Page 42 - War Conflict
Message praising IS chief found on bridge in Navi Mumbai
Police are extra vigilant after a message praising terror organization Islamic State (IS), its head Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, and 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed appeared on a pillar of a bridge in Uran near Mumbai, an official said Tuesday. Some villagers from nearby Khopta spotted the message, written with a black marker pen, and alerted police, he said. The message praised Baghdadi as the "most dreaded terrorist of the world". On another pillar, a diagram of sorts was found, featuring words such as 'port', 'airport', 'pipeline', 'train' and crude drawings representing these objects. Local police as well as officials of Navi Mumbai crime branch and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) visited the spot after learning about the message and drawings, the police official said. As some important installations are situated in and around Uran, including a naval base, JNPT container port and a power station, the police have increased the security in the area, he said. Some
Terrorist hideout busted in J-K's Poonch
Security forces busted a terrorist hideout in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district and seized a cache of arms and ammunition, officials said Tuesday. During a search operation in Lassana forest area, the security personnel seized one Chinese pistol, 19 pistol rounds and 213 rounds of AK-47 rifle, they said. An FIR was registered in the matter and a probe was underway, the officials said. The search operation was conducted by police and a team of 16 Rashtriya Rifles, they added.
Afghan president pledges to release nearly 900 prisoners
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pledged Tuesday to release nearly 900 inmates from prisons across Afghanistan. During an address to the nation for Eid -- the festival marking the end of Ramadan -- Ghani said 887 inmates would be set free. The president did not say what offences the prisoners had committed or whether they were members of the Taliban. During a peace conference in April, Ghani said he would release 175 Taliban prisoners as a gesture of "goodwill". It was not clear if those insurgent prisoners were included in the number Ghani gave on Tuesday. Ghani had proposed a nationwide ceasefire at the start of Ramadan early last month, but the Taliban rejected the offer. Last year, the Taliban observed a three-day ceasefire but there has been no reduction in violence this year. Ghani also said he had accepted an invitation from Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to visit Pakistan later this month.
Deadly shooting shakes Lebanese city, culprit a 'lone wolf'
Military police and forensics in white overalls deployed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Tuesday after a lone gunman went on an overnight shooting spree, killing four security personnel before blowing himself up in an apartment in a residential building. The rare shooting, in which the gunman used a motorcycle to move around, opening fire on police and army vehicles, shook the predominantly Sunni Muslim coastal city on the eve of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Interior Minister Raya El Hassan told reporters that the gunman, identified as Abdul-Rahman Mabsout, is a former member of the Islamic State group and now a "lone wolf." She said the situation was under control. The shooting began late Monday with Mabsout first firing at a branch of the Lebanese Central Bank, then driving around, shooting at police and later at an army vehicle, killing four. With police in hot pursuit, opening fire and using tear gas, Mabsout then drove to .
Moon sightings, politics play a part in Muslim holiday
Muslims across the Middle East and beyond began Tuesday marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, one of the most celebrated holidays for the world's 1.5 billion Muslims, amid confusion about the start of the three-day holiday fed partly by political differences. The holiday marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when devout Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. But the start of the holiday varies from country to country with splits even within the same country because the start of Eid is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon, which sometimes varies according to geographic location. As with everything else in the Middle East, politics often plays a part seemingly this year more than others with countries that traditionally followed Saudi Arabia's lead breaking with it this year, including the Palestinians and Jordan. Muslim Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, as well as Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, announced the first day of Eid is Tuesday, whereas ...
