Page 443 - War Conflict
Truck driver arrested for stealing cargo, concocting loot story in Punjab
A truck driver transporting paper rolls was arrested Friday after it came to light that he had kept the cargo hidden with a design to sell it later and pocket the proceeds and concocted a story of being robbed, police said. Police received information in the early hours of the day that a truck laden with paper rolls was snatched by unknown miscreants near a roadside eatery on the highway in Rajpura near here, officials said. A search operation was launched and the truck was recovered from an isolated place near the focal point here, they said. During interrogation, truck diver Bhagat Singh confessed to have concocted the story of the loot to sell the paper rolls in the market, officials said. Singh was arrested, they said, adding that the approximate cost of truck, including bundles of papers, was nearly Rs 23 lakh.
Two Kashmiri Islamic State militants held, 2 pistols seized
Two suspected Islamic State (IS) militants hailing from Jammu and Kashmir were arrested in the Capital, police said on Friday. Two pistols and 10 cartridges were seized from them.
UN chief condemns deadly twin bombings in Kabul
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday condemned the attacks on a Kabul sports centre which killed at least 22 people, including sportsmen and two journalists who were covering the initial bombing for a local news agency. The first of two blasts occurred when a suicide bomber detonated himself inside a gym at a wrestling event on Wednesday. A car bomb was triggered soon after as first responders attended the scene. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the attack in which around 75 people were wounded. "This latest cynical act of terror targeting ordinary citizens of Kabul, along with first responders and journalists, is deeply shocking," said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan. In a later statement, Guterres condemned the attack and said in a statement issued through his spokesman that "every effort should be made to bring to justice those who organized this attack against civilians." The sports centre is located in Kabul's
'Make in India' not just confined to India anymore, benefitting others: Jitendra Singh
The 'Make In India' initiative of the government is not only helping the country grow but also benefitting other nations as part of the global community, Union minister Jitendra Singh said Friday. Addressing a gathering of senior offices of the armed forces, industry leaders and other stakeholders on the second day of the Defence and Homeland Security Expo & Conference here, the Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said this aspect was best highlighted in the achievement of the Mangalyaan mission helmed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the planned first manned space mission of India. "The Make In India theme is now no more just confined to India. It is contributing to a community of nations, world over. Our Sriharikota launching pad facilities are being used by countries which began space exploration much earlier than India, like the US, Russia (Soviet Union), France," Singh said. So, other countries are availing it, as they are doing now, this ...
Akali, Cong supporters clash in Punjab; one injured
Supporters of the Congress and the Akali Dal clashed with each other in Dharamkot city near here Friday during filing of nomination papers for the upcoming zila parishad and panchayat samiti polls in the state. One person was injured in the clash and police had to resort to lathicharge and tear gas to disperse the crowd, officials said. According to police officials, Congress activist Simranjeet Singh (25) was injured when an Akali supporter allegedly fired a shot during the clash. The supporters of both the political parties were from Datta village here, they said. Sensing trouble, police lathicharged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, and brought the situation under control, officials said, adding that injured had been taken to a hospital. Elections to the zila parishads and panchayat samitis in Punjab will take place on September 19.
Two Kashmiri Islamic State militants arrested in Delhi
Two suspected Islamic State (IS) militants hailing from Jammu and Kashmir have been arrested from here, police said on Friday.
Serbia-Kosovo 'land swap' on the agenda in Brussels
The idea of a "land swap" between Serbia and Kosovo to settle their long-running dispute once and for all has stirred passions ahead of a new round of talks between former war foes. The notion would likely see a part of southern Serbia centered on the ethnic Albanian-dominated city of Presevo transferred to Kosovo, while the Serb-dominated northern part of Kosovo, around Mitrovica, would become part of Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Hashim Thaci are expected to meet Friday in Brussels as part of efforts to normalize relations in the region still riven by tensions from the 1998-99 war. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized as a nation by more than 100 countries. But Serbia does not recognize it, and neither do five EU countries Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. Serbia and Kosovo have been told that they must sort out their differences if they want to advance toward EU membership, Officials from both nations have ...
