Page 44 - War Conflict
5 killed in Kabul blast targeting government bus
At least five people were killed and 10 injured on Monday in an explosion in Kabul that targeted an Afghan government bus, officials said.
Pak-based KLF leader Harmeet Singh plotting to disrupt peace in Punjab, says Amritsar-Rural SSP
Pakistan-based Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD is plotting to carry out some big incidents on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Rural, Vikram Jeet Duggal here on Monday."KLF handler Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD is instigating the youths of Punjab through social media and other mediums from his base in Pakistan. He is also the mastermind of various drugs and weapons smuggling rackets. He is plotting to carry out some big incidents on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star to disrupt the peace and harmony in the state," said Duggal at a press conference here.Operation Blue Star was the codename of an Indian military action carried out in June 1984 to remove militant religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from the buildings of Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar in the state.Duggal's statements come after the state police seized live grenades, papers and ...
Sudan military did not break up sit-in 'by force': Spokesman
Sudan's military rulers denied trying to break up a protest sit-in "by force" Monday in Khartoum, saying their forces were targeting a site nearby, after a doctors' committee said nine people had been killed. "We did not disperse the sit-in by force," said Shamseddine Kabbashi, spokesman for the ruling military council. "The tents are there, and the youth are moving freely," he told Sky News Arabia. Heavily armed security forces in pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns were deployed in large numbers all around the capital, while gunfire was heard from the protest site by an AFP journalist. Kabbashi said the military was targeting a "dangerous" area near the sit-in protest. "This morning... security forces wanted to disperse a gathering in the area near where the sit-in was taking place," he said. "This area, called Colombia, has long been a hotbed of corruption and negative practises that go against the conduct of Sudanese society," said Kabbashi. "Many escaped from the Colombia ...
At least four killed as government bus hit in Kabul blast
At least four people were killed Monday when a bomb tore through a bus in Kabul, an official said, marking the second day straight that attackers have targeted a bus. The vehicle was taking workers home from a government watchdog agency ahead of the Eid holidays marking the end of Ramadan when the bomb exploded. Farid Ahmad, a spokesman for the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC), told AFP the bomb had been concealed on a bicycle along the side of the road. "Unfortunately, we have lost four colleagues, nine have been wounded", Ahmad said. Interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi put the toll at five dead and 10 wounded -- all of them civilians. He said the explosion had been caused by a sticky bomb, a common threat in Kabul where criminals and insurgents slap explosives under vehicles. No one immediately claimed responsibility. The blast comes one day after two people were killed and dozens more wounded in Kabul as a wave of bombings hit civilian ..
Doval begins his second term as NSA
Ajit Doval began his second term as the National Security Advisor with an elevated stature equivalent to that of a Union Cabinet minister, according to an official order made public on Monday. A 1968-batch IPS officer who retired as Intelligence Bureau chief in 2005, Doval's appointment is the first key posting announced by the Narendra Modi government after assuming office for a second term on May 30. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment for a five-year period with effect from May 31, 2019 and it will be co-terminus with the term of the prime minister, the order said. "During the term of his office, he will be assigned the rank of Cabinet Minister," the order said. This makes Doval, 74, as the first NSA who has been appointed for two consecutive terms. He was appointed to the post on May 30, 2014 and he was given a stature that of a Minister of State sometime in September that year after the Chinese side insisted for ministerial-level talks. During ..
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interacts with troops in Siachen
In his first visit as Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh on Monday visited the world's highest battlefield - the Siachen Glacier - where he interacted with Army troops and paid tributes to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty."I salute your spirit, your valour from the bottom of my heart. Jawans and officers in the Armed forces have a sense of pride, that is the strongest sentiment in the heart of any human," Singh said while addressing personnel at the Siachen Base Camp.In a series of tweets, Rajnath lauded the personnel for performing their duty with great courage despite unfavourable terrain."Visited a forward post and Siachen base camp today and interacted with the Army personnel serving in this region which is also known as the 'the highest battle field in the world'," he wrote."Our soldiers in Siachen are performing their duty with great courage and fortitude even in extreme conditions and treacherous terrain. I salute their vigour and valour," Rajnath added .
