Page 50 - War Conflict
NIA team in Sri Lanka to help in Easter bombings case; will seek more details of probe
A two-member team of the NIA is in Sri Lanka to hold discussions with authorities about a probe in the Easter Sunday bombings over claims that some terrorists, owning allegiance to ISIS, had travelled to India, including Kashmir, officials said Wednesday. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) team is led by Inspector General Alok Mittal, who has probed various ISIS-related cases in South India, including a conspiracy by the terror module to kill prominent leaders. During investigations in the case, the NIA had alerted the island nation that ISIS terrorists were planning to carry out strikes there. India had been regularly sharing intelligence inputs about a possible terror attack in Sri Lanka targeting the Indian High Commission and religious places there. The inputs to Sri Lanka were sent through diplomatic channels after a thorough investigation pertaining to the ISIS case in Coimbatore was carried out by the NIA, which has filed a charge sheet against seven people. The Indian ...
Over 50 injured in clashes at Kulgam gunfight site
More than 50 civilian protesters were injured on Wednesday in clashes with security forces near the site of a gunfight with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district.
Protection of civilians is primary responsibility of national governments: India
India has emphasised that the protection of civilians in the conflicts is the primary responsibility of national governments and not of the peacekeepers, voicing concern that very little is done to strengthen national and societal capacities of protection. The general tendency is to wrongly assume that protection of civilians is the responsibility of the parties to the conflict, peacekeepers, and humanitarian organisations. However, this responsibility primarily rests with the national governments, India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu said at a Security Council open debate on 'Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.' Very little is done in terms of strengthening the national and societal capacities of protection. "Outside agencies can only supplement and not supplant the responsibility of national governments," he said. Naidu also pointed out that protection of civilians in the context of UN peacekeeping operations has been a complex one ...
International group asks Pakistan to release journalist
An international organization that advocates for the rights of journalists has urged Pakistan to immediately release a reporter who was arrested for his coverage of this week's violent clash between minority Pashtuns and troops in a northwestern region near the Afghan border. The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based group, in Tuesday's statement says Gohar Wazir, a reporter working for the private TV station Khyber News, was detained in the town of Bannu after reporting on the demonstration of the Pashtun Protection Movement, a group campaigning against the perceived high-handedness by security forces. The arrest came days after the group led by two lawmakers clashed with troops at an army post in the North Waziristan district, setting off a shootout that wounded five troops and killed three activists.
Myanmar Army committed war crimes against minorities: Report
The Myanmar military has committed war crimes during its offensive against the Arakan Army following a government order to crush the armed group, a report said on Wednesday.
UP: Petrol pump cashier shot at by miscreants in Lucknow
A petrol pump cashier and another person were shot at by two miscreants on Tuesday, police said.Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kalanidhi Nathani said, "Two unidentified men came and intentionally hit him. The injured have been admitted to the hospital. Rs 4-5 lakh cash which they were carrying at the time was not looted and is in the custody of the pump."A case has been registered and the police have started the investigation.
Germany: Free Balochistan Movement demands removal of Pakistan's nukes
Members of the Free Balochistan Movement on Tuesday (local time) organised a protest in the Hannover city of Germany against the nuclear tests carried out by Pakistan on May 28, 1998, in the Balochistan province.The protesters distributed pamphlets about 28th May and the aftermath of the nuclear tests that caused diseases in the area. The participants of the protest also raised slogans against Pakistani and Iranian occupation on the sovereign Baloch state.They provided awareness about the nuclear tests in Balochistan and carried banner and placard inscribed with various slogans as well as pictures of people that suffered mysterious diseases after the detonation of nuclear weapons.The speakers noted that in the past 71 years, Pakistan has done countless atrocities over Baloch people, among which, one was the nuclear tests of 28 May 1998. Due to these nuclear tests, the Baloch land suffered from various problems."It does not rain anymore in the area the way it used to, children are ...