Turkey proposes rebel evacuation from Idlib: report
Ankara has drawn up a plan to offer armed rebel groups safe conduct out of the Syrian province of Idlib in a bid to avert the bloodshed of a major assault by Damascus, a pro-government newspaper reported on Friday. As the presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran meet in Tehran Friday to try and find a solution to the seven-year Syrian conflict, Ankara -- which is wary about an attempt by Bashar al-Assad's forces to retake the last rebel bastion of Idlib -- has drawn up a plan to avert an assault, the daily Sabah reported. According to the plan, 12 armed groups -- including the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Idlib -- would lay down their arms and be evacuated from the province, the newspaper said, without revealing its sources. The groups would be offered safe passage to a buffer zone, under the surveillance of the moderate opposition on condition they hand over weapons to a loose coalition of rebel groups backed by Ankara, it continued. Foreign fighters in the group would ..
Salisbury attack: France, Germany, USA, Canada back UK's findings
The leaders of France, Germany, Unites States of America (USA) and Canada expressed "full confidence" in United Kingdom's assessment that the two suspects in the Novichok attack of March 4 were officers from the Russian military intelligence service.In a joint statement, the four countries, and the UK reiterated their outrage at the use of a chemical nerve agent, Novichok, in Salisbury on March 4, which attempted to kill former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia."We have full confidence in the British assessment that the two suspects were officers from the Russian military intelligence service, also known as the GRU, and that this operation was almost certainly approved at a senior government level," the statement read.The leaders of the five countries said that they have already taken joint action to disrupt the activities of the GRU, "Yesterday's announcement further strengthens our intent to continue to disrupt together the hostile activities of foreign ...
Mattis makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan
US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis landed in Kabul on Friday for an unannounced visit to war-torn Afghanistan, adding his weight to a flurry of diplomatic efforts to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. His trip comes a little more than a year after President Donald Trump unveiled a revamped strategy for Afghanistan that saw him commit thousands of additional US forces to the country on an open-ended basis. Mattis, on his second visit to the country in recent months, will meet with President Ashraf Ghani and the new US commander for American and NATO forces, General Scott Miller. His arrival in Kabul comes at a sensitive time in the 17-year war. The grinding conflict has seen little progress by Afghan or US forces against the Taliban, the country's largest militant group. Afghan and international players have been ratcheting up efforts to hold peace talks with the Taliban, which was toppled from power by US-led forces in 2001. An unprecedented ceasefire in June followed by talks .
Curfew imposed in Iraq's Basra as one dies in protests
Three mortar shells were fired into Baghdad's green zone early Friday as a curfew was imposed in the southern Iraqi city of Basra after a fresh outbreak of violent protests over poor public services left one person dead and 35 injured. The rare assault by unidentified attackers on the heavily-fortified green zone, which houses Iraqi government officials and the US Embassy, came "without any victims or causing damage," the head of security for the capital said. The attack comes as Iraq struggles with an outbreak of violent protests in oil-rich southern Basra, in which eight people have been killed since Tuesday as crowds have clashed with security forces and hurled Molotov cocktails at the regional government headquarters. Basra has been the epicentre of protests that have rocked Iraq since July, with anger fuelled by pollution of the water supply that left 30,000 people in hospital. Thousands of demonstrators converged in central Basra Thursday after local officials decided to scrap ..
Kabul twin blasts: Death toll rises to 26
Afghanistan's Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Thursday confirmed that the death toll in the twin blasts in Kabul has climbed to 26.Two blasts rocked Afghanistan's capital on Wednesday. The first explosion, which was a suicide bombing occurred around 6 PM (local time) at the Moalem wrestling club in Kabul's Qala-e-Nazer while the second blast, a car bombing took place about an hour later in the same area.Deputy spokesperson for the MoI, Nusrat Rahimi, stated that at least 91 others were left wounded in the suicide blast and the consequent car bombing.The responsibility for the deadly attack in the capital city was claimed by the terror outfit -Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Khurasan (ISIS-K), the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State.In a statement, ISIS-K stated that the suicide blast was carried out by one Sabir al-Khurasani, while the second was executed with an improvised explosive device (IED) inside a vehicle. The group stated that the second attack was targeted at a gathering ..
8 Afghan policemen killed in insider attack by Taliban
The Taliban on Wednesday set ablaze the bodies of at least eight policemen who were killed in an insider attack in the northeastern province of Takhar.The provincial police spokesperson, Asir, confirmed the incident, saying that the policemen were killed after the Taliban terrorists attacked their check post in the Kandahar Qeshlaq area of Khwaja Ghar district, Khaama Press reported.Asir further stated that an Afghan policeman, with links to the Taliban, helped facilitate the attack, adding that the terrorists took the police's weapons and escaped the area.Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban, also confirmed the incident, claiming that nine policemen were killed in the incident.Takhar province has been relatively calm and isolated from the militancy and violence since the fall of the Taliban regime in the country. However, owing to an expansion of the terror activities towards the north and northeast provinces in the past few years, the security of the province has ...
