Page 529 - War Conflict
Afghan Prez visits Gurdwara; promises action against Jalalabad blast perpetrators
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani today said the deadly attack targeting Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad will be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators will face trial as he visited a Gurdwara in Kabul and offered condolences to the minority community. President Ghani visited the Gurdwara in Kart-e-Parwan area of Kabul city and offered condolences to the Sikh Community members, the Office of the President, ARG Palace, said. An ISIS suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Sikhs and Hindus on their way to meet the Afghan president in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Sunday. At least 20 people, including 17 Sikhs, were killed in the attack. Avtar Singh Khalsa, a longtime leader of the Sikh community who had planned to run in the parliamentary elections set for October, was also killed in the blast. "President Ghani called the attack a catastrophe and promised that the incident would be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators would face trial for the crime," the ARG ..
2 over-ground workers of militants arrested in J-K
Security forces today arrested two over-ground workers of militants outfit in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said. "Police, along with other security forces, apprehended two OGW's during a 'naka' checking at the Pazalpora-Urenhall road crossing," a police spokesperson said. He said the two OGWs were found roaming in suspicious circumstances by the joint team of security forces in the district. "One live grenade, one Chinese pistol with five rounds and two bottles of sodium nitrate were recovered from them," the spokesperson said, adding that the duo were identified as Junaid-ul-Islam Dar and Hilal Ahmad Ganie. A case under Section 7/25 of the Indian Arms Act and 3/4 of the Explosive Substance Act was registered against them.
CID to probe NYT report on Chinese company funding ex-Prez's poll campaign, says Lanka PM
The Sri Lankan police will probe the allegations in a New York Times report which claimed that a Chinese state-owned company had funded former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2015, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said. The NYT report published on June 26 alleged that Rajapaksa's campaign took USD 7.6 million in bribe from the the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) which built the controversial Hambantota port on the island. Wickremesinghe told parliament yesterday that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) will probe the allegations made by the NYT report following a complaint lodged by Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake. He further said that necessary action would be taken after the investigations were concluded. The Rajapaksa camp has denied the allegation and accused the NYT of carrying out politically motivated falsehoods on Sri Lankan government's bidding. The NYT on Tuesday had also claimed that two of its correspondents in
12 Indian fishermen arrested for poaching in Sri Lankan waters
Sri Lankan Navy today arrested twelve Indian fishermen and seized their two trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country's territorial waters. Nearly 3,000 fishermen from Rameswaram had ventured into the sea yesterday and were fishing near Karainagar in the Lankan waters early this morning, when the Sri Lankan naval personnel arrested them, Assistant Director of Fisheries department in India, Manikandan said. While those in other boats managed to escape, 12 fishermen were arrested and taken to Kangesanthurai port in Sri Lanka along with their boats, the official said. The fishermen were charged with poaching fish in Sri lanka's waters using the banned fishing net, he added. This is the first incident of arrest after the fishing ban period ended on June 14. The fishermen along with their trawlers were handed over to the Fisheries Inspectorate in Jaffna through the Department of Sri Lanka Coast Guard, the Sri Lankan Navy said. The arrest was made by the Sri Lanka Navy personnel ...
S.Africa mosque attacker 'had schizophrenia'
A Somali man who was shot dead after fatally stabbing two worshippers and wounding two others at a mosque in South Africa suffered from schizophrenia, police said today. Police ruled out any extremist motive behind the June 14 attack, saying that the suspect, Nur Arawal, 23, has recently been released from a psychiatric hospital in Cape Town. "The man had schizophrenia, we could not link him to any extremist or radical activity," Hangwani Mulaudzi, spokesman for the Hawks police investigation unit, told AFP. Arawal was shot dead by police at the mosque in Malmesbury, north of Cape Town, after entering the building carrying a knife and attacking worshippers. He tried to charge police before being killed. The incident occurred less than a month after another attack at a mosque, on the outskirts of the eastern port city of Durban. Three unidentified assailants killed the mosque's leader by slitting his throat and injured two others after midday prayers on May 10. They also off a petrol ..
Vietnam arrests 7 over police bombing, alleges US exile ties
Vietnamese police have arrested seven people suspected of involvement in the bombing last month of a police station in the Southeast Asian country's largest city. The blast in Ho Chi Minh City injured a policewoman and damaged some property. The online newspaper VnExpress reported today that four suspects were accused of conducting terrorist activities aimed at overthrowing the "people's administration" and 3 were accused of illegally trading explosives. Police also seized 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of explosives and 8 homemade bombs. The paper quoted Maj. Gen. Phan Anh Minh, the city's deputy police chief, as saying that the group collaborated with the "reactionary" Viet Nguyen Dynasty group in exile in the US. Bomb blasts are rare in Communist-ruled Vietnam where authorities maintain tight control over almost all aspects of life.
