Page 472 - War Conflict
120 Afghan forces, civilians killed in battle with Taliban
Four days of ferocious fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban over a key provincial capital has claimed the lives of about 100 Afghan policemen and soldiers and at least 20 civilians, the defence minister said today. The staggering numbers provided by Gen. Tareq Shah Bahrami were the first official casualty toll since the Taliban launched a massive assault on Ghazni, the capital of Ghazni province, last Friday. The multi-pronged assault overwhelmed the city's defences and allowed insurgents to capture several parts of it. It was a major show of force by the Taliban, who infiltrated deep into this strategic city barely 120 kilometers from the capital, Kabul. The United States has sent military advisers to aid Afghan forces. The fall of Ghazni, a city of 270,000 people, would mark an important victory for the Taliban. It would also cut off a key highway linking Kabul to the southern provinces, the Taliban's traditional heartland. Bahrami, the defence minister, spoke to reporters
Philippines' Duterte to visit Israel next month
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is to make an official visit to Israel next month, his government said today, nearly two years after he sparked outrage by likening his deadly drug war to the Holocaust. The September 2-5 trip will be the first by a Filipino leader since diplomatic ties were established between the two countries in 1967, a foreign department statement said. Duterte and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will discuss how to develop ties on issues including security and counter-terrorism, according to the statement. Israel has been a key weapons supplier to the Philippines, which is fighting Islamic militants as well as communist guerrillas. An Israeli firm supplied the thermal imaging system for an armoured military unit that killed the top leader of Islamic State group-linked militants who seized the southern city of Marawi last year, the unit has told AFP. Duterte faced global condemnation in September 2016 when he compared his crackdown on drugs to Adolf ..
Lanka's top cop asks tourist police to learn Hindi, Chinese
Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundera has directed the country's tourist police personnel to learn international languages including Hindi, Chinese and French as the tourism sector is set to be the biggest forex earner for the island nation. With 206,337 tourists visiting Sri Lanka during the first six months of 2018, India continues to be the leading contributor to the country's inbound tourism market. At 136,294, the next highest number of arrivals were from China, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said. We have to understand the important role played by the tourism sector in the country's economy. In a few years, it is expected to become the largest foreign exchange earner for the country. Therefore, ensuring (the) safety of the foreigners visiting Sri Lanka will be a top priority for the Police force, Jayasundera said. Officers of the Tourist Police Division should pay special attention to language training. In addition to English, they ...
Japanese suspect steals sneakers, flees police station
Japanese police have launched a massive manhunt for a robbery and rape suspect who fled from a police station after reportedly stealing an officer's sneakers. Local police said today that Junya Hida fled from a consultation room at the Tondabayashi police station in Osaka after meeting his lawyer yesterday. Police placed the 30-year-old suspect on a nationwide wanted list and deployed 3,000 officers to search for him. Police said Hida, who was not handcuffed, apparently forced open an acrylic panel that separated detainees from an area for visitors and then escaped. Police were not aware of his disappearance until nearly two hours later. Hida reportedly stole a policeman's sneakers before escaping, leaving behind his sandals. Police told neighborhood schools to lock their windows and stay vigilant.
Maharashtra ATS seizes country-made weapons in Mumbai
The Maharashtra Anti-terrorism Squad (ATS) seized close to ten pistols from the safe houses of Vaibhav Raut and his accomplices, who have been accused of plotting terror activities in the state.The recovery was made from Pune and a safe house in Nalasopara area of Mumbai respectively.The recovered weapon cache from Nalasopara included five Countrymade pistols and three partially made Country made pistols. Eleven cartridges of 9mm and thirty cartridges of 7.56mm were also recovered. Various weapons making accessories were also recovered, such as springs triggers, etc.Meanwhile, the Pune safehouse primarily stored electronic equipment such as one laptop, six hard discs, five pen drives, nine mobiles and several sim cards. Along with this one car, a motorcycle and several documents were also recovered from the place.