NIA team in Colombo to probe ISIS related cases
A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) has reached Colombo in connection with two ISIS related cases being investigated by the agency.The two-member team is in the Sri-Lankan capital to find out any possible links between the terrorist modules and the terrorists involved in the deadly Easter Sunday bombings in Sri-Lanka.NIA had on April 29 arrested Riyas Aboobacker in connection with Kasargod ISIS terror module case.According to the investigating agency, Aboobacker was allegedly planning suicide attacks at international tourist destinations in Kerala. He was arrested from Palakkad.In 2017, the NIA had registered a case against five people from Valapattanam in Kannur district for their alleged IS links. The investigation revealed Riyas' link with the ISIS.According to NIA, Riyas revealed during interrogation that he was in contact with an absconder in the case Abdul Rashid Abdulla alias Abu Isa and was following his audio clips, in which he was heard instigating others to carry
J-K: Exchange of fire between terrorists, security forces in Kulgam
An exchange of fire took place between terrorists and security forces in Tazipora, Mohammadpora area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Wednesday.Two to three terrorists are trapped in the area. More details are currently awaited.This comes a day after two terrorists were killed and their arms and ammunition confiscated by the security forces after an exchange of fire broke out in Kokernag area of Anantnag district on Tuesday.Earlier, the security forces had got a major breakthrough when one of the most wanted terrorists, Zakir Musa, was killed in an encounter in Tral in Pulwama on May 24.
IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal, BS Dhanoa, COSC
Dhanoa will take over from Admiral Sunil Lanba, who is retiring on May 31.Chairman, COSC is the senior most defence officer in the country and looks after tri-services matters of the armed forces.Lanba has had a long tenure of around 30 months as he had taken over as the Chairman, COSC on January 1, 2017.At the moment when the government is laying a lot of stress on increasing jointness among services, the office of the Chairman, COSC is to increasingly become important.The idea of creation of tri-services theatre commands and raising of tri-services agencies for looking after the Special Forces, Space and Cyber agencies have also underscored the importance of jointness.
Gunfight underway in J&K's Kulgam
A gunfight broke out between security forces and holed-up militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Wednesday.
New criticism over French arms shipments to Saudi Arabia
A Saudi Arabian cargo ship arrived at a port in southern France on Tuesday to pick up munitions, according to an investigative website, rekindling criticism of weapons sales to the Middle Eastern nation which rights groups say are being used in the devastating war in Yemen. The shipment was revealed by the Disclose website, whose reporting on a similar shipment of French weapons earlier this month led to pressure that prompted Riyadh to renounce loading the weapons. Disclose said the new shipment involved munitions for French Caesar cannons that would be loaded at the Mediterranean port of Fos-sur-Mer, near Marseille. "We are checking this out," Defence Minister Florence Parly told lawmakers in Parliament who assailed the government for allowing the weapons sales. "And if this is indeed the case, would it be surprising? No, because we have an accord with Saudi Arabia," she said. But a representative in France for the Saudi shipping company involved denied any plans for a weapons ...
Arrest warrant issued for Myanmar firebrand monk Wirathu
Myanmar police issued an arrest warrant Tuesday evening for an ultra-nationalist monk known as the "Buddhist Bin Laden" for his vitriol against Islam and particularly the Rohingya Muslim community. Wirathu has long been the face of the country's Buddhist nationalist movement, notorious for espousing hate against the Rohingya minority. A warrant was "filed and applied directly at western district court against him (Wirathu) under article 124(a)," police spokesman Myo Thu Soe told AFP late on Tuesday. He said he was unable to give specific details about the reasons behind the warrant. The law prohibits anyone who "attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government" and carries a maximum jail sentence of three years. Wirathu's monastery is in Mandalay but his whereabouts Tuesday or when he might be detained were unknown. In 2013 the hardliner appeared on the cover of "Time" magazine as "The Face of Buddhist Terror". He has ...
Nigerian bandits murder 23 in pre-dawn massacre: residents
Dozens of gunmen riding motorbikes launched a bandit attack on two villages in northern Nigeria on Tuesday, slaughtering 23 people eating breakfast, residents said. Gunmen in the Kauran Namoda district of Nigeria's Zamfara state attacked the neighbouring villages of Tunga and Kabaje as residents ate a pre-dawn meal before daylight fasting began for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "The bandits killed 23 people in the attacks," said local leader Lawal Isah Abdullahi. "The attackers chased people into farmland... but as they fled they shot them dead." Soldiers later accompanied villagers to collect and bury the dead. "We conducted funerals for the 23 victims this afternoon," Tunga resident Shehu Bello said. Residents suggested the attacks were reprisal after a self-defence militia killed a motorbike taxi driver and his passengers -- the wife and son of a well known bandit -- as they drove to the gang's hideout in a nearby forest. The gunmen, who appeared to want cash and have no known
India issues updated travel advisory for Sri Lanka
India on Tuesday issued an updated travel advisory for Sri Lanka, saying that the security situation was gradually returning to normal in the island nation but Indian nationals travelling there need to be careful and vigilant.