Head constable shot at
A head constable was shot at by an accused in a loot case in Rajasthan's Sikar district, the police said today. The injured head constable Sanwat Ram has been referred to a Jaipur hospital. A trap was laid to arrest Subhash Jat (30), an accused in loot cases in Ranoli, Srimadhopur and Khatushyam ji area last month. The police chased him in Rajpura village yesterday following which he opened fire on police in which a head constable was severely injured, SP, Sikar, Vineet Kumar said. He said the accused was later arrested and illegal arms recovered from his possession.
NIA court orders to seize property of Kerala youths who joined ISIS
The National Investigative Agency (NIA) special court has issued a notice to revenue officials to recover the properties of youths who had left from Kerala to join terrorist organisation ISIS.NIA officials have posted the notice at the residence of Abdul Rashid Abdulla, the first accused. A notice has also been issued to Thrikkarippur village officer in this regard.The accused has been asked to be present at the NIA court by July 13. Action will be taken according to Criminal Penal Code (CRPC) 81, 82 and 83.14 people along with their families from Kerala's Kasaragod district exited India in July 2016 to Join ISIS.Earlier in March 2018, An investigation by NIA revealed that the principal accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla had recruited the other accused persons in this case by conducting classes at Kasaragod and other places since Ramadan 2015, in support of the terrorist organisation ISIS/ Daesh and its ideology of violent jihad.He had motivated his co-conspirators to join the terrorist ...
Rebel-held south Syria hit by heaviest strikes yet
The Syrian government and its Russian ally pounded rebel-held areas of the southern province of Daraa today with the heaviest air strikes of a two-week-old offensive, an AFP correspondent and a monitor reported. "Hundreds" of missiles and barrel bombs were unleashed before dawn by both Syrian and Russian aircraft, after talks on rebel surrenders broke down yesterday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The intensity of the bombardment allowed government forces to seize control of a security checkpoint on the Jordanian border for the first time in more than three years, the Britain-based monitoring group said. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the bombardment was an "attempt to make the rebels back down after they refused to subject themselves to the Russian terms for a ceasefire." Some rebel groups have agreed to negotiated surrenders but on Wednesday evening the remainder walked out of talks with a Russian delegation saying they would not agree to hand over their .
Afghan official says bombing has killed 4 Taliban insurgents
An Afghan official says a bomb has killed four Taliban insurgents, including a senior leader, in the country's eastern Nangarhar province. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which took place today. Militants from the Islamic State group have targeted the Taliban in the past in eastern Afghanistan, where they have gained a foothold, including in a devastating bombing during a recent three-day truce that killed several Taliban fighters and members of the security forces during a temporary cease-fire. Afghan defense ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanish said on Thursday that a suspected US drone strike in northeastern Kunar province killed a senior Pakistan Taliban commander and his two bodyguards. Radmanish says the attack took place on Tuesday morning, near the border with Pakistan.
Ghani visits Gurdwara Kart-e-Parwan in the wake of Jalalabad blast
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani paid a visit to Gurdwara in Kart-e-Parwan area of Kabul and offered condolences to the Afghan Sikh Community following the deadly suicide attack in Jalalabad City."President Ghani visits Gurdwara in Kart-e-Parwan area of #Kabul, offers condolences to the Afghan Sikh Community, following the deadly suicide attack in #Jalalabad City that killed many Sikh Afghans including Awtar Singh, the only Sikh candidate for Afghan parliament," tweeted Afghan journalist Shakib Mahmud.On Sunday, a suicide bombing in eastern Afghanistan's Jalalabad city killed at least 19 people, mostly Sikhs and Hindus. The deceased include Awtar Singh, the only Sikh candidate for the Afghan parliament.India has asked Afghanistan to step up the security of minorities linked to Indian origin in the wake of the Jalalabad attack.The bombing has rattled the Sikh community all over the world. Special prayers and 'ardas' are being organised in Gurudwaras.According to various media ...
George Washington and Military: The focus in Trump's Independence Day greetings
United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning wished his fellow Americans a happy Independence Day, reminding them of the heroics of the soldiers led by George Washington 242 years ago, to "win" America's independence from the British.In a video posted on his Twitter handle, Trump said, "My fellow Americans, Melania and I are truly honoured to wish every American a happy Independence Day. It was 242 years ago today in Philadelphia that 56 brave representatives of the American people adopted our Declaration of Independence. They announced to the world that America would be free and America would be independent. They pledged their lives, their fortune and their sacred honour. In so doing, they forever changed the course of human history."He then spoke about the first President of the United States, George Washington, who was also the general and commander-in-chief of the colonial armies during the American Revolution."General George Washington and his army of brave patriots .