ITBP to retrieve bodies of U'khand climbers in daring heliborne operation
ITBP troops will undertake a first-of-its-kind daring rescue operation to retrieve the mortal remains of at least eight mountaineers suspected to have been killed in an avalanche near an unscaled peak adjoining Nanda Devi East in Uttarakhand, a senior official said Tuesday. The Pithoragarh district administration has sought the services of the mountain-warfare trained troops of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to undertake the mission under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act of 2005. "A team comprising the best ITBP mountaineers has been formed. This is a high-risk mission as the only way to retrieve the bodies is through a heliborne operation. This is possibly the first time that bodies will be retrieved from a height of about 20,000 feet from a mountain peak in India," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey told PTI here. He said the ITBP climbers will be lowered down from the helicopter to fetch the bodies and the operation is expected to be launched on Wednesday on board
Ukraine accuses Russia of failing to stop 'terrorism'
Ukraine accused Russia on Tuesday of doing nothing to prevent what it called pro-Moscow separatists' "acts of terrorism" in eastern Ukraine, including the 2014 downing of a Malaysia Airlines flight. Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Olena Zerkal made the claim before judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the second day of arguments in a case brought by Kiev against Moscow. On Monday, Russia argued that Ukraine had failed to present any new evidence against it and called on the court to dismiss the case. Zerkal responded on Tuesday by blaming Russia for failing to prevent deadly violence in Ukraine. "Did it stop the financing of terrorism in Ukraine? No. Did it help us find the authors of terrorist acts? No," she said. "Result? Flight MH17 was shot down. There have been bomb attacks, rockets have fallen in residential districts. Hundreds of people have been killed or wounded, thousands have been intimidated." The destruction of flight MH17 killed all 298 people ..
2 Armymen killed, 3 others injured in accident
Two Armymen were killed and three others injured when their vehicle overturned in Sonitpur district on Tuesday, police said. The incident took place at Nekerahola area in the morning when the Army personnel were going home on leave. While rushing towards Rangapara railway station, the driver lost control of the vehicle which skidded off the road and turned over, police said. The deceased were identified as Naik Dhyan Singh and Lance Naik Nasir Ahmed Bhatt. The three injured have been taken to the Tezpur Army Base Hospital here. The victims belonged to Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment.
Seven killed in Myanmar monastery shelling: witnesses
Seven people were killed when artillery rounds slammed into a monastery where they were sheltering from firefights between military and insurgent forces in Myanmar's Rakhine state, witnesses said Tuesday. The military has deployed thousands of troops to the western state, where it is locked in bloody battles with Arakan Army (AA) rebels fighting for more autonomy for ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. Clashes are heating up in the same area where the military drove out 740,000 Rohingya Muslims in a 2017 campaign UN investigators have said amounted to genocide. On Monday morning, fighting engulfed the village of Sapa Htar in northern Rakhine state's Minbya township, village leader Myo Kyaw Aung told AFP by phone Tuesday. He described how villagers took refuge in the local monastery after artillery fire hit several homes. "Then ... shelling hit the monastery," he said, adding that in addition to the seven deaths, an equal number were injured. Many of the community of some 800 tried to flee but .
BSF nabs drug smuggler
Border Security Force (BSF) troops apprehended one drug smuggler and seized a large quantity of the drug Phensedyl from him on the border area of Fulbari in West Bengal's Coochbehar district.Acting on a tip-off on Monday evening, BSF troops laid an ambush and nabbed the smuggler along with 399 bottles of Phensedyl, while he was attempting to smuggle the drugs to Bangladesh.The man identified as Swapan Barman,19, is the son of Bipin Barman, a resident of Fulbari Chowpati.The case was registered in the police station of Sitalkuchi and has been handed over for further legal action.BSF officials captured the miscreants due to their alertness towards the issues of trans-border crimes and illegal infiltration.The force is undertaking relevant efforts and is taking strict actions to prevent such trans-border crimes.
Caldwell excited about 'Black Tornado...' adaptation
American screenwriter Joshua Caldwell will be writing the script for the adaptation of author Sandeep Unnithan's "Black Tornado: The Three Sieges of Mumbai 26/11" and hopes to do justice to it.
Couple drowned in water tank
A couple drowned in a water tank on Tuesday at a village in Rajasthan's Barmer district, police said. The woman slipped into the tank while trying to fetch water, following which her husband tried to save her, but both drowned, they said. The bodies were fished out from the tank after villagers informed the police, they said. The deceased were identified as Lalaram (22) and Sugni Devi (19). The bodies were handed over to their family after post- mortem. A case has been registered, they added.
