Page 514 - War Conflict
EU, embassies write to Sri Lankan leader on executions
The European Union and other diplomatic missions have sought verification from the Sri Lankan government on its stand to resume executions after a rise in crime. In a joint statement today, the EU delegation and the embassies of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Canada and Norway said they have written to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena regarding the issue. There is a rising crime wave in Sri Lanka, including gang-related killings, narcotics, robberies and sex crimes, leading to a public outcry demanding executions. The government has responded by saying it will execute prisoners who have allegedly taken advantage of a moratorium on executions to continue their drug trade from prison. Sri Lanka last executed a prisoner in 1976 and has since maintained a moratorium.
Miscreants loot Rs 3.96 lakh from petrol pump in Bihar
Four unidentified persons looted Rs 3.96 lakh from a petrol pump in Bihar's Bhojpur district in the early hours today. Superintendent of Police Avkash Kumar said that the armed miscreants, wearing masks, looted the amount from the cash box of the pump at Gangi, under the jurisdiction of Town police station, and decamped with it. There were three employees of the petrol pump when the incident took place at around 2 am, the SP said. The miscreants also damaged the CCTV installed at the pump, making it difficult to identify the culprits. Raids were being conducted to nab the miscreants.
Two soldiers injured in encounter
Two soldiers were injured in an encounter with militants in forests of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir today, the Army said. The encounter broke out in the forests of Kupwara district last night. Two soldiers were injured in the gunbattle and have been evacuated for medical attention, an Army official said. The operation was going on when reports last came in.
Afghan official: Taliban kill 7 police in eastern province
An Afghan official says the Taliban stormed a police checkpoint in eastern Nangarhar province, killing seven policemen. Provincial police chief Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai said today that the attack took place the previous night in the district of Ghani Kahil. He says that five Taliban fighters were killed in the attack. Stanikzai says that in Khogyani district, also in Nangarhar province, a government airstrike on Sunday night left 20 Taliban fighters dead. There was no statement from the Taliban on either the Ghani Kahil attack or the airstrike. Yesterday, a suicide bomber on foot struck outside a ministry building in the capital, Kabul, killing seven people and wounding 15. Last month, a suicide bombing near the same ministry killed 12 people and wounding 31 others, mostly government employees.
Clashes, road accidents mar French World Cup partying
Dozens of youths shattered windows at a popular store on the Champs Elysees avenue while hundreds of thousands of fans celebrated France's World Cup victory, according to an AFP journalist at the scene. About 30 people, many wearing ski masks, broke into the Publicis Drugstore and later left with bottles of wine and champagne, some smiling and filming themselves with cellphones yesterday. Some also threw objects including bottles and chairs at police forces who responded with tear gas. "That's not how you celebrate," a tearful bystander wearing a French team jersey said. As the hundreds of thousands of revellers gradually left the famous avenue, police used water cannon to disperse remaining troublemakers at around 11:30 pm. Elsewhere in France, authorities said clashes erupted in the southern city of Lyon between police and about 100 youths who had climbed on top of a police vehicle at an open-air showing of the match in the city centre. Police fired tear gas to disperse the youths ..
More than 10 civilians killed in Mali attack
At least 10 civilians have been killed in a possible jihadist attack in Mali's northeast, close to the border with Niger, according to armed Touareg groups and local authorities. More than 100 people, including numerous civilians, have been killed in recent months in the unstable region, where jihadist groups who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group operate. Yesterday, "armed bandits linked to local criminal groups operating on the Mali-Niger border overran Injagalane," a statement by two Touareg armed groups said, referring to the jihadists. "They opened fire on civilians," the groups said, adding that 12 people were killed and three vehicles set on fire. "They are attacking all communities without exception," the statement added. The attack was confirmed by an official from the government in Menaka, the main city in the area. "Armed men on motorbikes overran the market in Injagalane," the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They fired into the ...
Protests continue in Iraq over lack of jobs, basic services
Hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators took to the streets on Sunday in protest over lack of jobs and basic service, police said.
Pak blast: Our own killed Haroon Bilour, alleges Ghulam Ahmad Bilour
Senior leader of Pakistan's Awami National Party (ANP) Ghulam Ahmad Bilour has alleged that his nephew Haroon Bilour was killed by their "own people".At least 20 people, including ANP leader Haroon Bilour, were killed, and 63 others injured in a suicide blast on July 10. The responsibility of the attack was claimed by the banned outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)."My nephew was not martyred by TTP but people who benefited from his death are involved . not TTP but our own people killed him and we have all the details," The Express Tribune reported, quoted Ghulam, as saying.Bilour was contesting the upcoming July 25 general elections from Peshawar's PK-78 constituency."What benefit TTP could achieve for killing my nephew? They think we will step back . they will be killing us and we will not be stepping back and will contest for both national and provincial assembly seats," he added.A candidate who could win polls will be pitched for PK 78, Ghulam added.Members of the ANP staged a .
8 killed in Kabul suicide bomb attack
At least eight people were killed and 17 others wounded after a suicide bomber blew himself up near a government ministry office in Kabul on Sunday, authorities said.
Accused in 2006 Bhiwandi riots arrested by Thane police
An accused in a 2006 rioting case in Bhiwandi township in Maharashtra's Thane district, in which two policemen were lynched by a mob, has been arrested, police said today. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone II, Manoj Patil told PTI that Mohammad Yusuf, an accused in the rioting case, was arrested yesterday from Bhiwandi. On July 5, 2006, riots broke out in Bhiwandi after local residents opposed the construction of a police station on a 2,000 square metre plot near Quarter Gate Masjid. Two policemen, identified as Ramesh Jagtap and Balasaheb Gangurde, were lynched by a rioting mob. Two persons were killed in police firing. Over 30 State Transport buses were also torched during the riots.