Egypt unearths ancient artefacts 'hidden' in WWII
Hundreds of ancient pottery items have been discovered in an Alexandria museum in a hiding place "most probably" created during World War II, Egypt's antiquities ministry said today. Pots and other receptacles dating back to Greek, Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras were discovered "during restoration work" in a garden inside the Greco-Roman museum of Alexandria in northern Egypt, the ministry said in a statement. "These pots were most probably hidden by (British) archaeologist Alan Rowe and... employees in the museum's garden during World War II", Ayman Ashmawy, head of Egyptian antiquities at the ministry, said in the statement. The artefacts were hidden to "protect them from looting or being destroyed by repeated bombardments during the war", he said. "The hiding process was carried out quickly without being documented or recorded on the museum's list", he added. The haul includes "Hidari" cremation urns -- intended for ashes during Greek times, said another official, Nadia ...
NATO underpins peace and global stability, says Italian President
Rome, July 4 (IANS/AKI) NATO is "a pillar of peace and global stability", Italy's President Sergio Mattarella said on Tuesday after meeting his Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid during an official visit to the Baltic state.
Wanted Maoist surrenders before police in Jharkhand
A CPI(Maoist) leader wanted by Jharkhand and Bihar Police in connection with various cases of murder, loot and abduction today surrendered in Chatra district, a senior police officer said today. Sanjay Yadav alias Bhagwat Yadav, a sub-zonal commander of CPI(Maoist) surrendered before the Superintendent of Police, Akhilesh B Beriar and CRPF's 190 battalion Commander, Pawan Kumar Basan in the district headquarters town, the officer said. Yadav was active in Bihar and Jharkhand for last two decades. He was allegedly involved in the attack of then BJP president M Venkaiah Naidus chopper, which was set on fire soon after it had made an emergency landing in Pararia village of Gaya district on January 2005, the officer said. Addressing the newsmen, the SP said Yadav was fed up of naxal activities and decided to surrender to join the mainstream of the society. Yadav was wanted by Bihar and Jharkhand police in connection with various naxal related violence cases including ...
US drone kills two militants in Pakistan
A US drone strike killed a Taliban commander and his associate today in northwest Pakistan's tribal region near the Afghan border, sources said. The US drone fired two missiles at commander Abdullah Dawar and his associate at Noor Tangi area of tehsil Datta Khel in North Waziristan, which has long been a sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups. The militants were from the Gul Bahadur group, which is blamed for carrying out attacks inside Afghanistan. Last month, Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan.
NSG to be first central force to opt for e-ticketing instead of railway warrant
The National Security Guard will be the first central paramilitary force to opt for e-ticketing instead of the railway warrant under an agreement signed with the IRCTC, a statement from the catering and tourism arm of the railways said today. A memorandum of understanding was signed today between the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation and the NSG at the headquarters of the special force here. This system will eliminate the need of carrying railway warrants by the NSG personnel. Purchasing tickets through railway warrant system is a cumbersome and lengthy process as it requires the NSG staff to go to a railway reservation counter to exchange a railway warrant to reserve tickets, the statement said. A railway warrant is a voucher issued for train travel for certain categories such as government employees, security force personnel and retirees at subsidised rates or free of charge, exchangeable for a ticket. Under the MOU, the IRCTC will be extending the ticketing facility ..
Sri Lanka, UAE to ink pact to expand investment promotion
Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday agreed to complete the Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investment (APPI) as early as possible to expand investment and trade cooperation between the two countries.
Pakistani officials: Suspected US drone kills militants
Pakistani intelligence officials say a suspected US drone strike killed a militant commander and his associate near the Afghan border. Two intelligence officials say the drone targeted the commander, Qari Abdullah Dawar, as he was walking with his associate near their mountain hideout in the Tor Tangai area of North Waziristan on Wednesday. North Waziristan has long been a sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups. Pakistan's military says it has eradicated most militant safe havens in operations there. They say the slain militants were from the Gul Bahadur group, which has carried out attacks inside Afghanistan. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Pakistani Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah was killed in a drone strike in Afghanistan last month.
Odisha Police bust inter-state gang of robbers
Eleven members of an inter-state gang involved in loot of ATMs were arrested in Raghunathpalli area of Odisha's Sundargarh district today, a police officer said. "We have busted the gang, whose members belong to Bihar and Jharkhand," Rourkela SP Uma Shankar Dash told reporters. The gang was also active in other states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal, he said, adding they looted ATMs in 14 districts of Odisha. Sixteen mobile phones, Rs 4,20,000 in cash, two laptops and 95 ATM cards, among other items, were recovered from their possession, police said. Preliminary investigation showed that the gang members used a modern technology called 'skimming' and targeted ATMs located in isolated places, and had looted over Rs 1 crore, the SP said.