Page 447 - War Conflict
Army personnel can't be denied use of smartphones: Rawat
Army personnel can't be denied the use of smartphones, Army chief Bipin Rawat said Tuesday, underlining that social media can be used for psychological warfare and to combat proxy war, insurgency and terrorism. He said a study was being undertaken for the restructuring of the Army headquarters as an organisation was needed in place at all levels for leveraging social media. Referring to a mobile app designed for the welfare of soldiers and officers, Rawat said if applications are being created for them then how can they be denied the use of smartphones. The Army chief said if the armed forces don't keep pace with time and the manner in which the social media is moving forward then it will be "fire-fighting" to keep up with time. Delivering a keynote address on 'Social Media and the Armed Forces' to a gathering of senior officials from the three armed services, Rawat said social media can be leveraged for psychological warfare and deception not just in conventional warfare, but also in
CSS bags order from Indian Army for UAVs
Cyient Solutions & Systems Pvt Ltd (CSS), a joint venture between Cyient Ltd and BlueBird Aero Systems, Israel, Tuesday said it received its first supply order from the Indian Army for SpyLite mini Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) systems for high altitude aerial surveillance. A press release issued by Cyient said, during trials, the SpyLite emerged as a mature system, incorporating unique capabilities and delivering superior performance as compared to systems in the mini-UAV class. It did not mention quantityof the order and its value. Managing Director and CEO, Cyient Solutions & Systems, NJ Joseph said Defence and security forces around the world have come to rely on the SpyLite's exceptional performance. "We are delighted that the Indian Army has selected the SpyLite for its operational requirements and feel privileged that these systems will complement the surveillance capabilities of our armed forces on the nations borders," he said.
UK police arrest 3 including teenage girl on extremism
British police have arrested three people, including a teenage girl in connection with a counter-terrorism investigation. London's Metropolitan Police said Tuesday a 16-year-old girl and two women aged 26 and 53 were arrested on suspicion of funding terrorism. The arrests were made by the police Counter Terrorism Command. The three suspects were taken into custody at two separate addresses in west London early Tuesday morning. Police searches were continuing. Officials did not name the suspects, who have not been charged. They are being questioned at a south London police station. Britain's official terrorist threat level is set at "severe", indicating an attack is judged highly likely.
Key N Korean nuke official passes away
A key North Korean official, who was believed to be involved in the development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, breathed his last at the age of 89, the North's state media confirmed on Tuesday.The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Ju Kyu-chang passed away on Monday night due to pancytopenia, a condition that occurs when a person has low counts for all three types of blood cells -- red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.The state media described Ju as a "revolutionary soldier" who had made a "distinguished contribution" to the national defence, according to Yonhap News Agency."Letting go of comrade Ju Kyu-chang who had faithfully carried out our party's great tasks at the forefront of national defence is a huge loss, not just for our party but also for our people," the KCNA said.Ju, who graduated from the Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang, spent much of his life developing high-tech nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.In 2009, Ju was .
Police recover missing rifle in J&K
The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday said it had recovered a policeman's missing rifle.
Developer of North Korea missiles, nuclear weapons dies
A veteran North Korean official who was sanctioned for his suspected role in development of the country's nuclear and missile technology has died, the North announced on Tuesday. The state-run KCNA news agency said "academician and professor" Ju Kyu Chang died on Monday at the age of 89 from "pancytopenia", a blood disease. It said the official state obituary described Ju as "an elder revolutionary who made (a) distinguished contribution to the strengthening of the country's defence capabilities". Ju was a former minister of the North's defence ministry, which was in charge of developing the country's nuclear weapons and missiles. He was one of a number of individual North Koreans slapped with non-proliferation sanctions in 2013 by the US Department of Treasury for their role in the nuclear programme. Ju oversaw the launch of North Korea's Unha 2 long-range rocket in 2009, which he watched alongside then leader Kim Jong Il, Yonhap news agency said. He was also deeply involved in ...
