Page 44 - War Conflict
Two LeT militants killed in Sopore
Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed on Thursday in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district.
Woman CoBRA commando from Bastar sets example
Usha Kiran, the youngest female CRPF officer to become a part of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and currently serving in the volatile Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, straddles both worlds of rough and refine.
Kargil war veteran declared foreigner: Cong slams BJP govt, says insult to sacrifice of forces
The Congress on Thursday hit out at the BJP government over a tribunal in Assam declaring a Kargil war veteran a foreigner, saying it shows the "high- handedness and flawed manner" in which the NRC exercise is being implemented in the northeastern state. Mohammad Sanaullah, a resident of Kolohikash village in Kamrup district, was declared a foreigner by the Foreigners Tribunal, Kamrup. "Shocking!! BJP Govt has labelled the 'Foreigner' tag to a Kargil War Hero! It is an insult to the sacrifice of our brave Armed Forces. This speaks volumes about the high handedness and flawed manner in which the NRC exercise is being implemented in Assam," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted. The draft Assam National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published on July 30, 2018 in which the names of 2.89 crore of the 3.29 crore people were included. The names of 40,70,707 people did not figure in the list. Of these, 37,59,630 names have been rejected and the remaining 2,48,077 are on hold. A ..
251 cadets take part in convocation ceremony of 136th National Defence Academy course
The passing out parade of the 136th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) was held here on Thursday. Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, was the chief guest at the event.A total of 251 cadets, including seven cadets from friendly countries, took part in the parade.Battalion Cadet Adjutant K Sahu won the Commandant's Silver Medal and Chief of Army Staff trophy for standing first in the Science stream.Battalion Cadet Captain SKS Chauhan got the Commandant's Silver Medal and Chief of Naval Staff trophy for standing first in Computer Science stream.Battalion Cadet Captain A Kumar bagged the Commandant's Silver Medal and the Chief of Air Staff trophy for standing first in Arts stream.
Six dead in suicide blast at Kabul military academy
At least six people were killed and six more wounded in a suicide blast outside a military academy in the Afghan capital on Thursday, an official said. The attack outside the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in western Kabul took place at the road entrance to the war college. Kabul police spokesman Firdaws Faramarz said the suicide bomber had been on foot. He blew himself up when a soldier challenged him. "Based on initial information, six people killed, six wounded, police have reached the scene," Faramarz said. The attacker "detonated himself before reaching his target", Faramarz added, without providing further details. The attack happened around noon (0730 GMT), a time when students typically leave school early during the month of Ramadan. No group immediately claimed responsibility. Police and security forces in and around Kabul have come under frequent attack in recent weeks, even as the US and the Taliban have held talks about a possible peace agreement. Opened in 2005
Imbibe skills for techno-driven warfare: Dhanoa to NDA cadets
Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa Thursday said technological advancement and sophistication in fire-arms and combat gear has transformed the range and tempo of warfare, and therefore skills need to be imbibed to face the techno-driven warfare effectively. Dhanoa, who was the reviewing officer for the passing out parade of 136th course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla near here, said this during his address to the passing out cadets. "The improvement in the range and power of fire-arms and combat gear, the introduction of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, and the advent of sophisticated electronic and night-fighting capabilities has transformed the range and tempo of warfare," the IAF chief said. Extensive use of digitised communication and high-tech sensors at operational level, real-time battle-field surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance has made it complex and multi-dimensional, he added. "Eventually, you have to imbibe the skills .
Afghan official: Suicide bombing kills 6 near Kabul academy
Afghan authorities say a suicide bomber targeting a military academy in the capital of Kabul has killed at least six people. The Interior Ministry says six others were wounded in the bombing on Thursday. A ministry statement says a soldier noticed a suspicious person and approached him, causing the attacker to detonate his explosives near the Mashal Fahim academy. Ferdus Faramarz, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, says police are trying to get more details about the bombing in western Kabul. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack but insurgents have targeted this academy in the past. Both the Taliban and the Islamic State group are active in Kabul and have staged large-scale attacks in the Afghan capital.