Egypt: Police kill 6 suspected militants in Cairo suburb
Egypt's Interior Ministry says police killed six suspected Islamic militants in a shootout in a Cairo suburb. Today's statement says the fighting erupted when police raided a suspected militant hideout in the suburban Sixth of October district. The statement says police seized weapons during the raid. It didn't say when the raid took place or whether any security forces were killed or wounded. Egypt, which has been under a state of emergency since April last year, has been battling Islamic militants for years, but the insurgency gained strength after the 2013 overthrow of elected but divisive Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. The militants have mainly targeted security forces and Christians. In February, Egypt launched a major security operation against militants, mainly in the Sinai Peninsula but also elsewhere in the country.
Kabul deploys more soldiers to embattled Ghazni city
Afghanistan is sending fresh reinforcements to the embattled provincial capital of Ghazni, officials said today, where residents described Taliban fighters openly roaming the streets as dead bodies lie on the roadsides. Four days after the Taliban launched an assault on the strategic city, the government insists it remains in control of key offices. But the UN warned of growing humanitarian fears as residents said food and medicine were running short, while an AFP reporter said militants were going door to door and commandeering supplies including water, tea, and wheelbarrows to move injured fighters. President Ashraf Ghani's office announced the reinforcements for Ghazni, which is barely two hours drive from Kabul, after a late-night meeting at the presidential palace. The reinforcements will be sent "as soon as possible," said Mohammad Haroon Chakhansuri, a spokesman with the president's office. Ghazni residents told AFP late last night that the dead bodies of militants and soldiers
Security beefed up in J&K ahead of I-Day celebrations
Ahead of Independence Day celebrations on Wednesday, security arrangements have been beefed in the Kashmir valley and summer capital Srinagar. Stringent security measures have been put in place. The police is alert, director general of police (DGP) S P Vaid told reporters here. The police and other security forces will ensure that the people celebrate Independence Day without any fear, Vaid said. Referring to the anti-militancy operation at Batamaloo here, yesterday, the DGP said police was alert and had information on the presence of militants in the area. The terrorists managed to escape because of the congested locality, but they are injured. We did not want any collateral damage, he said. A police official said huge number of security men have been stationed near important function areas. The venues have also been sealed, the official said. The Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar, where Governor N N Vohra will unfurl the Tricolour as part of the main Independence Day event, has ...
Koreas agree to hold summit next month
The two Koreas on Monday decided to hold their third meeting in September. The meeting will take place between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang. The date of the third-inter Korean summit between the two leaders would be announced later.The consensus for the meeting was reached following high-level talks between the two countries on the northern side of Panmunjom in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the de facto border separating North and South Korea, Yonhap News Agency reported.In a joint statement, officials from the two Koreas said: "We agreed to hold an inter-Korean summit within September in Pyongyang. We reviewed the implementation situations of the Panmunjom Declaration and held consultations in a sincere manner on matters related to its more active enforcement."While the four-member South Korean delegation was led by the country's unification minister Cho Myoung-gyon, Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful ...
Sri Lankan tourist police told to learn Hindi
Sri Lanka's Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara on Monday said 25 new police posts will be set up covering all main the tourist spots across the country for visitors' security. And police personnel have been asked to learn Hindi.
100 Afghan soldiers go missing from Ghazni
About 100 soldiers of the Afghan Special Force have gone missing in the Ghazni province, where government troops are battling Taliban militants backed by US airstrikes, authorities said on Monday.
Illegal arms factory busted in Gujarat; four held
Four people were arrested for allegedly manufacturing firearms illegally at a factory in Gujarat's Rajkot district, a police official said today. Acting on a tip-off, a Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Rajkot Police raided the factory, located in Kothariya Road area, last night and seized some pistols and raw material used for making the firearms, he said. The factory owner and three other persons were nabbed following the raid. "We raided the factory and seized 17 country-made pistols and some raw material which the accused were using to make the weapons," SOG police inspector S N Gadu said. The factory owner, Hiren Sardhara (32), and his three accomplices - Harshad Hothi (28), Alpesh Vasani (35) and Balu Sisodiya (38) - were arrested, he said. The police were trying to ascertain where and to whom the accused were selling these weapons, he added.
