in T-72 tanks of the Army under 'Buy & Make' category and at an approximate cost of over Rs 2,300 crore," the statement said. Post transfer of technology, most of these engines will be manufactured by ..
India to observe 'Parakram Parv' on 2016 surgical strikes anniversary
India will observe 'Parakram Parv, commemorating the valour and sacrifice of the armed forces, on the anniversary of the 2016 cross-LoC military strikes on militant launch pads, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
J-K DGP takes stock of security situation in state
Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh Tuesday directed his men to formulate deployment plans keeping in view the sensitivity of an area and the security of those involved in the process of the upcoming local bodies elections in the state, a police spokesman said. Singh visited south Kashmir districts of Pulwama, Shopian and Anantnag and Awantipora along with IG CRPF, Kashmir, Zulfikar Hassan and IGP Kashmir S P Pani. The DGP chaired joint review meetings at all the district headquarters to take stock of the security scenario in these districts. He also interacted with the officers and jawans during his visit to these districts where the district SSPs and commandants briefed him regarding the measures taken for the smooth conduct of the polls and also for tackling the militancy in their respective districts, the spokesman said. Addressing the joint review meetings, the DGP commended the collective efforts of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security forces for maintaining peace in ..
1984 riots: HC reserves verdict in 22-year-old appeals of over 80 convicts
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday reserved its decision on 22-year-old appeals of over 80 people convicted and sentenced to five years in jail for rioting, burning houses and curfew violation during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Justice R K Gauba reserved the verdict in the appeals after arguments in the matter concluded on Tuesday. The convicts have challenged the August 27, 1996 judgement of a sessions court which had convicted 88 out of the 107 people arrested on November 2, 1984 for rioting, burning houses and curfew violation in Trilokpuri area of East Delhi. After the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984, the next couple of days witnessed widespread rioting and killings of Sikhs in the national capital. According to the FIR lodged in connection with the Trilokpuri incident, 95 people had died in the rioting and 100 houses were burnt, senior advocate H S Phoolka, who has been representing the riots victims in various matters, said. Of the 88 ...