US, UK condemn 'attacks' on Sudan protesters
The US Embassy in Sudan is calling on Sudanese security forces to stop their "attacks against protesters and other civilians." The embassy said via Facebook that apparent attempts by Sudanese troops to move against a months-long protest camp in the capital are "wrong," and that it holds the country's Transitional Military Council responsible for the attacks. The British ambassador in Sudan, Ifran Siddiq, says he is "extremely concerned by the heavy gunfire" he'd heard from his official home in Khartoum, as well as "reports that Sudanese security forces are attacking the protest sit-in site, resulting in casualties." "No excuse for any such attack," he said via Twitter. Sudan's ruling military council confirms there have been clashes between troops and protesters in a sit-in area in the capital, Khartoum. Shams al-Deen al-Kabashi, spokesman for the council, said in televised remarks that the military was targeting what it considers a problematic area near the sit-in, nicknamed ...
Car bombing kills 19 in Syria's Azaz: monitor
At least 19 people were killed Sunday in a car bomb near a bustling market and mosque in a rebel-held city in northwestern Syria, a war monitor said. Four children were among those killed in the explosion in Azaz, in the heart of a Turkish zone of influence in Aleppo province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The attack also wounded more than 20 people, according to the Britain-based monitor. "Many people were leaving evening prayers when the explosion happened," Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP. Shoppers buying clothes and gifts ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday were among those killed, said Jihad Berro, a coroner at a local hospital. He said the medical facility was crammed with victims and their relatives. "The emergency rooms were full, we placed corpses on the floor," he said. "It is a real catastrophe before the Eid al-Fitr holiday," which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, said Berro. An AFP photographer saw a large crowd ...
Arunachal govt to hand over MLA killing case to NIA
The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to hand over the killing of Khonsa West MLA Tirong Aboh and 10 others by suspected NSCN militants to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), an official said on Monday. The state Cabinet in its first sitting on Sunday night unanimously decided that the case be handed over to the NIA as thorough investigation needs to be carried out in a time bound manner and justice be delivered expeditiously to the bereaved family members by booking and nabbing all the culprits, the official said. The cabinet headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu also condemned the killing of the MLA and 10 others by suspected NSCN militants. The cabinet approved for providing a Group C post in the government to the next of kin of the deceased and provide Rs 20 lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased. Nationalist Peoples' Party (NPP) MLA Aboh along with his son and nine others were killed when suspected NSCN militants opened fire at their ...
Sudan military rulers use force to disperse sit-in
Sudan's ruling military council on Monday used force in a bid to break up a sit-in outside the Khartoum army headquarters, one of the main protest groups and witnesses said. The military ousted president Omar al-Bashir in April after months of protests against his authoritarian rule, including a sit-in in front of army headquarters in the capital. Thousands of protesters remained camped out in front of the site calling on the generals to cede power to a transitional authority. "Now an attempt is taking place to disperse the sit-in at the headquarters of the people's armed forces by force by the military council," said the Sudanese Professionals Association, the group which spearheaded nationwide protests that started in December. A witness living in the Burri neighbourhood in east Khartoum said he could "hear the sound of gunfire and I see a plume of smoke rising from the area of the sit-in." Another resident of the area, which is near the sit-in, said he had seen forces in "police ...
J-K: Two terrorists killed in retaliatory fire in Sopian
Two terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces in Molu-Chitragam area of Sopian district in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday night.The terrorists were killed in a retaliatory fire when security forces intercepted their vehicle at a checkpoint on Shopian-Turkawangom Road in Mool Chitragam area of the district, an official release said.The terrorists have been identified as Firdous Ahmad Bhat and driver Sajad Ahmad, the residents of Kulgam district.One terrorist, however, managed to flee the spot taking advantage of darkness.Bhat was listed as a terrorist in police records.Their bodies have been handed over to their legal heirs after completion of medico-legal formalities, the release said.Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the spot.
Suspended police head blames President Sirisena for failing to prevent Lanka attack
Sri Lanka's suspended police chief has accused President Maithripala Sirisena of failing to prevent the Easter bombings that killed over 250 people as he filed a petition in the Supreme Court against his "unfair dismissal" over the catastrophic intelligence failure. Inspector-General Pujith Jayasundara was sent on compulsory leave by Sirisena for his alleged inaction on the intelligence shared by India, which warned of an impending attack by Islamic militants, and thereby, failing to prevent the serial blasts on April 21. In the petition submitted to the court last week, Jayasundara revealed serious lack of communication between intelligence agencies and security arms of the government, all which fall under Sirisena, and claimed he was sidelined and excluded from attending National Security Council meetings since a political rift between the president and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe emerged in October last year. In October 2018, Sirisena sacked Prime Minister Ranil ...