Security forces arrest two Maoists
Security forces arrested two Maoists from Kulhi jungle in Jharkhand's Garwah district, police said today. On a tip-off that a group of Maoists were present at Kulhi jungle, the security forces launched a search operation on Friday night, they said. In course of the search operation, the security personnel detected two persons trying to escape under the cover of the forest and arrested them following a chase on the early hours of Saturday, they said. The two arrested persons confessed during interrogation that they were members of Maoist squad, the police added.
Amarnath Yatra to remain temporarily suspended from Jammu
Ahead of the Indian and Pakistan Independence Day celebrations, authorities on Monday decided to suspend the Amarnath Yatra from Jammu for three days to ensure safety and security of the pilgrims.
Militants abduct, kill civilian in J&K
Militants abducted and killed a civilian in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said on Monday.
Civilian shot dead by militants in J-K's Pulwama
Militants shot dead a civilian after abducting him from his house in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said today. "Terrorists in Murran area of Pulwama last night barged inside the house of Gulzar Ahmad Bhat and abducted him," a police official said. The official said police recovered Bhat's bullet-riddled body from a nearby field. "Police have registered a case and initiated investigation, which suggest involvement of local militants Zahoor Thokar and Showkat Dar of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit," he added.
Taliban continue offensive to seize Ghazni
The Taliban on Sunday continued with their offensive to seize control of the strategic easter Afghan city of Ghazni, the third day in a row on which their forces battled government troops supported by US airstrikes.
US advising Afghan forces in battle for eastern city
The United States has sent military advisers to aid Afghan forces in Ghazni, where they were struggling today to regain full control three days after the Taliban launched a massive assault on the eastern city. The assault was a major show of force by the Taliban, who had infiltrated deep into the city and attacked from several directions. In recent years the insurgents have seized several districts across the country and staged near-daily attacks on Afghan security forces, but have been unable to capture and hold urban areas. The US-led NATO mission has carried out airstrikes in support of Afghan forces. Lt Col Martin O'Donnell, a spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, said Afghan forces were engaged in a "cleanup operation," while acknowledging for the first time that "some US advisers were on the ground." The US and NATO formally concluded their combat mission at the end of 2014, but have repeatedly come to the aid of Afghan forces as they have struggled to combat a resurgent ...
Lady constable injured in Independence Day parade rehearsal
A lady constable of the Kolkata Police Rapid Action Force (RAF) was injured today after falling from a bike during an Independence Day parade rehearsal on Red Road here, police said. "The lady constable had a very minor abrasion on her left knee following the accident. She was taken to the SSKM hospital where she was treated and then discharged," a police officer said. The city witnesses grand Independence Day celebrations every year on Red Road with police officers, members of the civil society, social organisations and school children taking part in the parade, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hoisting the national flag.
Brotherhood chief handed life term in Egypt retrial
An Egyptian court today sentenced to life in prison the Muslim Brotherhood's supreme guide, Mohamed Badie, and four other leaders in a retrial on accusations of inciting street violence, their lawyer said. Defence lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud named the others as Mohamed el-Beltagi, Essam el-Erian, Safwat Higazi and El-Husseini Antar. The Brotherhood was designated a terrorist organisation in Egypt in December 2013, after the military ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July of that year in the wake of mass protests against his rule. "We will appeal the sentences within 60 days," the lawyer told AFP, adding that four other people were sentenced to jail terms of between 10 and 15 years. The accusations date back to July 2013 when Brotherhood leaders and members marched in Giza, west of Cairo, in protest at Morsi's ouster. The defendants were charged with terrorism, attempted murder, forming an armed group to attack citizens, and illegal possession of firearms. Badie and ...