Targeted action against 10 top terrorists in J-K soon
Security agencies have prepared a list of 10 most wanted terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, that includes top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo, against whom targeted operations will soon be launched to eliminate or nab them, officials said Tuesday. The list was prepared following inputs from intelligence agencies, paramilitary forces, the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Naikoo, the chief commander of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) in the Valley, tops the list as he has been involved in a series of subversive activities leading to casualties among security personnel and civilians, a security official said. The wanted terrorists include Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) Shopian district commander Wasim Ahmed alias Osama, HM's Anantnag district commander Mohd Ashraf Khan, HM's Baramulla district commander Mehraj-Ud-Din, HM militant operator in Srinagar Saifullah Mir alias Doctor Saif, HM's Pulwama district commander Arshaid-Ul Haq. Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief operational commander ..
Deadly shooting shakes Lebanese city as Muslims mark Eid
Lebanon's interior minister said a gunman was working alone when he went on a shooting spree that killed four security personnel in the northern city of Tripoli. Raya El Hassan said the shooting by the man identified as a former member of the Islamic State group, Abdul-Rahman Mabsout, is an "individual case" and the situation is under control. She spoke to reporters in Tripoli Tuesday, hours after Mabsout, riding a motorcycle, opened fire on police and army vehicles in the city, killing two police officers and two soldiers before breaking into a residential building and hiding there. He later detonated an explosive belt when confronted by troops. The rare shooting, which began late Monday, shook the predominantly Sunni Muslim coastal city on the eve of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Naxal 'commander' surrenders in C'garh's Dantewada
A Naxal "commander" with a Rs 1 lakh reward on his head Tuesday surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, police said. Baman Beko (26), active as "jan militia commander" of the proscribed Communist Party of India (Maoist), turned himself in before Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava, an official said. Beko, a native of Orchha in neighbouring Narayanpur district, had joined the outlawed group's children's wing in 2005 and was mainly tasked with recruiting youth and spreading Maoist propaganda among villagers, SP Pallava said. "He carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.
Roadside bomb north of Iraqi capital kills 4 security forces
Iraqi security officials say a roadside bomb has exploded near an army patrol north of Baghdad, killing four security personnel and wounding four others. A statement issued by the Security Media Cell, affiliated with the country's security forces, says the incident happened Tuesday in the town of Tarmiya some 25 kilometres north of Baghdad. It said the members of the patrol also came under fire from gunmen hiding in nearby fields while being evacuated. Security forces neutralised and killed three militants, it said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State group in late 2017 but the extremist group has sleeper cells throughout the country and has been staging guerrilla-style attacks in areas north of Baghdad and in the country's north.
Faithful Muslims around the world begin celebrating Eid
Muslims across the Middle East and beyond began marking the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr, one of the most celebrated holidays for the world's 1.5 billion Muslims and traditionally a time for family and festivities. The holiday marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when devout Muslims have been fasting from sunrise to sunset. But the start of the holiday varies from country to country with splits even within the same country because the start of Eid is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon. As with everything else in the Middle East, politics often plays a part. Ordinarily a festive occasion, this year's Eid comes amid war and turmoil in more than one area. In Afghanistan, the Taliban insurgent group has said it will not mark Eid with a cease fire, as they did last year. Yemen has been mired in war and famine for years, while in Sudan, the ruling military just conducted a deadly crackdown on Monday against pro-democracy protesters, killing at least 35. Sudanese ...
NIA brings J&K separatist Bhat to Delhi for questioning
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has brought separatist leader and alleged ringleader of stone pelting in Jammu and Kashmir, Masrat Alam Bhat, from a state prison to Delhi to question him in connection with a terror funding case.
Ghani expresses readiness to observe ceasefire if Taliban does
Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday expressed his readiness to observe a ceasefire if the Taliban outfit also does.
Taliban detain Afghan peace marchers, supporters say
Afghan peace protesters marching through Taliban territory have been detained by the insurgents, two supporters of the movement told AFP on Tuesday. The so-called People's Peace Movement attracted international attention last year when they walked across Afghanistan and into the capital Kabul in an attempt to reduce the record levels of violence across the country. Thousands of civilians have been killed or injured in the past 18 years of fighting between the militant group and US-backed forces. About 30 members of the People's Peace Movement started a new walk on May 27, when they set out from Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province. According to Abdul Malik Hamdard, a peace march supporter, the Taliban forced four members of the group to accompany them in vehicles Sunday night as they crossed into Taliban territory in the south of the country. Then on Monday, Taliban fighters returned and took the rest of the group, except for a few older members, he added. About 25 marchers were ..