Page 448 - War Conflict
Naxal killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari
A naxal was Monday gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarhs Dhamtari district, police said. The gunfight took place between 5-6 pm in the forest under Mechka police station limits, about 150 kilometres from here, Dhamtari Superintendent of Police Rajnesh Singh told PTI. Acting on a specific input about a meeting of ultras in Tendudongri and Madagiri hills in Mechka area, bordering Gariaband district, a combined squad of E30 - the districts anti-naxal force, and local police had launched an operation, Singh said. The naxals opened fire on the security forces and fled after coming under retaliatory fire, he said. "The body of a male naxal was recovered from the spot. Further details are awaited as security forces have not yet reached their camp," Singh said. Four naxals, including a woman, were killed Sunday by security forces in Bastar's Narayanpur district.
UN convenes urgent meeting on security in Tripoli
Tripoli, Sep 3 (IANS/AKI) The UN mission in Libya will invite Tripoli's warring militias to attend urgent talks on Tuesday "at a venue to be announced" to discuss the deadly violence that has killed dozens here including children in the past week, UNSMIL said on Monday.
ISIS fighters in contact with UK terror cells, UK minister
Islamic State fighters are in communication with the UK-based terrorist cells with the aim of carrying out terror attacks in Britian and Europe, Britain's defence minister Gavin Williamson has said. Williamson, who in the northern Afghanistan's Mazeer-i-Shareef city to visit British troops, said the UK must act to prevent another Manchester-style attack - in reference to the ISIS-inspired suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in May last year which claimed 23 lives. "What we see is a real threat posed by these groups to the UK and we've got to be acting as we are to ensure that we do not see future Manchester-style attacks," he said. "We consistently see terrorist groups operating here in Afghanistan, [and] evidence of their links back not just to the United Kingdom but to the whole of continental Europe," Williamson told 'Sky News'. In recent months there have been "countless times when there have been links back to the UK from terrorists in Afghanistan," he said over the ...
UN schools for Palestinians defy funding cuts, open on time
United Nations schools for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are starting the new school year on time, despite the US decision to cancel funding to the international body's Palestinian relief agency. Students looked giddy as they arrived at the Haifa Intermediate School in Beirut's Bir Hassan neighborhood on Monday and sat attentively through their first language, history, and math lessons of the year. Claudio Cordone, director of UNRWA affairs in Lebanon, called it a "joyful day," and called on donor nations to fill the deficit left behind by the US decision announced Friday. UNRWA was founded in 1949 to serve Palestinians who were uprooted from their homes in the war to create Israel. The Trump administration on Friday called UNRWA an "irredeemably flawed operation" and halted USD 300 million in planned donations.
Guj: 11 injured, 40 detained after clash between two groups
Eleven people were injured in a clash between two groups Monday afternoon in Ramnathpura locality of Rajkot in Gujarat, police said. Forty people have been detained in connection with the clash which is believed to the fallout of an old dispute between the two groups, assistant commissioner of police Bharat Rathod said. "They attacked each other with stones and sticks leaving 11 persons, including a policeman, with minor injuries. It began with a fight between two women," the official said. He said that the area was crowded due to Janmashtami and a large posse of police was rushed there to restore normalcy. "We rounded up forty people in connection with the incident. The situation is under control now," Rathod added.
Libyan police say 400 prisoners escape amid Tripoli clashes
Some 400 prisoners escaped from a jail in the Libyan capital, authorities said, as recent fighting between rival militias that has killed dozens compelled the UN-backed government to declare a state of emergency in and around Tripoli. The inmates overwhelmed guards and forced open the gates of the Ain Zara prison after riots broke out there, police said yesterday in a statement posted on Facebook. The prisoners included many supporters of the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi who had been found guilty of killings during the 2011 uprising that ended his rule and plunged the country into chaos. The fighting in Tripoli erupted last week when the Seventh Brigade, militias which hail from Tarhouna, a town about 40 miles (60 kilometers) south of Tripoli, attacked southern neighborhoods of the capital. The Tripoli Revolutionaries' Brigades and the Nawasi Brigade, militias which support the UN-backed government, have come to the city's defence. At least 47 people, including civilians, have ..
