Page 482 - War Conflict
Taliban attacks kill 12 in Afghanistan
A string of Taliban attacks in Afghanistan have killed 12 people, including four women who died in the crossfire during a shootout between insurgents and soldiers, while an errant NATO airstrike killed nine Afghan police, Afghan officials said today. The Taliban attacked a military checkpoint in the western Farah province, killing four troops and wounding six, according to Mohammad Naser Mehri, the provincial governor's spokesman. The attack in Bala Buluk district started late Monday night and lasted for several hours. Mehri said Afghan airstrikes killed 19 Taliban fighters and wounded 30. "The Taliban were pushed back and the situation is under control now," he said. In the eastern Logar province, the four women were killed and four children were wounded in the crossfire during a shootout near Puli Alim, the provincial capital, said Hasibullah Stanikzai, a provincial council member. He said an investigation is underway to determine which side caused the civilian casualties. In a ...
J-K policeman shot at by militants
Jammu and Kashmir policeman Ashiq Ahmed Lone was shot at by militants in South Kashmir's Tral on Tuesday, after which he was shifted to the district hospital for treatment.Lone, who was posted as a Special Police Officer, was shot on his leg in Tral's Pastuna village.His condition is said to be stable.The incident comes three days after two security personnel sustained minor injuries in a grenade attack by terrorists on a Central Reserve Police Force party deployed at State Bank of India (SBI) branch at Lal Chowk in Anantnag district.
SPO hurt in firing by militants in J&K's Pulwama : police
Militants shot at and injured a special police officer (SPO) today in the Tral area of Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Ashiq Hussain Lone was shot in both the legs by militants near his home in Pastuna, a police official said. Lone was taken to the Army's 92 Base Hospital here for treatment,the official said adding his condition was said to be stable.
7 policemen injured as protest turns violent in Pathankot
Seven policemen including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) were injured after some residents of village Akhwana in Punjab's Pathankot district hurled bricks at them during a protest, officials said today. The incident took place yesterday evening when the villagers were staging a sit-in against the construction of a wall by a beverage company on a road in an industrial area nearby. The villagers are opposed to the move as the wall will block the road on which a gate has been erected in the memory of martyr Manjit Singh, the police said. "We initially tried to persuade the villagers to end their sit-in, but then some miscreants in the crowd started throwing bricks and stones at the police," an official said. The situation got tense when seven cops sustained injuries after being hit by bricks, the police said. Reinforcements were brought in to bring the situation under control. Police resorted to baton charge to disperse the crowd, they added. Heavy police deployment has been ...
Nepal urged to improve coordination among security forces
Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Tuesday asked a visiting seven-member Nepal Armed Police Force delegation to improve coordination between security forces of the two countries.
SPO shot by militants in Pulwama
Militants on Tuesday shot and injured a special police officer (SPO) in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.
India-Nepal coordination meet to discuss border security
Issues related to security along the border and sharing of information on criminals will be discussed threadbare at the 3rd India-Nepal Coordination meeting to be held tomorrow, the Home Ministry said today. A seven-member delegation from Nepal, headed by Inspector General of Nepal Armed Police Force Shailendra Khanal, is here to take part in the three-day meeting. During the visit, several important matters like security scenario along the border, coordination meetings at field level, sharing of information about crimes and criminals, training of armed police personnel and mutual visits by officers of two countries will be discussed, a home ministry statement said. Khanal today called on Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, who said India-Nepal relationship derives strength from shared history, trade, economic partnership, cultural ties and close and intense people-to-people contact. He appreciated the "excellent cooperation" between security forces of two countries and stressed upon ...
Major, 3 soldiers killed while foiling infiltration bid in Kashmir, 2 terrorists gunned down
An Army major and three soldiers were killed during an operation in which they foiled an infiltration bid in Gurez area of North Kashmir, gunning down two of the eight infiltrators, officials said. Four infiltrators managed to return to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, while two others were believed to have been injured and hiding in the dense forest around the region, they said. The officials said that there was an intelligence input about an infiltration bid by eight terrorists in Bagtore area of Gurez. An Army team led by Major Kaustubh Prakash Kumar Rane laid a siege of the area during the night, but were fired by the terrorists who had positioned themselves comfortably in the cover of darkness, they said. In the encounter, 29-year-old Major Rane and three other soldiers were killed in the terrorist firing. Two of the infiltrating militants were gunned down in the encounter which took place near Govind Nallah of Gurez, which falls in the Bandipore district of North Kashmir, they ...
Afghan amputee marchers embark on gruelling peace trek
Twenty Afghan amputees, some in wheelchairs and others on crutches, began a gruelling trek of hundreds of kilometres across Afghanistan today, demanding an end to the war that cost them their limbs. The "peace convoy" began its journey in the western city of Herat and will finish on the other side of the country in the capital Kabul, running the gauntlet of militants, roadside bombs and blistering temperatures. "We are taking this journey of more than 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) to Kabul to tell the world to stop the war," Mohammad Musa, 40, who lost both legs in a landmine explosion, told AFP. "The war has brought nothing except destruction." Abubaker Qaderi, whose right leg was blown off by a roadside bomb 15 years ago, called for a "permanent ceasefire" in the latest conflict, which began with the 2001 US-led invasion. "War must stop, we want peace," the 50-year-old told AFP before setting off towards Kabul. "For the sake of the next generation, they should stop fighting," another
After 9 days, students' protest on road safety in Bangladesh ends
The unprecedented protests by the students in Bangladesh demanding better road safety laws today virtually came to an end, with agitators returning to their classes after a nine-day-long stir that left over 150 people injured in clashed with riots police. The death of two teenage students - a boy and a girl - by a speeding bus on July 29 brought thousands of schools, colleges and universities students on the streets of the Bangladesh capital, demanding strick implementation of road safety rules. The two students were killed when two buses racing to pick passengers, a common occurrence in the city, hit them and wounded several others. One of the bus drivers fled the scene, although both were later arrested. Authorities claimed that students have returned to their classes and every thing was normal. "Today everything is normal. Students have returned to their classes," Mahbubur Rahman, head of Bangladesh's secondary and higher education authority said. "So far no news of protests from ..