Four troops killed in Ukraine helicopter crash
An army helicopter has crashed in western Ukraine killing four servicemen, the military said on Thursday. The Mi-8 helicopter crashed in the western Rivne region during a training flight late Wednesday, killing three crew members and the commander of the 16th Separate Army Aviation Brigade of Ground Forces, a statement said. It was not immediately clear what caused the crash. Ukraine's new President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his condolences and tasked newly-appointed general staff chief Ruslan Khomchak with overseeing the investigation. "Our army should not be losing people during games and drills," the 41-year-old president was quoted as saying by his office. Zelensky, a former comedian, swept last month's presidential election in a rebuke to the establishment fuelled by popular anger over war with Russian-backed separatists and social injustice. The conflict against Russia-backed insurgents in the east has claimed some 13,000 lives since 2014.
Search operation in Kashmir's Sopore
Security forces on Thursday carried out a search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Sopore area, police said.
Xi broke promise on South China Sea: Top US general
The US military's top general said Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jingping reneged on promises not to militarize the South China Sea and called for "collective action" to hold Beijing responsible. General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he was not calling for military action, but stressed that there was a need to enforce international laws. "The fall of 2016, President Xi Jinping promised President Obama that they would not militarize the islands. So what we see today are 10,000-foot runways, ammunition storage facilities, routine deployment of missile defense capabilities, aviation capabilities, and so forth," he said in a talk on US security and defense at the Brooking institution. "So clearly they have walked away from that committment." "The South China Sea is in my judgement not a pile of rocks," he continued, referring to the series of reefs and outcrops that have been claimed as territory by China, reclaimed and expanded to accomodate
Sri Lanka failed to arrest Easter bomber despite warnings
Sri Lankan authorities failed to arrest the jihadist who led the Easter Sunday attacks that killed 258 people despite mounting evidence against him, the country's top intelligence official said Wednesday. Sisira Mendis told a parliamentary probe into security lapses leading to the April 21 suicide bombings that the attacks led by Zahran Hashim could have been avoided if he had been detained. "He was reported for hate speech. He had come to the attention of the authorities before the attacks," said Mendis, who is the Chief of National Intelligence. "Police could have at least detained him for questioning when there were these reports against him." Official sources said Hashim came to the attention of the authorities following a violent clash with a moderate Muslim group in his village in eastern Sri Lanka two years ago. However he was not arrested. The national parliament Wednesday began investigating the circumstances that allowed a known Islamist group to stage the audacious attack ..
Cache of arms recovered in Palamau
CRPF personnel along with the Jharkhand Police recovered a cache of arms during a search operation in Palamau district on Wednesday, a police officer said. The joint team, during a search operation at Bagsara hill, recovered four IEDs, five country-made rifles, one revolver, three 12-bore guns, 11 packets of gelatin sticks, 250-metre detonating chord and 200-metre electric wire, he said. The recovery happened under the jurisdiction of Pipra police station, the police officer said.
Militant eliminated in Encounter at Shopian; security personnel, civilian also killed
A militant was killed in an encounter Wednesday in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir in which a security personnel and a civilian also lost their lives, police said. Before the encounter broke out in Pinjoora area, several people were injured when security personnel used batons and fired pellets to disperse a violent mob which pelted stones on the forces during the cordon and search operation, they said. The operation was launched following information about presence of militants there, a police official said. As the security forces were carrying out the searches, a mob tried to disrupt the operation by pelting stones on them, the official said. He said the security forces chased the miscreants using batons and firing pellets, resulting in injuries to several persons. Meanwhile, the militants opened firing at security forces, who retaliated. In the ensuing encounter, one militant was gunned down while a security force personnel also died, the official said, adding one civilian ...
Civilian killed in clashes with security forces in Shopian
A civilian was killed on Wednesday in clashes between security forces and protesters in Pinjora village of Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district.
C'garh: Naxal carrying reward of Rs 1 lakh arrested
A Naxal, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was arrested in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district Wednesday, police said. Acting on a tip-off, Koparam Kadti (40) was arrested near Masodi village under Farspal police station area by a team of local police, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said. Maoist banners and pamphlets were seized from his possession, the SP said. Kadti, head of the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Majdoor Sangthan (DAKMS), a Maoist front, was associated with the rebels since 2007, Pallava said. He was mainly tasked with arrangement of commodities of daily use for the rebels, convening meetings of villagers, spreading Maoist propaganda, keeping a watch on movement of security forces and recruitment of youths, the SP said, adding that Kadti was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.