Two terrorists killed in Anantnag, arms confiscated
Two terrorists were killed and their arms and ammunition were confiscated by the security forces after an exchange of fire broke out between them in Kokernag area of Anantnag district on Tuesday.Speaking to ANI, Dilbag Singh, Director General of Police (DGP) said: "Anantnag police and security forces have taken possession of bodies of two militants along with the arms and ammunition from the forest area where the operation took place. Their identities and affiliation to any outfit is yet to be ascertained."Praising the zonal police for doing the working towards eradicating militancy in the valley, he said: "Zakir Musa and his group have been eliminated from Kashmir. Most of their members were from Pakistan."Security forces had got a major breakthrough when one of the most wanted terrorists, Zakir Musa, was killed in an encounter in Tral in Pulwama on May 24."Our district SPs and zonal officers are fully sensitised to make sure that boys are counselled well. As and when we get the ...
Pak national among 2 JeM terrorists killed in encounter in J-K's Anantnag
Two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists, including a Pakistani national, were Tuesday killed in an encounter with security forces in the forests of Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said. Based on specific intelligence inputs, security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the Kachwan forest area of Kokernag in the south Kashmir district, a police spokesman said. The operation turned into an encounter as the terrorists opened fire at the search party, he said. In the subsequent exchange of fire, two gunmen were killed, the official said. He said one of them was identified as Faisal Nazir Mir, a resident of Anantnag, and incriminating materials recovered at the site of the encounter revealed that the other was a Pakistani citizen. As per the police records, both were affiliated with the JeM, the official said, adding that Mir had joined the outfit recently. "The Pakistani terrorist, as per the police records, was involved in conspiring and executing a series of
Senior Taliban leader says insurgents want peace
Senior Taliban officials including the group's top political advisor met with Afghan political figures in Moscow Tuesday, saying they were committed to peace in Afghanistan -- even as US-led talks appear to have stalled. In a message the Taliban have not altered since talks with the US started last autumn, Taliban co-founder and political leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar said the insurgents want an end to 18 years of conflict -- but would only sign a deal after foreign forces quit Afghanistan. The Taliban are "really committed to peace, but think the obstacle for peace should be removed first", Baradar said in a rare televised appearance at the start of the two-day meeting marking 100 years of diplomatic ties between Russia and Afghanistan. "The obstacle is the occupation of Afghanistan, and that should end," Baradar added. Baradar -- who helped Mullah Omar found the Taliban -- was appointed its political chief in January following his release from a Pakistan prison. Tuesday's Moscow
ISIS terrorists movement: Lakshadweep admin reviews security, directs high vigil
The Lakshadweep administration Tuesday held a multi-agency security review meeting following intelligence reports that a boat carrying 15 Islamic State (IS) terrorists had set off from Sri Lanka to the scenic islands. Farooq Khan, the Administrator of the Union Territory, held a meeting at Kavaratti with senior officials of the local administration, Navy and Coast Guard, a Lakshadweep administration spokesperson said. He said Naval officers briefed Khan that both the Navy and Coast Guard vessels are undertaking enhanced patrolling across all the islands of Lakshadweep. "The surveillance by Naval maritime patrol aircraft is also in progress and all possible measures have been taken to prevent such intrusion in any of the islands in Lakshadweep," the spokesperson said, quoting the defence officials. The Navy officer also informed the meeting that a boat from Tamil Nadu, named S S Rafai, with eight crew members and bearing false registration documents has been seized near Suheli island, .
Dwayne Johnson pens tribute on 'Memorial Day'
As the United States commemorated 'Memorial Day' on Monday, Dwayne Johnson penned a heartfelt tribute to those who sacrificed their lives serving in the US armed forces.Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who lost their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May.'The Rock' shared a picture with his child on Instagram, where the two are seen watching a film. Along with the picture, he thanked the US armed forces for their unconditional services."Good way to close out our Memorial Day. The freedoms & safety to enjoy these blessed moments in my life with my babies, that I hold close to my ." he wrote.Johnson added, "I know don't come without a sacrifice and burden to endure. I'm forever grateful and honor all who gave their everything in service for the very blessings that we enjoy. Hope you had a blessed Memorial Day weekend with your families."The Rock went on to write that this is .