Page 454 - War Conflict
Over 50 Taliban militants killed in Afghanistan
Over 50 militants were killed and dozens injured as aircrafts pounded Taliban positions in Afghanistan's Faryab province on Monday, an official said.
Facebook bans Myanmar army chief over rights abuses
Facebook banned Myanmar's army chief and removed other pages tied to the country's military today after a UN probe called for him to be prosecuted for genocide over a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims. "We are banning 20 Burmese individuals and organizations from Facebook - including Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the armed forces," the social media giant said in a statement on its site, adding that it wants to prevent them from using the service to "further inflame ethnic and religious tensions".
China hails first-time participation of India, Pakistan in SCO counter-terror drill
China today welcomed the participation of militaries of India and Pakistan for the first time in a mega anti-terror drill of the SCO and hoped that the two countries could enhance dialogue and cooperation both bilaterally and within multilateral mechanisms to maintain regional peace and stability. The anti-terror exercise of the Beijing-based Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) being held at Chebarkul town in Chelyabinsk region in Russia from August 22 to August 29 aimed at expanding cooperation among the member countries to deal with the growing menace of terrorism and extremism. India and Pakistan are participating in the drill for the first time since becoming full members of the SCO in June 2017. The joint exercise titled Peaceful Mission 2018 being conducted by the Central Military Commission of Russia involve tactical level operations in an international counter insurgency or counter terrorism environment under the SCO Charter. "We welcome India and Pakistan's joint ...
UN team: Myanmar military chiefs should face 'genocide' case
Investigators working for the UN's top human rights body said today that top Myanmar military leaders should be prosecuted for genocide against Rohingya Muslims. The call, accompanying a first report by the investigators, amounts to some of the strongest language yet from UN officials who have denounced alleged human rights violations in Myanmar since a bloody crackdown began last August. The three-member "fact-finding mission" working under a mandate from the UN-backed Human Rights Council meticulously assembled hundreds of accounts by expatriate Rohingya, satellite footage and other information to assemble the report. The UN-backed Human Rights Council created the mission six months before a rebel attack on security posts set off the crackdown that drove hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh. Through hundreds of interviews with expatriate Rohingya and use of satellite footage, the team compiled accounts of crimes including gang rape, the torching of ...
Myanmar army chief must be prosecuted for 'genocide': UN probe
United Nations investigators today called for an international probe and prosecution of Myanmar's army chief and five other top military commanders for genocide against the country's Rohingya minority. "Myanmar's top military generals, including Commander-in-Chief Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing, must be investigated and prosecuted for genocide in the north of Rakhine State, as well as for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States," a UN-backed fact-finding mission said.
Afghanistan: US drone strike kills ISIS affiliate leader
A US drone strike killed an ISIS affiliate - Abu Sayeed Orakzai in Afghanistan on Sunday.Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani's deputy spokesperson announced the death of Orakzai, US Forces-Afghanistan spokesman Lt. Col. Martin O'Donnell was quoted as saying by the Fox News."I would also add that the United States unrelentingly continues its counterterrorism efforts against ISIS-K, Al-Qaeda, and other regional and international terrorist groups," O'Donnell said in a statement.The ISIS-K leader was responsible for a number of bombings that claimed lives of hundreds of civilians.Ten other ISIS fighters were also killed in the airstrikes, which was launched in the Nangarhar province, near the border with Pakistan.The air strikes by the US military in Afghanistan has been increased over the past year.
Netanyahu warns Jews still under threat
Israel's prime minister said today that Jews were still at risk even decades after the Holocaust as he wrapped up a groundbreaking visit to Lithuania, a Baltic state once home to his forefathers. "For the Jewish people, what has changed in these 75 years? Not the attempts to destroy us, they still seek to destroy us," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told around 300 Lithuanian Jews gathered in Vilnius's Choral Synagogue. The Israeli leader identified what he termed new existential threats facing the Jews, with Iran and the Islamist movement Hamas which runs the Gaza Strip being among them. "What has changed is our ability to defend ourselves by ourselves... This is a magnificent change of history," added Netanyahu, who is the first-ever Israeli premier to visit Lithuania, a Baltic EU state. Pre-war Lithuania was home to a thriving Jewish community of more than 200,000 people, with Vilnius a hub of learning known as the "Jerusalem of the North". But historians contend that around ...