11 killed in Nigeria attack
Eleven persons were killed and 12 others injured in an attack in Nigeria's Jos city, police said on Monday.
Ukraine launches joint military drills with NATO
Ukraine on Monday launched joint military exercises with the United States and a string of other NATO countries as tensions with Russia remain high over the Kremlin-backed insurgency in the country's east. The annual Rapid Trident military exercises, taking place in the western Ukrainian village of Starychi until September 15, involve some 2,200 soldiers from 14 countries. "(The participants) stand in solidarity with Ukraine, for Ukrainian security, Ukrainian sovereignty, and Ukrainian territorial integrity," the US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch said at the opening ceremony. The drills start a week before Russia holds its biggest military exercises since the Cold War, in the east of the country and with the participation of China and Mongolia. A spokesman for the Ukrainian drills Taras Gren told AFP that some 350 pieces of military equipment will be used during the exercises. The Ukrainian Border Guard Service and the National Guard troops will be involved for the first ...
Death toll hits 48 in Boko Haram troop attack: military sources
The death toll from a Boko Haram attack on a Nigerian army post on the border with Niger has risen to 48, military sources said on Monday. Scores of Boko Haram fighters in trucks stormed the base on Thursday in Zari village in northern Borno state and briefly seized it after a fierce battle. Boko Haram, which has been waging a deadly insurgency in Nigeria since 2009, has intensified attacks on military targets in recent months. At least 30 Nigerian soldiers were initially said to have been killed in Thursday's raid. "The casualty toll now stands at 48 with the recovery of 17 more bodies of soldiers in surrounding bushes in Zari by search and rescue teams," a military source who did not want to be named told AFP. "Search operations are still ongoing and more bodies are likely to be recovered." Another military source confirmed the new death toll. "So far (the) bodies of 48 troops have been recovered. Yesterday rescue teams found 17 bodies of fallen soldiers," he said, adding that they .
Boko Haram military base attack death toll hits 48
Forty-eight soldiers were killed in a Boko Haram attack in remote northeast Nigeria, military sources said on Monday, in the latest strike that raises questions about the group's apparent resurgence and troops' ability to fight back. Scores of jihadist fighters in trucks stormed the base on Thursday in Zari village in northern Borno state and briefly seized it after a fierce battle. Boko Haram, which has been waging a deadly insurgency in northeast Nigeria since 2009, has intensified attacks on "hard" military targets in recent months, undermining repeated claims by the military that they have the upper hand. Troops have even protested that they are stretched to breaking point by constant security duties and the attacks that analysts tracking the conflict say have become more sophisticated and planned. At least 30 Nigerian soldiers were initially said to have been killed in Thursday's raid, which was claimed by a Boko Haram faction backed by the Islamic State group. "The casualty toll
Youth killed in security forces' firing on stone-pelting protesters
A youth was killed and another injured after security forces allegedly fired on protesters during clashes in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Monday. The forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in over a dozen villages in Pulwama in the morning, following information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said. At the time of the operation, a group of youths started pelting stones at the forces in some places. Two persons were injured in firing by the forces during clashes in Gusoo village, the official said. The two were taken to a hospital, from where, one of them, Fayaz Ahmad Wani, was referred to the SMHS Hospital here. Wani was, however, declared dead at the hospital, he said. Clashes between the protesters and security forces were going on when last reports came in. The search operation is in progress, he added.
France to organise Mission PEGASE in India
Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the India-France strategic partnership, the French Air Force has organised Mission PEGASE in the Asia-Pacific region. The event, which began on Saturday, will end on September 4. The highlight is the detachment of three Rafale combat jets, one Atlas A-400M military transport aircraft, one C-135 refueling aircraft, and one Airbus A310 cargo aircraft.The operational mission aims to reinforce France's presence in this region of strategic interest and deepen its relations with main partner countries. This mission succeeds a major exercise in Australia, where French aircraft have carried out joint drills with those of the Indian Air Force.After Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore, this detachment, involving over a hundred aviators, will make a three-day stopover in India, at the Air Force Stations of Gwalior and Agra. On this occasion, joint flights and exchanges between the French and Indian Air Forces will be conducted.This mission in ...