North Korea's Kim has faith in Trump, frustrated at skeptics
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un still has faith in US President Donald Trump's commitment to ending their nations' hostile relations, but he's frustrated by questions about his willingness to denuclearise and wants his "goodwill measures" to be met in kind, South Korean officials said Thursday. The trove of comments from Kim, including his commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and to the suspension of all future long-range missile tests, were relayed by top South Korean security officials returning from meeting him in Pyongyang as well as by the North's propaganda specialists. Even in their indirect form, each statement will be parsed for clues about Kim's mindset as North Korea and the U.S. move forward with efforts to resolve a nuclear standoff that just a year ago many feared could lead to war. Some of his reported comments were reiterations of past stances, but there will be sharp interest in whether they push negotiators back to diplomacy after recriminations that ...
25th Raising Day of Delta Force celebrated
The Delta Force, a counter insurgency force of the Indian Army, Thursday celebrated its 25th Raising Day. A wreath laying ceremony was organised at the Delta Force headquaters, on the occasion, in the memory of those who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, a defence spokesman said. Raised on September 6, 1994, the force has been instrumental in eliminating terrorism from the Chenab Valley and ushering peace in the region. Till date, the Force has been honoured with 1,380 Gallantry Awards including one Ashok Chakra, five Kirti Chakras and 46 Shaurya Chakras, he said. Addressing the troops on the occasion, General Officer Commanding Delta Force Major General Rajiv Nanda praised all the veterans and personnel of the Delta Force. He further called upon all the ranks to rededicate themselves to the motto 'Dridhta aur Veerta' and to strive for excellence.
Sidhu releases CCTV footage of police action on anti-sacrilege protesters in 2015
Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu Thursday released a CCTV footage, showing the police action on anti-sacrilege protesters at Kotkapura in 2015. He also released statement of Dr Kulwinderpal Singh who was allegedly asked by police officers to reach the Kotkapura hospital on October 14, 2015 for any "eventuality which might arise" because of 'dharna' by the protesters. Holding former chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal responsible for firing at Kotkapura, Sidhu said both of them should be booked as there was "prima facie evidence" in the Justice (Retd) Ranjit Singh Commission's report, which probed sacrilege incidents, to proceed against them. Notably, the commission, whose report was tabled in the House last month, had held the police responsible for using force at the protesters in Kotkapura, while describing it as "unprovoked, unwarranted and uncalled." The footage was procured from different cameras installed at the main .
COMCASA to give India access to high-end US defence technology
The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) that was signed on Thursday after the first ever India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue will give India access to high-end US defence technology.
Hundreds flee as Syria, Russia hit rebel stronghold
Hundreds of Syrian civilians fled Idlib province on Thursday as the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey readied for last-ditch talks on the fate of the last rebel bastion. Government forces and their allies have been massing around Idlib, where aid groups fear what could be the last major battle of Syria's seven-year civil war may also prove the deadliest. Western powers have warned against a bloodbath but Damascus and Moscow seem adamant that an offensive is needed to root out the jihadists who dominate the province. Sporadic bombardment has targeted armed groups on Idlib's fringes in recent days, with fresh Syrian artillery and Russian air bombardment of the southeast of the province on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The attacks prompted terrified residents to flee before a fully-fledged assault gets under way, the monitor said. "Around 180 families, or some 1,000 people" have fled their homes since Wednesday night towards rebel territory further east, ...
CRPF briefs Guv about internal security in J-K
A senior CRPF official Thursday briefed Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik about the internal security in the state and the role played by the paramilitary force. V S K Kaumudi, Additional Director General, CRPF, J&K Zone, briefed the Governor at Rajbhawan here, an official spokesman said. "Kaumudi briefed Governor about various matters pertaining to the functioning of the CRPF and discussed issues relating to internal security management and the Police-CRPF operational deployments in various district headquarters and vital areas," the spokesman said. He said the CRPF official also informed Governor about the programmes and civic action interventions launched by the CRPF in all the three regions of the State. Governor expressed satisfaction over CRPF's coordination developed with local police and other security agencies in handling the challenging law and order situations in J&K. Malik lauded the role of CRPF for ensuring smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnathji ...
33 IEDs recovered in Jharkhand
The Jharkhand Police in a joint operation with the Central Reserve Police Force on Thursday recovered 33 improvised explosive devices (IED) in Giridih district.