Winston Churchill portrait may fetch USD 25k at auction
A rare, signed photograph of former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill dressed in uniform as a lieutenant of the British army is expected to sell for USD 25,000 at an auction. According to the US-based RR Auction, the photo is signed at the top in ink, "Winston S. Churchill, Lieut. 4th Hussars, Septr. 1898." In 1899, the 24-year-old Churchill, a lieutenant in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars Regiment of the British Army, sailed for Egypt, where he was to join the 21st Lancers and report on Herbert Kitchener's military campaign in the Sudan for The Morning Post. After arriving in Cairo, they headed down the Nile to take part in the Battle of Omdurman against the army of Sudanese leader Abdallahi ibn Muhammad on September 2, 1899. Churchill was critical of Kitchener's actions during the decisive British-Egyptian victory, particularly in his unmerciful treatment of enemy wounded and his desecration of Muhammad Ahmad's tomb. Back in England by October, Churchill wrote an account of the ...
3 troopers, civilian injured in J&K grenade attack
Three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and a civilian were injured on Tuesday in a grenade attack by militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, police said.
2 CRPF jawans injured in grenade attack in J&K's Baramulla
Two CRPF jawans were injured Tuesday when militants hurled a grenade at security forces inJammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, police said. The incident took place inthe Sangrama area of Sopore in the district. Two jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force were injured in it, a police official said. The injured personnel have been hospitalised. The area has been cordoned off and a search launched to nab the attackers, he said.
Schools, colleges closed in J&K's Pulwama
Authorities closed colleges and secondary schools in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district as a precautionary measure on Tuesday after a youth was killed in clashes with security forces.
Founder of militant Afghan Haqqani network dies
The founder of the Haqqani militant network has died after several years of illness, the Afghan Taliban has announced.
Haqqani network founder dead
The founder of the Haqqani network, Jalaluddin Haqqani, is dead, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced.Haqqani, who had fought with Soviet troops, was reportedly ill for a long period of time. He was a member of Quetta Shura, a terrorist organisation comprising Afghan Taliban leaders, who are believed to be based in Balochistan, according to US media reports.Mujahid further said that Haqqani was an instrumental figure in keeping the Taliban together after the death of former Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar.Haqqani was closely tied to al Qaeda leaders and had played a key role in supporting the terror group in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.Haqqani is the father of Taliban deputy emir and military commander Sirajuddin Haqqani.
Afghan Taliban announces death of Haqqani network leader
The founder of the Haqqani network, one of Afghanistan's most effective and feared militant groups, has died after a long illness, their allies the Afghan Taliban announced Tuesday. Jalaluddin Haqqani, whose son Sirajuddin Haqqani now heads the brutal group and is also the Taliban's deputy leader, died "after a long battle with illness", the Taliban said in a statement. Jalaluddin "was from among the great distinguished Jihadi personalities of this era," the Taliban said in the English version of its statement posted on Twitter. He was an Afghan mujahideen commander fighting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s with the help of the US and Pakistan. Jalaluddin gained notoriety for his organisation and bravery, garnering attention from the CIA and a personal visit from US congressman Charlie Wilson. A fluent Arabic speaker, Jalaluddin also fostered close ties with Arab jihadists including Osama Bin Laden who flocked to the region during the war. Later, Jalaluddin became a .
Gen. Miller reaffirms support to Afghanistan forces
General Scott Miller, the newly appointed Commander of the NATO-led armed forces coalition in Afghanistan - Resolute Support, has pledged to give all support to Afghanistan's defence and security forces.General Miller relayed his support for the country during a meeting with President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday, the Office of the President, ARG Palace confirmed in a statement, reported Khaama Press.During the meeting, Ghani congratulated General Miller for his appointment as the commander of the US and allied forces in Afghanistan and thanked him for accepting the responsibility.The priorities of the Afghan armed forces, the US' strategies for South Asia were among some of the topics discussed by the two.General Miller took over as the commander of the NATO-led Resolute Support, which is comprised of over 13,000 troops in Afghanistan, from Army Gen. John Nicholson on September 2.