Kenyan president to meet with Trump on security, trade
Kenya's president will meet with President Donald Trump tomorrow as East Africa's commercial hub emerges from months of electoral turmoil. President Uhuru Kenyatta is the second African leader to meet with Trump at the White House. Nigeria's president visited earlier this year. Kenyatta's office says he and Trump will focus on trade and regional security. Kenya is the third highest recipient of US security aid in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Security Assistance Monitor. Both Kenya and the US have troops in Somalia, and the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group has crossed the border to carry out dozens of attacks inside Kenya, calling it retribution for sending troops. Nearly 100 Kenyan police officers have been killed since May 2017 in bombings and ambushes. The Kenyan president during his Washington visit also is meeting with US business leaders to promote investment. The meeting with Trump will help Kenyatta's image after a crisis in which the Supreme Court overturned ..
Army, BSF and CRPF celebrates Raksha Bandhan with fervor in Jammu
Army and other paramilitary forces deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) and other areas of Jammu division today celebrated 'Raksha Bandhan' with fervor and gaity, officials said. A defence spokesman said personnel of Jammu-based 'White Knight Corps' celebrated the festival in Nagrota military station here where Dainik Jagran newsgroup handed over 'rakhis' received from school children and people across the country. The initiative to celebrate the festival of love and bonding between a brother and a sister is regularly being undertaken by Dainik Jagran group to mark solidarity with the soldiers deployed far away from their families, he said. He said the initiative by the newsgroup was reciprocated with enthusiasm by Army Jawans by tying up the Rakhis received from the entire country. Army persons have wished all the sisters health and happiness and also prayed for their success, the spokesman said. "The gesture by the awaam (people) is a true reflection of the positive mindset ...
Two police killed in restive anglophone Cameroon
At least two police officers have died in fresh violence in western Cameroon where English-speaking separatists have declared an independent state, the military said today. The men were killed by armed pro-independence fighters near the town of Wum in Northwest Region, an army spokesman said. The separatist camp spoke of nine police dead. Army spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck said, on Facebook, that 21 of the attackers had been "neutralised", without saying how many had been involved in the assault. Separatist unrest in Cameroon's two minority English-speaking regions -- North-West and South-West -- has left scores dead and displaced around 200,000 people since late 2016. About 30.000 of those displaced have crossed the border into neighbouring Nigeria. Years of resentment at perceived discrimination at the hands of the Cameroon's francophone majority have led to almost daily acts of violence and retribution. Security in the two regions has deteriorated significantly since late last ..
Man, 3 sons killed over land dispute in Pak's KP province
A man and his three sons were killed today over a land dispute in northwest Pakistan, police said. The incident took place at Shah Saleem village in Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, they said, adding that two persons were also injured in the attack. The wife of the deceased man died of cardiac arrest on hearing about the deaths, police said.
Afghan officials say Islamic State leader killed by airstrikes
The leader of the Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan was killed by airstrikes over the weekend along with 10 other people, government officials said today following a string of deadly attacks by the extremist group. The intelligence agency said Saad Arhabi died in a joint operation with coalition forces late yesterday in the group's eastern stronghold in Nangarhar province near the border with Pakistan. "The Emir of Daesh in Afghanistan along with 10 others was killed," said a statement by the National Directorate of Security, calling the group by an Arabic acronym. Arhabi is the fourth leader of IS's Afghan branch to be killed since the group first emerged in the country around 2014. The agency also said a large number of weapons, ammunition and explosives were destroyed by the air attacks. Provincial governor's spokesman Attaullah Khogyani confirmed the leader's death, also citing a joint operation involving strikes. US forces in Afghanistan confirmed they had conducted a strike in ..
Amarnath Yatra concludes, over 2.85 lakh pilgrims offer prayers
The annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas concluded today with over 2.85 lakh pilgrims offering prayers at the naturally-formed ice-shivlingam. According to officials, a total of 2,85,006 people paid obeisance at the cave shrine during the pilgrimage which commenced on 28 June through Baltal and Pahalgam routes. They said 38 people, including pilgrims, service providers and pony-wallas, died during the course of the yatra this year. The deaths were due to weather-related incidents or natural causes, the officials said. The number of pilgrims who performed the yatra this year is higher than last year. A total of 2.60 lakh pilgrims offered prayers at the shrine last year. Various security measures were taken this year for the smooth conduct of the yatra. For the first time, the government used radio frequency (RF) tags to track Amarnath-bound vehicles, while the CRPF introduced motorcycle squads with cameras and various life-saving equipment. The ..