Nigerian troops repel Boko Haram attack on key town
Nigerian soldiers on Wednesday repelled an attack by Boko Haram jihadists on the northeast city of Maiduguri, security sources and residents told AFP. The attack, the latest in a wave of assaults by Islamist gunmen, was repulsed hours before President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn into office for a second term in power. Soldiers intercepted a "huge number" of fighters from Boko Haram on the outskirts of Maiduguri on Tuesday night, beginning a night-long battle that continued until close to dawn on Wednesday. "Our troops did an impressive job, and fought off the terrorists," said a military source, who asked to be named. Troops fought all night, and "forced them to withdraw by dawn," the source said. A member of a self-defence militia, that fights alongside regular troops, said Boko Haram forces were spotted as they moved towards the city in the dark. "Luckily they were sighted by soldiers, who fought them all night long," the militia fighter said. Residents of the city reported the ...
Arrested suspected Pak spies were in contact with Hizb militants in PoK: Officials
Two persons, who were arrested for shooting videos and taking photographs outside an Army camp in Jammu, were allegedly in direct contact with Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants in based in Pakistan as spies, officials said Wednesday. The suspected spies were arrested Tuesday. The suspected spies of Pakistan, who were handed over to the police, are being grilled at a joint interrogation centre to know about the plan of the terrorists. The duo were identified as 38-year-old Mushtaq Ahmed Malik, son of Atta Mohd Malik of Udhyanpur area of Doda district, and 24-year-old Nadeem Akhter, son of Mohd Shafi of Malhar area of Kathua district, they said. They were working for two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists based in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and were in contact with them, they said. The two Hizbul militants based in PoK were kins of the duo and they had gone to PoK and joined HM several years ago, they said. The duo were given tasks by the Hizbul militants for recce of areas, video ...
Amarnath Yatra: Barcode slips for pilgrims; about 40,000 troops to guard route
Security arrangements for the forthcoming annual Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir have been scaled up, with authorities deciding to issue a 'barcode'-enabled authority slip to pilgrims to keep a track of the actual number of people travelling to and from the cave shrine. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), that is tasked as the primary force to secure the pilgrimage that faces terrorist threats, will deploy an enhanced number of upgraded electromagnetic chips or RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags on vehicles that will transport pilgrims and other civilians associated with the yatra. The Centre has decided to deploy about 40,000 central paramilitary and state police personnel to secure the 46-day yatra that begins on July 1 from the twin route -- traditional Pahalgam track in Anantnag district and shortest Baltal track in Ganderbal district. It will conclude on August 15, the day Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated in the country. Out of total number of forces, about ...
Libyan commander hands over prominent militant to Egypt
A prominent Egyptian militant wanted for scores of terror attacks in his country was handed over by Libyan forces loyal to a commander pushing to take the capital of Tripoli and flown back to Egypt on Wednesday. Egyptian TV networks aired footage of a blindfolded Hisham el-Ashmawi, a former army officer turned militant, landing in Cairo and being taken off a military plane. El-Ashmawi was captured last October in the Libyan city of Derna, a longtime bastion of Islamic militants, by commander Khalifa Hifter's self-styled Libyan National Army. Hifter's forces now are battling to take Tripoli, fighting militias allied to a U.N.-supported government based in the Libyan capital. El-Ashmawi's return to Egypt came after a meeting Tuesday between Hifter and Egypt's intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, in the eastern city of Benghazi, which serves as Hifter's base. The handover reflects the close ties between Egypt and Hifter, whose divisive campaign against Tripoli, which started in April, has so
Sri Lanka signs port deal with India, Japan
Sri Lanka has signed a deal with India and Japan to develop a deep-sea container terminal here amid increasing forays by China which has taken a strategic port on a 99-year lease that has worried New Delhi. The three countries will jointly build the East Container Terminal at the Port of Colombo. High Commissioner of India to Colombo Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka Akira Sugiyama and Sri Lankan Minister of Ports & Shipping and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayake signed the Memorandum of Cooperation in Colombo on Tuesday. Sri Lanka's Port Authority (SLPA) said that around 70 per cent of Colombo Port's transshipment business is India related while Japan had cooperated since the 1980s to develop the port's container terminals. SLPA retains 100 per cent ownership of the East Container Terminal. The Terminal Operations Company (TOC) conducting all East Container Terminal operations is jointly owned; Sri Lanka retains a 51 per cent stake, and the joint venture .