Pakistan arrests 3 ISIS terrorists ahead of Defence Day
Police in Pakistan claimed to have thwarted a terrorist attack planned on the upcoming Defence Day and said on Monday they have arrested three Islamic State militants in Punjab province. Muhammad Iqbal, Usman Zia and Hasnain Muavia had plans to target an event on the Defence Day in Multan on Thursday, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police said. On the Defence Day, Pakistan marks the anniversary of the 1965 war with India by holding nationwide ceremonies and special prayers. A CTD official said that the three terrorists were arrested during a raid near Basti Shorkot in Multan, some 350 kms from here. "The CTD personnel acting on intelligence information raided a house on the outskirts of Multan city and arrested the three suspects. "Four hand grenades, explosive material and other weapons have also been recovered from their possesision," he said. The arrested terrorists belong to the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) terror group. A case under terrorism ...
Young protester shot dead in Kashmir Valley
A young man was shot dead during clashes between security forces and stone-pelters on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district after a massive search operation was launched in around two dozen villages, police said.
Death toll in Philippines blast rises to 2
The death toll in the blast that rocked Philippines' Isulan town has risen to two, police said on Monday.
Curfew lifted in Rajasthan's Malpura
Curfew has been lifted in violence-hit Malpura town of the Tonk district in Rajasthan, police said Monday. Curfew was in force in the town since August 24, a day after some miscreants hurled stones on kanwariyas while they were passing through a Mulsim-dominated area here. The situation in the town is normal now and the curfew was lifted on Sunday night, Station House Officer at Malpura Police Station Navneet Bihari said. Additional policemen have been deployed at a few places as a precautionary measure, he said. The SHO informed as many as 41 people have been arrested in this connection.
Youth shot during Kashmir Valley clashes
A young man sustained critical injuries during clashes between security forces and stone-pelters on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district after a massive search operation was launched in around two dozen villages, police said.
One dead, three wounded in suspected IS attack in Iraq
Suspected Islamic State group jihadists shot dead a man as he emerged from prayers at a mosque north of Baghdad and wounded three others, police said on Monday. The attack took place late Sunday in the village of Khanouka near Ash-Sharqat, one of the last areas retaken by government forces from IS last year, 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of the capital, a police officer said. "The man, aged 80, had just finished praying (and was leaving the mosque) when the jihadists opened fire at him," the officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Three other people were wounded in the shooting," he added. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. According to the police officer, IS holdouts are still present in the hills of Khanouka and other mountainous and desert regions of Iraq. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared "victory" in December in the fight against IS, which seized nearly a third of the country in 2014. But sleeper cells continue to launch attack from .
Facebook 'terrorism' definition 'overly broad': UN expert
Facebook's definition of what constitutes "terrorism" is "overly broad" and risks leading to censorship and the arbitrary denial of access to its services, a UN rights expert warned Monday. The UN Special Rapporteur on promoting and protecting human rights while countering terrorism has written to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to express concern about the company's efforts to block "terrorists" from using its platform, according to a statement. "The use of overly broad and imprecise definitions as the basis for regulating access to and the use of Facebook's platform may lead to discriminatory implementation, over-censoring and arbitrary denial of access to and use of Facebook's services," Fionnuala Ni Aolain warned. Facebook's definition, she said, equates all non-state groups that use violence in pursuit of any goals or ends to terrorist entities. The social media network's polices prohibit terrorists from using its services, and it uses detection technologies and a growing team of .
6 militants killed in Afghanistan
At least six militants were killed and four others injured in a clash in Khakriz district of Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, police spokesman Abdul Bashir Khaksar said on Monday.