Haftar's forces repel attack on Tripoli airport, 15 killed
At least 15 "GNA militants" were killed when Khalifa Haftar's Libya National Army (LNA) repelled attacks on the Tripoli airport here, said LNA General Command press service director Khalifa Obeidi on Monday."LNA repelled an armed attack by (GNA armed) groups...on Tripoli airport on Sunday morning," Sputnik quoted Obeidi as saying.He added that "15 Government of National Accord (GNA) militants, including six mercenaries from Chad," died in the clash.Libya has been largely divided into two factions ever since the death of its dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The LNA-backed parliament controls the east of Libya, while the UN-backed GNA governs Libya's western region from Tripoli.Fighting broke out between the LNA and GNA after Haftar's forces launched an offensive in April to retake Tripoli. More than 90,000 people have been displaced ever since, while over 450 people have lost their lives.Most of the international community has urged for a peaceful resolution to the intense fighting which has .
2 persons killed in shootout in Shopian
Two persons were Monday killed in a brief shootout with Army in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. The Army had laid a checkpoint at Moolu Chitragam in Shopian in the early hours. A private vehicle jumped the checkpoint. Militants got out of it and opened fire, they said. The security personnel retaliated, leading to the death of two persons, police said. The bodies have been taken to district police lines for identification. Army officials and defence spokesman were unavailable for comments.
Car bombing kills 17 in Syria's Azaz: monitor
At least 17 people were killed Sunday in a car bomb near a bustling market and mosque in a rebel-held city in northwestern Syria, a war monitor said. Four children were among those killed in the explosion in Azaz, at the heart of a Turkish zone of influence in Aleppo province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The attack also wounded more than 20 people, according to the Britain-based monitor. "Many people were leaving evening prayers when the explosion happened," Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman told AFP. In a nearby market, shoppers purchasing clothes and gifts ahead of the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, were also among the victims, said Jihad Berro, a coroner at a local hospital. He said the medical facility was crammed with victims and their relatives. "The emergency rooms were full, we placed corpses on the floor," he said. "It is a real catastrophe before the Eid al-Fitr holiday." Resident Abu Youssef said the
Militant, overground worker killed in Shopian shootout
One militant and an overground worker (OGW) of militants were killed in a shootout on Monday between the security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.
China won't be bullied by US, defence minister says
China's Defence Minister has issued a stern rebuke to the United States amid the ongoing trade war and tension over the South China Sea and Taiwan, saying his country would "not let others prey on or divide us."
Car bombing kills 7 in Syria's Azaz: monitor
A car bomb in Syria's rebel-held northwest killed at least seven people on Sunday, a war monitor said. The explosion in Azaz, a city at the heart of a Turkish zone of influence in northern Aleppo province, also wounded more than 20 people, said Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
SSB arrests Nepali citizen from Siliguri; recovers explosive, detonators
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel on Sunday arrested a Nepali citizen here and recovered 40 packets of Neogel 90 explosives and 100 electrical detonators.The apprehended person has been identified as 33-year-old Sri Prasad Rai."The person was coming from Shillong (Meghalaya) and was going to Bhojpur in Nepal. The apprehended person along with the seized items is being handed over to Khoribari Police station," the paramilitary force said in a statement.He will be produced before the Siliguri court on Monday.
Student bus targeted amid deadly wave of Kabul bombings
Two people were killed and dozens more wounded in Kabul on Sunday as a wave of bombings hit civilian targets -- including a university school bus -- across the Afghan capital. The yellow bus had been heading to Kabul Education University in the western part of the city Sunday morning when it was hit by a sticky bomb -- a growing menace in Kabul, where insurgents and criminals use magnets to slap explosives on vehicles. The device had been placed under the bus, interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said. In the immediate aftermath, as people rushed to help victims, two more bombs that had been planted by the side of the road went off, he added. Among the wounded was an Afghan journalist who appeared to have been live-streaming the aftermath of the first explosion when he was hit in a secondary blast. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Initial reports said the bus was carrying university officials, but Kabul police spokesman Firdaws Faramarz later said students had been