60-day Amarnath Yatra ends
The 60-day Amarnath Yatra ended peacefully on Sunday with over 2.85 lakh pilgrims performing the Himalayan pilgrimage this year.
BSF opens facilitation centres for recruitment in remote areas
The Border Security Force (BSF) has opened at least 18 facilitation centres at several places in four Maoist-hit districts in Odisha for helping local youths get recruitment in central armed para-military forces (CAPF). The centres have been opened in Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Nabarangpur districts, a BSF statement said today. Generally, youths from the remote areas do not get a chance to compete with the mainstream for employment despite their talent and eligibility. It is also due to lack of awareness about the application process, it said. The BSF camps in these remote areas would ignite a hope amongst the local and tribal youths for a job in CAPF to serve the nation and fulfil their dreams, the statement said. The centres would assist the youths in preparing for the competitive examinations and also help them in the application process, besides creating general awareness in schools and colleges and distributing pamphlets about the recruitment, it said.
Naxal killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh
ANaxalwas today killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Narayanpur district, police said. The skirmish took place this morning in a forest near Kalepal village under Benoor police station area, district Superintendent of Police Jitendra Shukla told PTI. After receiving information about presence of rebels between Chinari and Kalepal villages, around 350 km from Raipur, a squad of the police's District Reserve Guard was sent to the spot, he said. The security forces came under fire from the Naxals near Kalepal, leading to a gun battle, Shukla said. After a brief exchange of fire, the rebels fled and the body of Soma Vadde, a member of Bayanar Local Organisation Squad of Maoists, was found subsequently, he said. Police also recovered a country-made gun, the SP said, adding that a search operation to nab other rebels was underway.
Afghan leader rejects resignation letters from spy chief, ministers
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani today rejected the resignations of the intelligence chief and the Interior and Defence ministers, as the government faces fierce criticism over an increasingly deadly insurgency. Ghani called on Defence minister Tariq Shah Bahrami, Interior minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and Intelligence chief Masoom Stanekzai to continue their duties, after rejecting their resignation letters submitted yesterday, and demanded they help bolster the country's defences. "President Ghani did not approve their resignations... and gave them the necessary instructions to improve the security situation," said a palace statement. On Friday Ghani's powerful national security adviser Mohammad Haneef Atmar had resigned, in a blow to the embattled unity government before parliamentary elections scheduled for October. The Ghani administration has been widely criticised for its inability to counter the energised insurgency. The Taliban have intensified assaults on police and troops across .
J&K: Four terrorists arrested in Kalaroos near LoC
Four newly recruited terrorists, along with warlike stores, were arrested on Sunday from the upper reaches of Handwara's Kalaroos region, while they were attempting to exfiltrate across the Line of Control.The terrorists, who were recruited by Al Badr for a planned exfiltration, were trapped after the army and local police laid an ambush.Al Badr is an Islamic terrorist group operating in the Jammu Kashmir region.In a statement the Army said, "After a brief gunfight, extreme restraint was exercised and opportunity given to the terrorists to surrender. While the four newly recruited terrorists surrendered, the three Al Badr terrorists deserted the new recruits and fled under cover of fire."The statement added that the search to trace the other terrorists is underway.Jammu and Kashmir is reeling under tense situation due to several terrorist attacks. On Saturday, the army busted three hideouts of terrorists and arrested a key Over Ground Worker (OGW) in South Kashmir's Pulwama ...
Afghan president declines resignation of top officials
Afghanistan's top security officials have tendered their resignation, but President Ashraf Ghani asked them to remain at their posts. The presidential palace said Sunday that Ghani declined the offers to resign submitted by Defense Minister Tareq Shah Bahrami, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak and Masoum Stanekzai, Afghanistan's top intelligence official. Yesterday, Ghani accepted the resignation of Mohammed Haneef Atmar, his national security adviser, and replaced him with Hamdullah Mohib, who previously served as the ambassador to the United States. The security shake-up comes after weeks of unrelenting attacks by the Taliban, who have seized several districts across the country in recent years. The insurgent group has also boosted its diplomatic profile, sending official delegations to Indonesia and Uzbekistan, and accepting an invitation for talks in Moscow.
4 newly-reruited militants arrested in J&K
The security forces said on Sunday that four newly recruited militants were arrested with arms and ammunition in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.