RGIA on high security alert from Aug 7-20
Ahead of Independence Day, the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad has announced that it would be on a high security alert from August 7 to 20. Entry of visitors will be barred between August 10 and 20, the RGIA tweeted. The RGIA urged passengers to cooperate with security personnel and to arrive well in advance at the airport during these days. The airport is put on alert every year ahead of Independence Day, airport sources said.
TN Police mobilized as Karunanidhi's condition turns 'extremely critical'
The Tamil Nadu Police chief on Tuesday ordered maximum deployment of the police force across the state as Kauvery Hospital announced that DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's condition had become "extremely critical".
Cop injured in police-villagers clash
A police officer was injured and several vehicles were vandalised during protests in Rajasthan's Sikar district today by villagers demanding reservation, police said. Traffic movement was affected for a few hours on NH-52 as few villagers protested, demanding categorisation of OBC reservation quota and including a few castes in Scheduled Tribes category, a police officer said. One policeman was injured and several vehicles were vandalised by agitated villagers' who pelted stones on them. Police resorted to lathi-charge as they were not convinced with the assurances, the officer said. The traffic movement on the highway resumed after nearly three hours, he said.
Boko Haram kills seven villagers in NE Nigeria: sources
Boko Haram jihadists have killed seven villagers in a dawn raid in Nigeria's restive northeast, local militia and a resident said today. Gunmen in trucks and on motorcycles late Monday attacked Munduri, a village 13 kilometres (eight miles) north of Borno state capital Maiduguri, firing guns and rocket-propelled grenades, according to resident Abdullahi Bunu. "The attackers seized seven people and beheaded them before setting fire to the entire village," militia leader Umar Ari told AFP by telephone from Maiduguri. Those who were decapitated were the village chief and his wife, Bunu said. "We returned this morning and found the entire village burnt along with all our food supplies and livestock". Boko Haram has intensified its armed campaign in recent weeks, including against military targets in which dozens of troops are believed to have been either killed or missing. The rebels have split into two groups, and it was not immediately clear which was behind the latest attack. A faction
Security alert in Odisha after 15 Maoists killed in C'garh
A high alert has been sounded at Odisha's Malkangiri district to prevent possible influx of Maoists from neighbouring Chhattisgarh, where security forces gunned down 15 naxals yesterday, a senior police officer said. The situation in Malkangiri is currently under control, but police "cannot afford to be complacent", he said. "After an exchange of fire, Maoists usually flee from the site of encounter in search of safe locations. As Malkangiri shares boundary with Chhattisgarh, the rebels may try to sneak into our territory," Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena said. The areas sharing boundary with Chhattisgarh's Sukma district - the site of the encounter - have been sealed and additional forces deployed at the entry points, the SP said. "The vehicles entering into the district are being frisked at the border areas and the waterways have been put under strict vigil. Police patrolling has also been intensified in the vulnerable areas," he stated.
50 killed in Afghan fighting
Fifty people, including security personnel and civilians, were killed in fighting in Afghanistan's Logar province, authorities said on Tuesday.
Amy major, 3 soldiers killed in Kashmir border fight
An Indian Army Major and three soldiers were killed in a gun battle that also left two militants dead on Tuesday when an incursion bid from Pakistan was foiled on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, a defence official said.
CRPF officer injured in IED blast triggered by Naxals
An officer of the CRPF's elite CoBRA unit was injured today when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) laid by naxals exploded in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said. The incident took place near Timilguda village, around 500 km from here, when a team of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was out on an area domination operation, Sukma Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena told PTI. When the patrolling team was on way back to its camp, Assistant Commandant K Ijung inadvertently stepped on the pressure IED connection, triggering the blast, he said. The assistant commandant, belonging to CoBRA's 201st battalion, received splinter injuries in his abdomen, he said. Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and the injured officer was shifted to a field hospital of the paramilitary force in Chintalnar, Meena said. Efforts were on to airlift the injured officer to Raipur, but the bad weather and continuous rainfall in the area were hampering the evacuation ...
Afghan officials: Taliban attacks kill 4 troops, 4 women
An Afghan official says the Taliban attacked a military checkpoint in western Farah province, killing four troops and wounding six. Mohammad Naser Mehri, the provincial governor's spokesman, says the attack started late on Monday night and lasted into Tuesday morning in Bala Buluk district. Mehri says the Afghan air force was called in and airstrikes later killed 19 Taliban fighters and wounded 30. Separately, four women were killed and four children were wounded in the crossfire during a shootout between insurgents and the army in eastern Logar province. Hasibullah Stanikzai, a provincial council member, says the shootout took place on Monday afternoon near Puli Alim, the provincial capital. There was no immediate comment on either attack from the Taliban, who have stepped up their assaults across Afghanistan in recent months.
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Whither nuclear disarmament? (Comment)
August 6 is etched in an apocalyptic manner on the global consciousness given the nuclear enormity that engulfed the unsuspecting residents of Japan's Hiroshima on that day in 1945. Three days later Nagasaki met the same fate, though tragically August 9 receives even lesser attention from a jaded world whose attention span often oscillates from one tweet to another.