Afghanistan: 10 ISIS-K terrorists killed in Kunar province
At least ten terrorists affiliated to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Khurasan (ISIS-K) were killed in joint operations conducted by Afghanistan Police and military forces in the eastern Kunar province.Afghanistan Military's 201st Silab Corps issued a statement confirming that the militants were killed during airstrikes and ground operations conducted in Suki district, reported Khaama Press.The statement added that the operations were jointly conducted by the military, police, intelligence and public order police forces with the support of the Air Force as part of the Silab-2 (8) operations in an attempt to crack down on terror outfits and clear the way for safe elections in the country.The 201st Silab Corps further stated that several villages had been cleared of terrorists' presence and that the local residents and security forces had not suffered any casualties.The terrorist groups, including ISIS supporters, have not responded to the report so far.
IS seeks alternative sources of finance: Russia
The Islamic State is seeking alternative sources of finance after its revenues from the sale of oil and collection of taxes from the population in Syria and Iraq shrunk drastically, a senior Russian security official said Monday.
Afghanistan: Insider attack kills US service member
An apparent "insider attack" in eastern Afghanistan on Monday killed a United States service member and injured another member.A statement from the NATO-led armed forces coalition in Afghanistan - Resolute Support said that the deceased service member was the sixth US national to be killed in Afghanistan in 2018. The wounded service member is in stable condition. The statement did not confirm the identity of the deceased."The sacrifice of our service member, who volunteered for a mission to Afghanistan to protect his country, is a tragic loss for all who knew and all who will now never know him. Our duty now is to honor him, care for his family and continue our mission," read the statement of the commander of the Resolute Support, Army General Scott Miller.Miller took over as the commander of the US and allied forces in Afghanistan from Army Gen. John Nicholson on Sunday.In July, an insider attack in southern Afghanistan led to the death of Army Cpl. Joseph Maciel of South Gate, ...
More than two billion euros pledged to fight Boko Haram
An international donor conference in Berlin pledged 2.17 billion euros ($2.52 billion) on Monday to help countries around Lake Chad to fight Boko Haram, organisers said. The German foreign ministry said the aid would be disbursed "in the coming years" to Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, where the jihadist group launches frequent suicide bomb attacks from its bases in Lake Chad. Another $467 million will be made available in the form of low-rate loans, the statement said. Germany said it wanted to add another 100 million euros in humanitarian aid to the region by 2020, as well as 40 million euros earmarked for conflict prevention and stabilisation. "This conference shows what it is possible to do when you work together," said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. The conference raised $672 million last year. Ahead of this year's meeting, around 10 non-governmental organisations active in the region said 11 million people were in urgent need of humanitarian aid. "The insurgency as well .
11 killed in suspected communal violence in central Nigeria
Nigerian police say gunmen shot dead 11 people in an attack in central Nigeria suspected to be part of a series of communal violent incidents. Police spokesman in Plateau state Terna Tyopev said in a press statement that the incident occurred late Sunday in Lopandet Dwei Du village just outside Jos, the capital of Plateau state. He added that 11 more people were wounded and are now in hospital. The attack comes a week after suspected herdsmen from the Fulani ethnic group killed eight people including a pastor and his wife in a village near Jos. Plateau and other parts of central Nigeria have witnessed a spate of killings in recent months as herdsmen in search of grazing land and water for their cattle attack villages inhabited by farmers. On June 23, more than 100 people were killed when herdsmen carried out simultaneous attacks on several villages in the Barkin Ladi area of Plateau state. The growing conflict between the mainly Muslim herdsmen and the Christian farming communities ...
Eight civilians killed in Iraq in suspected IS attacks
Suspected Islamic State group jihadists have killed eight people and wounded four others in two attacks in northern Iraq, security officials said Monday. The extremist group has stepped up its attacks since the release of a purported new audio message late last month from IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. On Monday "seven civilians were killed when jihadists fired on houses in the village of Albu Shaher", 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of Kirkuk, a multi-ethnic city north of Baghdad, a security services official told AFP. A police officer was wounded in that attack, which also saw jihadists raid a currency exchange office and steal USD 20,000 (17,225 euros) before fleeing, he added. Late on Sunday, a man was shot dead and three others were wounded outside a mosque north of Baghdad. The attack took place in the village of Khanouka near Ash-Sharqat, one of the last areas retaken by government forces from IS last year, 100 kilometres north of the capital, a police officer said. "The man, ...