Sarpanch killed by Naxals
Naxals allegedly killed a village sarpanch (headman) in Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Dantewada district, police today said. Pose Ram (42), sarpanchof Paurnar village, was stabbed to death last night, a local police official told PTI. As per the preliminary information, a group of Naxals entered Ram's house and killed him, and also beat up his son before leaving the spot, the official said. A police team visited the village this morning and took the body to a local hospital for autopsy, he said. The Naxals may have killed the sarpanch to express their opposition to a proposed bridge across the Indravati river at Paurnar, the official said, adding that a search was on for the assailants.
Seven dead in suicide attack at Afghan ministry: officials
A suicide bomber blew himself up in front of a government ministry in Kabul today as workers were leaving their offices, killing at least seven people and wounding more than 15, officials said, in the latest deadly attack to rock the country. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion outside the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, which was the second time in as many months that its compound has been struck. It follows a series of attacks in the eastern city of Jalalabad in recent weeks that have killed dozens of people. Most of those assaults were claimed by the Islamic State group. Civilians and security forces were among the seven dead in Monday's attack, police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai said. The death toll was confirmed by an Afghan security source. Ministry spokesman Fraidoon Azhand said the bomber struck at a security gate as employees were exiting the compound during rush hour. But it was not clear if the ministry was the target of the ...
10 feared dead in suicide blast in Kabul
At least 10 people have been killed and multiple wounded in an apparent suicide attack which took place in Kabul earlier in the day.The Kabul Police spokesperson confirmed to the Khaama Press that the incident took place close to the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development.The explosion took place at around 4.30pm (local time) on Sunday afternoon.As per the security at the building, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near the ministry gate.The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development's spokesman Faridoon Azhand told TOLOnews that the explosion happened outside the gate when ministry staff were leaving work for the day.This is the second attack on the ministry in just over a month.Earlier in June, at least 17 people were killed, and 40 wounded in a suicide bombing.The bomber targeted ministry staff when they were leaving from work.
Ready to probe complaints of missing persons: Lanka OMP
Sri Lanka's Office of Missing Persons said today it will launch an impartial probe into the complaints on thousands of people who have allegedly gone "missing" after surrendering to the military during the brutal civil war against the LTTE. The Office of Missing Persons (OMP) aims to bring in reparations to the victims of the nearly three-decade long armed conflict which ended in 2009. "I have said the OMP will impartially and scientifically examine any specific complaint relating to persons who surrendered to the forces," OMP Chairman, Saliya Peiris tweeted. Peiris remarks came after he and his officials visited the northern Jaffna town yesterday to meet with the relatives of the missing persons. The OMP visited the former LTTE stronghold of Kilinochchi - from where a parallel administration was run for 30 years in the north and east. The OMP's public outreach in Jaffna yesterday was met with angry protests from the relatives of the disappeared persons. Peiris said despite protests .
Boko Haram overruns Nigeria military base in second attack in days
Boko Haram jihadists overran a military base in northeast Nigeria after a ferocious firefight, military and vigilante sources said today, the second assault on the country's forces in two days. The militants on Saturday evening invaded a base holding hundreds of soldiers in Yobe state -- where they abducted over 100 girls from a school earlier this year -- in an attack that lasted for hours, a military source told AFP on condition of anonymity. "Boko Haram terrorists attacked troops of the 81 Division Forward Brigade at Jilli village in Geidam district. The terrorists came in huge numbers around 7:30 pm (1830 GMT) and overran the base after a fierce battle that lasted till 9:10 pm," said the military source. "The base had 734 troops. Currently the commander of the base and 63 soldiers have made it to Geidam (60 kilometres away) while the remaining 670 are being expected," he said. "We don't know if there were any casualties among the troops. That will be known later," he said, adding .
Multiple casualties in suicide attack near Afghan ministry: police
A suicide attacker blew himself up in front of a government ministry in Kabul today, killing or wounding at least 10 people, police said, in the latest deadly violence in Afghanistan. The explosion happened at the rural rehabilitation and development ministry around 4:30 pm, police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai told AFP. That is the time when most employees would have been going home.
Chicago clashes after police kill black man
Police in Chicago have clashed with protesters after an officer fatally shot a black man who was suspected of carrying a gun.
Record number of Afghan civilians killed in first half of 2018: UN
A total of 1,692 Afghan civilians were killed due to conflicts and terrorist attacks in the first half of this year, hitting a record high, a UN mission said on Sunday.
Civilian deaths in war-torn Afghanistan hit record high: UN
The number of Afghan civilians killed in the country's long-running conflict hit a record high in the first six months of 2018, UN figures showed today, with militant attacks and suicide bombs the leading causes of death. The toll of 1,692 fatalities was one per cent more than a year earlier and the highest since the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) began keeping records in 2009.
Naxal attack: Raman Singh condoles jawans' death
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday expressed grief over two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans losing their lives in a Naxal attack in the state.The Naxals opened fire on a BSF platoon at around 3.45 am on Sunday, killing two soldiers and injuring one.Singh condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the grieving families.The killed jawans have been identified as constables Lokender Singh from Rajasthan and Mukdhiyar Singh from Punjab.Their mortal remains were brought to the 114 Bn BSF Batallion Head Quarters in Pakhanjore city for wreath-laying ceremony.The condition of the injured jawan, Sandeep Dey, is stable.On Monday, two BSF constables were killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in the same districtLast month, two jawans of 231 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force were injured when Naxals blew up an IED in the Maoist hotbed, Dantewada district.Earlier on May 20, Naxals killed six jawans in a blast in Dantewada's Cholnar village.